easement to the Conservancy, and protection was expanded across the entire property.
Over the next couple of years, the Conservancy continued to evolve, reaching many new milestones, including the addition of fulltime staff to support its expanding conservation efforts and operational needs. Early hires included an office manager, an accountant, and a GIS( Geographic Information System) specialist— roles that strengthened operations and expanded capacity. As programs grew, interns also became an essential part of the team, contributing fresh perspectives, field support, and valuable research.
During this time, the Conservancy also deepened its role as an environmental educator and community resource. For years, a simple foldover newsletter was published quarterly, initially without a formal title. As the organization evolved, its publications advanced through multiple phases of design and content development, eventually becoming Naturally Kiawah, the Conservancy’ s flagship magazine— now reimagined as ROOTS magazine. Educational outreach also grew through a variety of conservation education programs and community initiatives. Together, these efforts strengthened public understanding of Kiawah’ s natural environment and solidified the Conservancy’ s role as both protector and educator.
In 2007, the Conservancy, in partnership with the Town of Kiawah Island, launched the Bobcat GPS( Global Positioning System) Study. Today, the Kiawah Bobcat GPS Project stands as the longest continuous GPS-based bobcat study in the world. Researchers have captured and fitted more than 100 bobcats with GPS collars, generating invaluable data on movement patterns, habitat use, and overall species health. This work not only informed the Conservancy’ s conservation and land-management decisions, but also reflected our strengthened commitment to robust, sciencebased stewardship. In recent years, Kiawah’ s bobcats have faced serious threats from second generation anticoagulant rodenticides( SGARs). The Conservancy strongly supports the Town’ s Bobcat Guardian program, which has made significant progress in reducing SGAR use and contributing to encouraging signs of recovery in the island’ s bobcat population.
As the organization grew in leadership, participation, and expertise, it became clear that its long-range plans needed to evolve as well. In 2011, the Conservancy adopted a new strategic plan to guide its work through 2020. Under this plan, financial management and reporting systems were modernized, and a new database and tracking program were implemented to support more robust operations.
During this period, the Conservancy also expanded its communications and outreach efforts. The popular Naturally Kiawah Guest Edition was introduced as a special publication for Resort guests, and the first Annual Report was released. The Conservancy’ s work earned significant recognition along the way: in 2010, South Carolina Secretary
16 • CONSERVANCY OF THE SEA ISLANDS