EDITOR ' S LETTER
We shape our homeplaces and are in turn shaped by them. Land and water influence the
way we live, gather, and care for one another. My experience living in the Lowcountry has sharpened that awareness. Here, boundaries are porous. Water moves. Wildlife moves. What happens upstream does not stay there. It flows, connects, and returns us to the truth that this is a shared ecosystem.
This issue of ROOTS marks an important evolution: the transition from the Kiawah Conservancy to the Conservancy of the Sea Islands. The new name reflects a broader reality— that the health of Kiawah is inseparable from that of Johns and Seabrook Islands, and the creeks, marshes, and rivers that bind them together.
Our opening feature introduces this new identity and the values behind it, followed by a letter from Joan Avioli— long time Conservancy supporter and recipient of the Legacy Award— that speaks to continuity and care through change. Looking back, Roots of the Conservancy traces the visionaries who laid the foundation for this work, while Sea Island Watershed invites us to look upstream— scientifically and philosophically— at the systems that sustain us. Other stories bring these ideas to life: the fragile and uncertain recovery of Kiawah’ s bobcats, community-driven BioBlitzes, and faith as a vehicle for stewardship in Conservation Congregation and Seabrook’ s Wild Heart. Last but not least, we continue to document the exciting transformation of the preserved properties on Betsy Kerrison Parkway into a shared hub for learning, culture, and conservation.
Together, these stories remind us that stewardship is not confined to one place. It is a way of thinking— rooted in connection, responsibility, and care for the whole.
JOEL CALDWELL | EDITOR
ROOTS 2026 • 3