This Fall marks the 5th anniversary of Sullivan’s Island for All, the grassroots advocacy group that has become a powerful voice for conservation, community, and responsible stewardship of one of the Lowcountry’s most unique natural environments: the Sullivan’s Island Maritime Forest.

Go Explore Nature in August!

Don’t miss your chance to join Town Naturalist Rebecca Fanning for a leisurely stroll along a Sullivan’s Island scenic walk near you!  CLICK HERE to sign up for a walk highlighting some of the diverse communities of plants and animals to be found along our neighborhood beach paths and saltmarsh edge. A Harborview walk is scheduled for August 9th from 2pm – 4pm starting at Station 12. Then, a Sunset on the Marsh walk is set for August 16 from 7pm. – 8pm, starting at Station 19 at the”Old Dump” lot. Rebecca has a wealth of knowledge about nature and the island that will leave you and your family wanting more!

Cool Way to Birdwatch in the Maritime Forest!

Recently, a fan of the Maritime Forest had a great suggestion for those of us who can’t tell one bird from another. It’s called the Merlin Bird ID app and you can download it to your phone easily on the Apple or Google Play store. Simply open the app and then the app will interpret the chirping nearby and pop up a photo of the bird you are near! The Merlin Bird ID app, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is a free mobile app that helps users identify birds using various methods. It offers features like Photo ID, Sound ID, and step-by-step identification based on bird characteristics. The app is powered by eBird’s extensive data and utilizes machine learning to enhance identification accuracy. 

Maritime Forest Serves as Habitat and Protector

This letter to the editor written in 2021, has stood the test of time and we wanted to re-share this with you!

(Letter to the Editor Written by Grace Reed)

Sullivan’s Island does not exist in a vacuum. The importance of Sullivan’s Island’s Maritime Forest is closely related to the neighboring communities of Mount Pleasant and Charleston.

The islands along the coast of South Carolina are called “barrier islands” for a reason. They act as a barrier between the enormous forces of the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. Were it not for the barrier islands, there would be waves crashing onto the Battery in Charleston and the Intracoastal side of Mount Pleasant. One has only to look at an aerial photo of Sullivan’s Island to realize its vital position as a massive surf break for Mount Pleasant during hurricanes.

A high density of trees and vegetation on the island serves to fortify its diffusive effect on the velocity of ocean waves during a storm surge. Thus the trees and shrubs of the Maritime Forest on Sullivan’s Island’s accreted land play an important role in the protection of Mount Pleasant and downtown Charleston, in addition to the protecting the middle and back side of the island itself.

Besides protecting the mainland, the trees and shrubs of the Maritime Forest act as a critical habitat for migratory and indigenous songbirds and butterflies. Moreover, the flora and fauna of the Maritime Forest are woven in a complex web of co-dependence to create a thriving ecosystem.

As an example, the lowly wax myrtle provides a necessary food source for tree swallows which migrate in masses of thousands and swoop through the myrtles to snatch berries on the fly. The berries of the myrtle also are a necessary food source for the beautiful myrtle warbler, which overwinters here. These birds, in turn, help to propagate the myrtles by spreading seeds in their droppings. Cutting myrtles to 3-feet or 5-feet, as designated in the Sullivan’s Island mediation agreement, could deprive the tiny warbler of protective cover, and also affect the availability and accessibility of berries. The lack of an abundant source of food could threaten individuals of both these species during their most vulnerable seasons.

Most people are aware of the habitat needs of the Monarch butterfly, which stops on Sullivan’s Island during its southern migration in fall. But they might not realize the importance of the Hackberry tree for our indigenous Hackberry butterfly. Hackberry nectar and sap are important food sources for the butterfly. Also, it lays its eggs exclusively on that species and the larva hatch to feast on the leaves of the Hackberry before pupating. The larva and butterflies, in turn, provide food for many migrating songbirds. Yet in the Sullivan’s Island mediation agreement, the Hackberry tree is considered expendable and allowed to be removed.

During the last 25 years, there has been a vitally important occurrence in Mount Pleasant that has largely gone unrecognized. For countless eons, one of the the southward neotropical song-bird migrations has generally followed the Eastern coastline. One of the reliable and important stopovers on their journey has been Patriots Point, where the birds have dropped down for rest, food and water before crossing the “big water” of Charleston Harbor. However, the state-sanctioned development of Patriots Point has resulted in a significant loss of valuable habitat. When the millions of migrating birds and butterflies arrive here, each year there is less land and vegetation to support them.

However, as that door has shut, a window has opened in the growth of an alternative habitat on Sullivan’s Island, just a few miles away.

The importance of Sullivan’s Island’s Maritime Forest is interwoven with the area around it, both as habitat and in storm surge mitigation. Its protection should be considered vital for Islanders and mainlanders alike.

The Board of Directors of SI for All will match every gift on Giving Tuesday up to $1,500. Can we count on your support to save the maritime forest?

Become a sponsor for the Second Annual Sullivan’s Island Earth Day Celebration, a family-friendly collaborative initiative of Sullivan’s Island For All, The South Carolina Aquarium, Poe Library, Sullivan’s Island Bird Banding Station, Battery Gadsden, the Sullivan’s Island Community Garden, and the Sullivan’s Island Turtle Team!

Kick off Earth Day Week with a fascinating virtual talk with acclaimed ecologist and author Doug Tallamy.

A new trail in the maritime forest will be 3 times as long as the original trail, and will include matting to support wheelchairs. A big thanks to Town Officials for making this happen!

As you are aware, on January 30, 2023, in a blockbuster victory for the environment, a South Carolina Circuit Court invalidated the Settlement Agreement entered into by a previous Town Council that would have allowed the destruction of our unique Maritime Forest. But that is, unfortunately, not where our effort to save the maritime forest ends!

We’re excited to report that, for the first time, Sullivan’s Island has approved the hiring of a Director dedicated to managing the town’s natural resources across the island