AUGUST 2008 South Carolina Audubon Newsletter

Published on March 2017 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 34 | Comments: 0 | Views: 262
of 8
Download PDF   Embed   Report

Comments

Content

STATE NEWSLETTER: FALL 2008 Beidler Forest Gains International Acclaim
By Dan Tufford

Photo by Mark Hoyle

Inside this issue:
The Executive Nest

2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8

Bird Conservation

Audubon Center at Beidler Forest Silver Bluff Audubon Center Conservation Programs Action Alert Update It Can’t Happen Without You! You Can Participate!

Please Recycle this newsletter

This past May, in Washington, D.C., one of South Carolina's natural jewels, the Francis Beidler Forest, was added to the Ramsar list of Wetlands of International Importance. All of us in South Carolina should be proud to see this vital piece of our natural heritage recognized around the globe. We should also be mindful that without the dedicated commitment of public and private conservationists, we would not be celebrating this achievement. Adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands provides a framework for international cooperation for conservation of wetlands. There are more than 1,700 Ramsar sites worldwide, including Everglades National Park and Botswana's Okavango Delta in south central Africa. The Francis Beidler Forest Sanctuary is the 23rd site in the United States, the first ever in South Carolina and thus far the only one designated in 2008. The largest remaining virgin forest of bald cypress and tupelo gum trees in the world lies within its boundaries, including 1,500 year-old trees long vanished in the rest of North America. Its importance as habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals increases every year as forest habitat disappears in South Carolina and worldwide under the pressures of agriculture and development. Several years ago, Beidler Forest was recognized as a National Natural Landmark and an Important Bird Area (IBA). The IBA program, originated by U.K.-based BirdLife International is a worldwide effort to identify and then protect critical bird habitat. It is a central focus in the conservation work of Audubon, BirdLife's U.S. partner. Beidler Forest's 140 species of birds include the pronthonotary warbler and many other migratory species. As true global citizens, migratory birds are eloquent ambassadors for the importance of wetlands

and for the importance of their conservation. Many of the species that nest or make migratory stops in the forest are found on Audubon's list of Common Birds in Decline. These wetlands are also home to rare plants. Dwarf trillium is one of the rarest flowers in South Carolina, and it is only found in Four Holes Swamp at Beidler Forest Plants, birds and other wildlife are not the only beneficiaries of wetlands. Beidler's 430,000-acre watershed represents a third of the total watershed of the Edisto, the longest, free-flowing black water river in the U.S. Ensuring its protection helps guarantee the quantity, quality and delivery of water downstream to places such as the ACE Basin National Estuarine Reserve and Wildlife Refuge. More than 12,000 people from South Carolina and around the world visited the Audubon Center at Beidler Forest this past year. It is likely that each of them had a sense of being suspended in time — perhaps lulled by the rhythm of a canoe paddling through still water, punctuated by the hoot of a barred owl. But the clock is still ticking on wetlands. Farming has replaced forest over much of the adjacent upland area. Droughts during the past several decades have triggered interest in damming tributary swales to serve as emergency sources of irrigation. Introduced feral hogs threaten native plants and animals. Other threats to the vulnerable ecosystem include logging and mining, runoff from surrounding farms, urban development and other incompatible land uses. We are right to be proud of Beidler Forest's recognition by the Ramsar Convention, but it should also remind us to do our part. We can all help protect our environment, from relatively simple actions like making our backyards healthy places for birds and our families, to learning about environmental policy issues that will affect Beidler Forest and other important habitat. The important thing is to get involved.

The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity.

THE EXECUTIVE NEST by Norman Brunswig, Executive Director Brosnan Forest Protected Forever
It was almost thirty-five years ago to the day when I first saw Brosnan Forest, Norfolk Southern Railroad’s sprawling twenty-three square mile piney woods in middle Dorchester County. My family and I were driving US Highway 78 from Athens, Georgia, where I had just received my MS degree from the University of Georgia, to the little town of Dorchester, where we would begin our lives in South Carolina. For the final six or seven miles as we approached Dorchester we drove through beautiful, open stands of native long leaf pine forest. Even though we did not then know who owned the forest or why, we knew for certain it was special. From then on, year by year, as I came to know Brosnan better, it became clear to me that it was one of the most important natural resources in our part of the Lowcountry. With the greatest number of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers on any private property, some seventy clans, plus Brownheaded Nuthatches and Bachman’s Sparrows, both birds of concern, Brosnan is a bird conservation bonanza. The forest provides miles of scenic views along US highways and county paved and dirt roads. It supports a constantly varying mix of pine uplands and soggy wetlands that collectively provide habitat to a vast array of native plants and animals. With miles of rail and US highway frontage, Brosnan was also prime for development in one of the fastest developing counties in South Carolina. Conservationists all hoped, and held their breath, that one day the forest might be protected, but how and by whom? On August 5, 2008 Norfolk Southern answered those compelling questions by announcing that they had just donated a conservation easement on 12,455 acres of its treasured forest to the Lowcountry Open Land Trust, assuring that forever Brosnan would remain essentially as it is. No better conservation news has ever arrived in this neighborhood. So what is the big deal about this to Audubon South Carolina? With its single act, Norfolk Southern has more than doubled the amount of protected habitat in middle Dorchester County, where Audubon placed its flag and has been working for more than thirty-five years to protect Four Holes Swamp, the Edisto River and their watersheds. Brosnan Forest is located smack in the middle of those watersheds and strategically located to play a huge role in their conservation. Norfolk Southern has just declared itself the best possible partner in that effort. Dr. Seuss’ immortal Lorax spoke for the trees because they could not speak for themselves. The Lorax might now say, “When you see a Norfolk Southern train passing, smile and wave a big thank you”. Norfolk Southern and Lowcountry Open Land Trust, from all of us at Audubon, in South Carolina and everywhere, thank you.
AUDUBON SOUTH CAROLINA ADVISORY BOARD

Frank S. Holleman, III Chair Greenville, SC

Richard A. Familia Vice-Chair Summerville, SC

Roy E. Belser Sumter, SC

John Cely Columbia, SC

Howard Costa Hilton Head, SC

Victoria Dahl Charleston, SC

Drew Lanham, Ph.D. Clemson, SC

Carol Ann May Naples, FL & Denver, CO

Rebecca Sharitz, Ph.D. Aiken, SC

Hank Stallworth St. Matthews, SC

Tom Tiller Greenville, SC

Daniel Tufford, Ph.D. Columbia, SC

Chris Verenes Aiken, SC

Mary Jo Wannamaker, Ph.D. St. Matthews, SC

Photo by Jeff Mollenhauer

Photo by Mark Musselman

Red Cockaded Woodpecker

Brosnan Forest

Dr. Donald Wuori Columbia, SC

Page 2

Audubon South Carolina 336 Sanctuary Road Harleyville, SC 29448 843.462.2150 http://sc.audubon.org

BIRD CONSERVATION

Photo by Don Wuori

2nd Swallow-tailed Kite Survey
Seventy Swallow-tailed Kites (STKI) were counted by sixty participants in the 2nd Audubon South Carolina STKI Survey in April. The Savannah, Edisto, Santee, Black, Little PeeDee and Waccamaw Rivers, and the Wambaw, Black Mingo, and Little Bull Creeks were surveyed. This was double the amount of coverage from last year. The range of the STKI has shrunk dramatically due to habitat loss. The historic range included 21 states, but now the kites are found only along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. The total breeding population is estimated to be between 3,200 and 4,600 birds. The STKI surveys give us a baseline for where they are found before nesting and which habitat needs to be conserved and managed to provide large contiguous tracts of breeding habitat. In implementing conservation measures to protect existing populations and expand the population, other bird species of concern, such as Rusty Blackbirds and Swainson’s Warblers, will also reap benefits. Audubon SC is extremely grateful to the following organizations and individuals for volunteering time and effort to this survey: Nature Adventures Outfitters, The SC Aquarium, The Nature Conservancy, The US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, John Kilgo, Mark Vukovich, Buddy & Mary Campbell, David Jones, Paul Cooler, Marcia Warnock, Howard Bridgman, Laura Bridgman, Meagan Mollenhauer, Travis Folk, Alan & Jennifer Flemming, Danny Carlson, Mark Danaher, Russ Marshall, Craig Richard, Kathie Livingston, Elizabeth Anderegg, Tera & Morgan Baird, Karen Sundberg, Erik Smith, Amy Armstrong, Maria Whitehead, Sarah Hartman, Ellerbe Dargan, Neil Jordan, Gordon Murphy, David Pietras, Jay Chandler, Bennett Baxley, Marshal Todd, Pinckney Skinner, Allen Capers, Clint Ball, David Wilkins, John Cox, Reggie Daves, Craig Sasser, and Chris, Amy, Sam & Simon Hill. And from the Cape Fear Audubon Society in NC: Juanita Roushdy, Sally Buchanan, and Ken Karn. The 3rd Annual Audubon SC Swallow-tailed Kite Survey will be held April 17-20, 2009. If you are interested in participating, please contact Ann Shahid at [email protected]. If you see a Swallow-tailed Kite please call 1-866-971-7474 or visit the website www.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org.

Audubon South Carolina 336 Sanctuary Road Harleyville, SC 29448 843.462.2150 http://sc.audubon.org

Page 3

AUDUBON CENTER AT BEIDLER FOREST Exploring Nature Through Native American Tradition
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv discussed what he called “nature deficit disorder.” For a variety of reasons, many children are spending little or no time outdoors exploring and no longer have a connection to the natural world. We have made it our mission at the Beidler Forest Audubon Center summer camp to have campers spend the maximum amount of time outdoors exploring nature’s complexity. In the process, they (and their parents) discovered that time spent outdoors, in a swamp no less, was not fatal, but actually fun! We hope that the knowledge obtained through the fun of swamp camp will translate into an appreciation for and a willingness to protect the many habitats found beyond the campers’ homes. Native Americans were the theme of this year’s summer camp. Shelly Knight provided activities that educated campers regarding Native American culture. Many of the campers did not even realize that they were receiving instruction as they busied themselves with dream catchers, sand painting, pinch pot construction, medicine bag designs, dyeing, and jewelry making. When not creating works of art with Shelly, the campers were with Mark Musselman, Education Director, or Denise Ecker, Seasonal Naturalist, experiencing the outdoors through fire making, animal tracking, plaster casting of tracks, trap construction, navigation, wildlife observation, a boardwalk tour, and canoeing! Although fire starting and making a plaster cast of a chosen animal track were favorites, canoeing in the swamp surged to the top of the list on the last day of camp. All week, campers asked for verification that canoeing remained on the camp’s agenda. The region’s lack of rain made the event questionable in the minds of camp planners, but nearly 5” of rain the day before camp opened ensured that water would not be an issue. However, never having put fifteen campers into canoes presented some logistical uncertainties. The day before, six canoes were paddled from Mellards Lake to the boardwalk near Goodson Lake and stashed in preparation of the next day’s excited paddlers. When the time came for campers to paddle, the walk from the nature center to the canoes took under 15 minutes and that included a few minutes to stop and enjoy a fawn nestled among the cypress knees. The speed walking was worth it! With three to a canoe, the campers navigated the swamp’s main channel from the boardwalk to the pink lichen on the cypress tree at “Seasonals’ Lake” without incident. Along the way, they saw the old-growth cypress-tupelo swamp from a perspective few can claim to have shared. Based on the comments from parents and campers heading out the door at the end of camp, we accomplished our mission. All the campers were exposed to the outdoors, learned a bit of nature’s complexity, and survived just fine! We look forward to a fun and educational camp next year - and remember to sign up early!

Photo by Mark Musselman

Cameron Parker, Nicholas Quattlebaum, and Will Turner

Sanctuary Serenade, A Piccolo Spoleto Event

Photo by Mark Musselman

Sanctuary Serenade, Piccolo Spoleto
A moveable feast of performing arts and refreshments enhanced a beautiful May evening at Beidler Forest. It featured three performers along the boardwalk – participants were treated to the beautiful voice of Kathie Livingston (above), the magnificent music of Jesse Cockcroft (left) and the poetic words of Jack Smith (right).

Photo by Mark Musselman Page 4

Photo by Mark Musselman

Audubon South Carolina 336 Sanctuary Road Harleyville, SC 29448 843.462.2150 http://sc.audubon.org

SILVER BLUFF AUDUBON CENTER Silver Bluff Audubon Kids Camp
“No Child Left Inside” is an idea and a proposed piece of legislation that sometimes makes the evening news. At the Silver Bluff Audubon Center that idea is put into practice year-round, especially during the annual summer camp for 6 to 12-year-olds. The half-day, weeklong camp provides the opportunity for local children to get away from the television and out of the house to a unique learning environment. The Silver Bluff property (3,154 acres) is full of chances for the kids to get “up close and personal” with frogs, lizards, turtles, butterflies, and, of course, birds. Coca-Cola Bottling Company and the Aiken County Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department sponsor the free camp that rotates venues throughout Aiken County. The Silver Bluff camp always fills quickly. The highlight from this year’s camp was the work done by the kids on the butterfly garden. The garden was started by last year’s campers, and the 2008 campers added beautiful “wattle” fencing, additional flowers and herbs, and homemade “butterflies” attached to the fence posts. An arbor was placed at the entrance to complete the project. The garden is attractive not only to visitors, but, as intended, to butterflies as well. Much of the July 19 butterfly count was spent at the garden, which helped to produce a respectable total of 25 species for the day!

Photo by Paul Koehler

The Butterfly Garden at Silver Bluff

Storks & Corks Now 5 Years Old
Silver Bluff’s Storks and Corks has become a well-known and much anticipated celebration and fundraiser in the Central Savannah River Area. This year’s event, held August 9th, was once again a sell-out, and the Wood Storks did not disappoint. Prior to the stork viewing several individuals (all Augusta-Aiken Audubon members) were recognized for having attended and supported each of the five Storks & Corks events, which began in 2004. Presented with a Wood Stork photo, taken by award-winning photographer Forrest Roberts, along with a plush Great Egret (National Audubon Society’s symbol) were Carol & Larry Eldridge, Ruth & Rich Mead, Alice & Doug Walker, and Kathy & Calvin Zippler. A big “THANKS” to these folks and all who have supported the Wood Stork foraging program, now completing its 23rd season! If you missed out on this year’s fun (which always includes wonderful food, wine, a silent auction, and, of course, Wood Storks!) mark your calendar for next year’s Storks & Corks—August 8, 2009. Hope to see you there!

Honorees (left to right): Larry Eldridge, Doug & Alice Walker, Ruth Mead, Calvin & Kathy Zippler. Not pictured: Carol Eldridge and Rich Mead. Page 5

Audubon South Carolina 336 Sanctuary Road Harleyville, SC 29448 843.462.2150 http://sc.audubon.org

CONSERVATION PROGRAMS Pennies for the Planet
networks including museums, zoos and aquariums; Toyota dealerships; and “Pennies for the Planet” online, part of the www.TogetherGreen.org website. Educational materials will include educators’ guides with activity ideas and information about conservation, posters highlighting the importance of conservation, and online information and activities. Every penny raised through “Pennies for the Planet” will be equally divided among the three conservation projects selected by TogetherGreen: 1) Francis Beidler Forest as the “Habitat Conservation” selection; 2) Appleton-Whittel Research Ranch (Arizona) as the research entity; 3) Project Puffin (Maine) for the bird focus. The funds that will be given to Beidler Forest will ONLY be used toward the purchase of habitat for protection. By taking part, kids get a chance to tackle local challenges while raising funds to support national biodiversity conservation. And every participant will receive special recognition on the “Pennies for the Planet” website. Pennies for the Planet is an excellent environmental project for classrooms, after-school clubs, Scout Troops and others to talk about the importance of our natural world and the need to protect it locally and globally. Pennies for the Planet educations kits will be available nationwide starting in the fall or picked up from any Audubon Center - including Beidler Forest! Teachers, home-schooling parents and anyone interested in helping young people learn more about species and wildlife, conservation action projects in their communities, and the protection of wild places and the creatures who live there, are invited to participate. More information can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org.

TogetherGreen, the environmental initiative created through an alliance between the National Audubon Society and Toyota, has selected Francis Beidler Forest as one of three entities nationwide to receive funds from its “Pennies for the Planet” program. The program kicks off in the Fall of 2008 and continues through June of 2009. Thousands of classrooms will receive information about the program through Weekly Reader and Audubon Adventures (Audubon’s inschool environmental education program in 5,000 classrooms). Additional promotion will be provided through educational

TogetherGreen Volunteer Days at Silver Bluff Center & Sanctuary
TogetherGreen is a new National Audubon Society program made possible by generous support from Toyota. The goals of TogetherGreen are to build conservation leadership, engage millions of people in conservation action, and achieve lasting conservation results. Over the next five years, TogetherGreen will implement a series of national conservation initiatives that support these goals and promote the idea that everyone has a critical role to play in finding solutions to our most pressing environmental challenges. One facet of this new program, called TogetherGreen Volunteer Days, is an effort to recruit and retain new volunteers that can assist with a wide variety of conservation projects. Implementing the concept requires
Page 6

money, of course, so a portion of Toyota’s generosity will go toward funding creative methods of attracting new volunteers. Silver Bluff was selected for this funding from a competitive grants opportunity involving Audubon chapters, Centers, IBA programs and other Audubon entities. Already fortunate to have a sizeable corps of faithful volunteers, Silver Bluff hopes to use this new funding source to

identify many other conservation-minded citizens in the Central Savannah River Area and beyond. Fun and educational TogetherGreen events will be scheduled throughout the year at Silver Bluff, and all will have measurable conservation results. Don’t miss out on your chance to become more involved in protecting our natural resources. John Flicker, National Audubon S o c i e t y p r e s i d e n t , s a y s th a t, “TogetherGreen is about giving people the knowledge, the support, and the opportunities they need to truly make a difference…We will engage people of all ages, from every community, and all walks of life, to help shape a healthier future.” This is our aim at Silver Bluff. For more information visit www.TogetherGreen.org.

Audubon South Carolina 336 Sanctuary Road Harleyville, SC 29448 843.462.2150 http://sc.audubon.org

ACTION ALERT UPDATE Shorebird Success Story on Kiawah Island!
In July, Representative Henry Brown (R-SC) introduced legislation (HR 6389) that would have removed the western area of Kiawah Island from the Coastal Barrier Resources System. This legislation, if enacted into law, would have opened up critical Piping Plover habitat to federally subsidized development. The Coastal Barrier Resources System is designed to both protect important habitat on coastal islands and prevent the waste of taxpayer money from federally subsidizing development on land that is prone to flooding and erosion. The beach and mud flats of the western portion of Kiawah Island are important habitats for Piping Plovers, which are listed on the federal list of endangered species, as well as other vulnerable bird species like Red Knots, Wilson's Plovers, Sanderlings, and Marbled Godwits. In early August, we issued an alert to the 547 members of the Audubon Action Alert system in South Carolina. We are pleased to announce that more than 12% of those members wrote letters to their representatives urging them not to support this bill. In addition, more than 20 new members enrolled in the Action Alert system as a result of this issue. Even more exciting, was the news that Rep. Brown heard our message loud and clear and has withdrawn the bill! We would like to sincerely thank all of our members that contacted their representative regarding this issue. Also, please thank Congressman Brown for being responsive to our concerns and withdrawing the bill. If you are not signed up for the Action Alert system, you can do so by visiting www.audubonaction.org.

Photo by Jeff Mollenhauer

Wilson’s Plover

Keep in touch with what is happening at Beidler Forest. Visit our BLOG at http://beidlerforest.blogspot.com

IT CAN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!
It is hard to imagine any Audubon South Carolina newsletter reporting more strategic good news than this one. The designation of The Francis Beidler Forest as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and the Norfolk Southern conservation easement on Brosnan Forest have already provided immense energy and enthusiasm to our effort to protect Four Holes Swamp, the Edisto River and their watersheds. At Silver Bluff and Beidler Forest Audubon Centers, summer campers, school children and families learn about the importance of birds, other wildlife and their habitats in two of our vital Habitat Conservation Areas, and the need to protect them. There are many more Audubon projects and programs than can be described in a newsletter and none of them can be accomplished without support from people just like you. We are most grateful for each and every one. NO gift is too small - or too large! We also have a simple way to donate stock, if that is a better method for you. A contribution to Audubon South Carolina supports our conservation programs throughout the state. And truly, it cannot happen without you!


VISA, MC #: Name: Address (inc. ZIP): ____

YES! I want to help protect birds and the places they call “home.”

Please accept my tax-deductible donation of $


Daytime Tel:

Check



Credit Card

Exp. Date:

Please make checks payable to “Audubon South Carolina” & mail to 336 Sanctuary Rd. - Harleyville, SC 29448

Thank you for making a difference!
Audubon South Carolina 336 Sanctuary Road Harleyville, SC 29448 843.462.2150 http://sc.audubon.org Page 7

YOU CAN PARTICIPATE Folly Beach Bird Walk Program
More than a hundred people have participated in the Folly Beach Bird Walk program, a joint effort between Audubon South Carolina and the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, since it began in March 2008. We have seen some amazing sights! We often see more than ten species of shorebirds, such as American Oystercatcher, Wilson’s Plover, Red Knot, and Whimbrel! During the July walk, we saw bottlenose dolphins strand feeding, a manatee swimming along the beach, and a pair of Wilson’s Plover chicks. The highlight of the August walk was watching migrating Yellow Warblers. Over a two hour period we saw or heard at least twenty-five of the bright yellow birds as they flew south over the Stono River one at a time. In addition to learning about how to identify birds, the walks are a unique opportunity for participants to learn about shorebird and seabird conservation issues. The Folly Beach Bird Walks are held year round on the second Friday of every month. Visit www.sc.audubon.org for more details.

Photo by Jeff Mollenhauer Photo by Jeff Mollenhauer

Folly Beach

Photo by Jeff Mollenhauer

Yellow Warbler

VOLUNTEER!!
If you are interested in contributing your time and skills to aid the needs of Beidler Forest, please contact Barbara Thomas at [email protected] or call (843) 462-2150.

American Oyster Catcher

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close