Volume 3 Issue 3

June 15, 2007

Lettitor
By Heather Holbrook

  What has been the best item you have ever found? On the beach? In a parking lot? In a sofa cushion? It was low, low tide one autumn afternoon at Station19 and I spied a bit of sea glass buried in the sand. I dug it out only to find it was not a brown piece of glass, but a pair of Chanel sunglasses with nary a scratch. And once when I was six in Kansas City I found a twenty dollar bill in a pile of leaves.  But more recently I found a baby blue bird egg on the school grounds, hollow but for a hole in the middle. I like it more than the sunglasses and the $20 put together.
      I have loads of shells, common and un, that I have found on Sullivan’s Island beaches, and they rest on window sills and shelves in every room of our house. I admit I read the random shopping lists I find in my buggy at the grocery store. I find solo earrings crushed near my car’s parking space. Not that I am looking for any of these things really; they come to me. I find that when I am not looking up at the sky and the clouds and the trees, I am glancing down at the details of the world at my feet.
      What abut you? Find anything lately? How about when you were a kid? Do you remember a time when you studied the ground as you walked along and spied bright colored bottle caps and strangely-shaped rocks? A broken gold necklace? A note in a bottle? What riches are to be found along the ground.

This week I asked friends and neighbors about “found” things and here is what they said:
      “This past year I found a $50 dollar bill while picking up trash on a beach! I squealed and told every person on the little beach, hoping to incite a little litter pick-up activity. Then once I found the collar and tags of our family dog way up in the woods behind my parents' home in Vermont 15 years after the collar had been replaced and dog had died in happy old age. It made me so happy for a long time. Lastly, my brothers and sisters and I found a lady's shoe from the 1920's in the sand and rocks in our family's Vermont pond - on the bottom of the shoe was written Phoebe so we always called the spot Phoebe's Pond. We were all in grammar school so we conjured up wild, wonderful stories about the skinny dipping that may have gone on... and we looked for a body all summer!” -Betty Ryberg
      “I discovered a charming surprise in one of my shrubs several years ago.  A robin’s nest with several pieces of lace, yarn and threads entwined among the twigs and leaves.  I don’t know where the bird found her other adornments, but I recognized remnants of two of my own knitting projects.”  – Elaine Faithful
      “A couple of years ago my husband & I were on our annual trip to NYC. We always stay at the same hotel in Soho, but that year he wanted to try out a different hotel in Soho that had a roof top "guests & members only" bar. To make a very long story short, the room safe was locked when we got there so the next morning (while we were at breakfast) someone came up and unlocked the safe.  When we returned to the room, I went directly to the safe (which was on the top shelf of a closet) & for some weird reason I stuck my hand inside....I came out with a plain white envelope that held $7,500 in one hundred dollar bills, a British passport & a man’s sapphire Cartier watch! I didn't want to turn all that in to the front desk at the hotel, so I spent a full day doing "eye spy" work to locate the fellow who had left the loot behind (by that time he was in California & hadn't even missed any of those things).  He asked me to take everything to an office (just a couple of blocks away) & in return...................he thanked me.” –Gayle Lancto
      “Once I lost a very valuable antique ring which belonged to my grandmother…I thought it had accidentally fallen off my finger while I was swimming in a lake.  Weeks later I found it in my car in a hole on the raft I was floating on in the lake!  What a miracle!  So I guess my story is of both lost and found.” –Elizabeth Bumpas
      “The best thing I ever found was a dog, a collie mix we named Balfour. He ran in the woods behind our house with a shepherd. When animal control picked up the shepherd (and put him to sleep two days later due to overcrowding at the shelter), my brother and sister and I hid Balfour and fed him secretly for weeks. My mom was adamant that we could not afford or take care of a pet at that time. Finally, she discovered our deception. Balfour was so protective and sweet that she let us keep him on a trial basis, which turned into ten years.” –Camille Washington
      “Finding a $20 bill in the secret pocket of a pair of jeans is my personal favorite.” –Margaret Frances Cox
      “After that big rain a couple weeks ago, the Piggly Wiggly parking lot was full of water. I looked down into a giant puddle and there were three starfish. They weren’t alive, but there they were. But my best find has to be my little electric scooter, The Terminator.” -Carey Barati
      “I found an interesting site called foundmagazine.com. Mostly found notes and love letters, to-do lists, poetry on napkins, doodles- anything that gives a glimpse into someone else's life. Anything goes. Check out all the strange, hilarious and heartbreaking things people have picked up and posted.” -Emily Abedon
      All in all I still think the best thing I have ever found (besides my husband) is my island home. The islands’ history, their natural beauty, the common bond we feel as we exchange waves with a passing islander on a rusting bicycle and we say to ourselves MAN am I lucky to live here or what? These South Carolina barrier islands are diamonds among pearls.

National Trails Day Hosted by Bull’s Island
By Mercer Cronemeyer

“The purpose of the refuge is to provide habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and resident species, to provide habitat and management of endangered and threatened species, to provide protection of a Class I Wilderness Area, and to provide environmental education and recreation to the public.”

-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services

      I must admit, when my alarm sounded last Saturday morning and a single glance out of my window confirmed my worst fear—rain—I was not overly motivated for my planned day-trip to Bull’s Island. Every spare second I had the week before had been dedicated to daydreaming about the beautifully preserved coastline of this island expanse, bathed in sunshine. Still, I grabbed my sweatshirt, a notebook and a pen and hurried off to my coworker’s house at 7:00 AM on Saturday morning, hoping desperately that the sky was not going to collapse over our heads during the ferry ride to the island. Little did I know what the day held in store!
     Swan and I arrived at Garris Landing just as the ferry boat was being prepped for the day’s adventure: a special walking tour was being held on Bull’s Island in honor of National Trail’s Day. All told, there were about seven souls brave enough to chance the stormy forecast. Once we were seated, our guide, Will Smith, introduced us to Captain Chris Crolley and his boat the “Island Cat.” It was at this point that our guided tour truly began. What better entertainment on the 30-minute boat ride than an introduction to the island and the Cape Romain Refuge at large.
     For those of you unfamiliar with the 20-mile stretch of Cape Romain, this national wildlife expanse is composed of 64,000 acres of marshland, unspoiled beaches, maritime forests, nutrient-rich estuaries, and fresh and brackish water impoundments. It has been designated as a Class I wilderness area by the Federal government and has been the longest continuously protected coastline since its purchase by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services in 1936. In other words, this coastline is one of the most pristine designations in the United States and thus boasts some of the cleanest air and water for miles around.
     This might not be the case today had Bull’s Island been settled by the British at the time of their influx into the Charleston Harbor. As it was, however, Bull’s Island was never used for more than a point of restocking for ships on their way to the Charleston Harbor or as a strategic landmark. Ships restocked on the island during the Revolutionary War and later, during the War Between the States and blockade runners utilized the inner tidal creeks. The only true inhabitants of the island until the early 1700’s were the Sewee Indians. Middens or preserved shell mounds from the time of their habitation can still be found on the island. These native people populated the island for approximately 4,000 years, deeming it “fat land” due to its plentiful abundance of shellfish and other marine foodstuffs. Such land-dwellers as the white-tailed deer and wild turkey also made the island a resource-rich location.
     It was thus that the island remained untouched, save for a few cattle and perhaps a rice field or two until the year 1925 when U.S. Senator and investment broker Gayer Dominick purchased the land. Dominick’s plan was to establish a private hunting reserve on the island. Although this never came to pass, Dominick did build a manor house on the island (the Dominick House) and also dug out parts of the island to create fresh and brackish water impoundments, or enclosures that collected rainwater and existed independently of other water sources. Over the years, these man-made enclosures became freshwater ecosystems that continue to support multiple species.
     With such a well-preserved history, it should not come as a surprise, then, that thousands of species call Bull’s Island home. A few of these we were lucky enough to spot on our trip over or on our walking tour. Had it not been for our extremely knowledgeable tour guide, we might have overlooked a good number of them. One of the first species that Will pointed out was the black fox squirrel. He informed us that the fox squirrel was the only species of squirrel found on the island and could be distinguished from other tree squirrels due to its size. He laughingly compared it to a cat. It is, in fact, the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America and can range from 45-70 cm in body length, with a tail length of 20-33 cm.
     Another favorite for all of those familiar with the reptile population is the alligator. Although the total population on the island ranges from 600-800 gators, this year is a dry season. Compounded with an ongoing island waterways program responsible for draining the freshwater from the island’s impoundments back into the marshes, the dry conditions have made it more difficult to spot these scaly creatures. “In fact,” said Will, “this procedure caused a period of intense cannibalism in the alligator population, making their numbers slightly lower over the past year.” Nonetheless, we were able to spot a few lurking in the algae-green woodland ponds.
     As quoted at the beginning of the article, one of the main objectives of the Cape Romain Refuge is “to provide habitat and management of endangered and threatened species.” The island is home to such species as the critically endangered wood stork, the only stork indigenous to the Southeast of North America, the loggerhead sea turtle and was, at one time, home to two red wolves. Personally, I was most impressed by his extensive knowledge of the Carreta carreta, or loggerhead sea turtle. Apparently, (PULL LINE FOR QUOTE) Bulls Island is the largest nesting ground north of Florida for loggerhead sea turtles. (END QUOTE) The 21-mile stretch available for nesting attracts an average of 1000 female turtles per year. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service takes great pains to protect and mark the nests hoping to save as many hatchlings as possible. When a nest is marked on the island, a small cage is also placed on top of the sand with hopes of preventing raccoons and other animals from reaching the buried eggs. Of the hatchlings, approximately 1 in 1000 will make it safely down the sandy stretch to the waves. Aside from raccoons, the turtles will also have to effectively dodge sea gulls and other waterfowl, as well as the ghost crab.
     As we strolled down the sandy beach, Will pointed out a place on the island known as the Boneyard for its plethora of dead skeletal remains of trees. In the distance we could barely see bone-white branches eerily protruding from the sand. As if the sight itself isn’t tempting enough, he also mentioned that the Boneyard is one of the best places on the island to find sand dollars. As we climbed a small dune to take our twisted path back around to the docks, I found myself already planning my next trip.
     If you are a lover of nature, enjoy biking on gorgeous scenic trails, shell-collecting, fishing, or simply feel the need for a peaceful escape from the daily grind, Bull’s Island is the place to go. If you are lucky, as Swan and I were, your ferry ride over might be accentuated by an enthusiastic guide whose respect for all creatures and their environs carried over into the tour, effectively making the walk both enjoyable and educational.
     The purpose of the refuge is to provide habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and resident species, to provide habitat and management of endangered and threatened species, to provide protection of a Class I Wilderness Area, and to provide environmental education and recreation for the public.

The Bull’s Island Ferry runs Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday March 1-November 30, departing at 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM and returning at 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM. The cost for adults is $30. Children 12 and under will be charged $15. Bicycles are allowed on the island trails, though not on the beach and can be transported with you on the ferry. For more information on the Bull’s Island Ferry, please contact Coastal Expeditions at 843-884-7684 or online at www.coastalexpeditions.com.

MODERATE DROUGHT DECLARED FOR SOUTH CAROLINA

     State and local Drought Response Committee members unanimously upgraded the drought level to "moderate" for the entire state of South Carolina during a meeting on Wednesday, June 6 in Columbia. The state agency representatives of the drought response committee declared an incipient drought on May 8.
      Moderate drought means there is an increasing threat of a drought as demonstrated by drought indices. While the moderate declaration does not require any mandatory action by public water systems or the public, it is a signal that drought conditions are deteriorating and water systems should implement their plans and ordinances as needed. The public can do their part to conserve water such as reducing outdoor irrigation, checking for pipe leaks indoors and out. They can also pay attention to the danger of wildfires by monitoring advisories from the S.C. Forestry Commission and using extreme caution with any outdoor burning. It is reported that wildfire activity in May was higher than normal, and the SCFC responded to 337 wildfires that burned more than 1397 acres. The accumulated rainfall deficit has resulted in more extreme wildfire behavior and increased the amount of mop-up necessary to completely extinguish fires.
     David Baize with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said that six water systems are reporting voluntary restrictions with two reporting mandatory restrictions.
     Mike Hancock with Lugoff-Elgin Water is a representative on the Central or Santee Basin Committee, "We entered 2007 at a deficit and have had significantly less rainfall than normal. This is having a profound effect on our forestry and especially our farmers. We feel it's appropriate to bring this situation to the public's awareness. We believe it's prudent at this time to declare a moderate drought. And, if conditions persist, we could easily deteriorate to more advanced drought conditions."

For more information about drought, visit the Office of State Climatology Web site at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/ or contact State Climatologist Hope Mizzell at (803) 734-9100 in Columbia.

Waste not the water
H2O saving tips for islanders

Next time you add or replace a flower or shrub, choose a low water use plant for year-round landscape color and save up to 550 gallons each year.

Teach your family how to shut off your automatic watering systems. Turn sprinklers off if the system is malfunctioning or when a storm is approaching.

Install a rain shut-off device on your automatic sprinklers to eliminate unnecessary watering.

Make sure you know where your master water shut-off valve is located. This could save gallons of water and damage to your home if a pipe were to burst.

For hanging baskets, planters and pots, place ice cubes under the moss or dirt to give your plants a cool drink of water and help eliminate water overflow.

While fertilizers promote plant growth, they also increase water consumption. Apply the minimum amount of fertilizer needed.

Adjust your watering schedule to the season. Water your summer lawn every third day and your winter lawn every fifth day.

When the kids want to cool off, use the sprinkler in an area where your lawn needs it the most.

Use sprinklers that throw big drops of water close to the ground. Smaller drops of water and mist often evaporate before they hit the ground.

Place an empty tuna can on your lawn to catch and measure the water output of your sprinklers. For lawn watering advice, contact your local conservation office

Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.

When backwashing your pool, consider using the water on your landscaping.

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save 80 gallons of water every time.

When you have ice left in your cup from a take-out restaurant, don't throw it in the trash, dump it on a plant.

Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass shades root systems and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.

Leave lower branches on trees and shrubs and allow leaf litter to accumulate on top of the soil. This keeps the soil cooler and reduces evaporation.

Insulate hot water pipes so you don't have to run as much water to get hot water to the faucet.

Pick-up the phone and report significant water losses from broken pipes, open hydrants and errant sprinklers to the property owner or your water management district.

Tips courtesy of www.wateruseitwisely.com