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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF COASTLINE.
AND TODAY WE ARE ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA COASTLINE.
WE ARE ACTUALLY IN RIGHT, A BEAUTIFUL SPOT OF BUFORD COUNTY.
THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISLAND AND THE REALLY CROWN GEM OF THE ISLAND IS WHERE I'M STANDING RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE TED TURNER HOME.
AND OF COURSE THIS BEING THE DOCK, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT NOT ONLY THE TED TURNER HOME, BUT ALSO WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING SOME DIALOGUE WITH SOME FOLKS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STATE PARK SYSTEM.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO TELL US THAT THE HISTORY OF THE ISLAND, THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE MARICULTURE ASPECTS OF IT, AND ALSO THE VARIOUS AQUATIC AND THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH ST.
PHILLIPS ISLAND, AS WELL AS THE TRIP FROM THE MAINLAND OVER TO ST.
PHILLIPS ISLAND, WHICH INCLUDES SOME BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE IN VARIOUS BIRDS.
AND OF COURSE, UH, OCEAN WILDLIFE, IT'S, IT'S A SPECTACULAR HOUR.
AND WE'RE DELIGHTED THAT YOU'RE WITH US HERE ON THIS EDITION OF COASTLINE.
PHILLIPS ISLAND IS ONLY A BOAT RIDE AWAY FROM MUCH OF BUFORD COUNTY, OUR TOUR COURTESY OF COASTAL EXPEDITIONS DEPARTED FROM THE HUNTING ISLAND STATE PARK NATURE CENTER TO THE RUST POINT LANDING VIA TRAN, UH, COURTEOUS STATE PARK RANGER CHECKS YOU IN, AND YOU CAN PAY FOR PARKING SIMULTANEOUSLY THE 30 TO 45 MINUTE BOAT TOUR TO ST.
PHILLIPS ISLAND IS A NATURALIST LED ECHO TOUR ALONG THE STORY RIVER TO THE ST.
THIS BOAT TOUR TAKES US FROM THE FRIPP INLET TO THE TRENCHERS INLAND BETWEEN HUNTING ISLAND AND ST.
PHILLIPS IS GOING TO BE THIS ISLAND.
THAT'S STRAIGHT AHEAD OF US HERE ON THE HORIZON WITH THAT KIND OF ROLLING TREELINE.
I JUST TO KIND OF UPDATE Y'ALL ON A LAY OF THE LAND.
WE'VE GOT OLD ISLAND THAT'S BEHIND US HERE.
THIS IS A WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA.
THAT'S RUN BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO THAT'S ABOUT 3000 ACRES OF PROTECTED LAND THERE.
JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS HAMMOCK ISLAND, THIS TREELINE THAT'S CLOSE TO US HERE IS GOING TO BE PRITCHARD'S ISLANDS.
SO WE JUST REACHED THE END OF FRICK, VIOLENT HERE.
IT'S GOING TO TRANSITION INTO PRITCHARDS AND THEN IT'LL GO CAPERS ISLAND AND THEN ST.
AND SO ALL OF THESE ISLANDS THAT WE HAVE OVER HERE TO THE LEFT ARE GOING TO BE OUR BARRIER ISLANDS THAT ARE ACTING AS A BARRIER BETWEEN THE LAND FORMS OVER HERE IN THE OCEAN.
AND SO IN BETWEEN THESE BARRIER ISLANDS AND THEN THE SEA ISLANDS, WE HAVE ALL OF THIS ESTUARY, THAT'S KIND OF STRETCHING OUT IN FRONT OF US HERE.
AND SO THE ESTUARY IS JUST SO IMPORTANT.
UM, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL HAVE A BETTER APPRECIATION BUFORD COUNTY BY THE TIME THAT YOU LEAVE HERE TODAY.
UM, BUT THIS SECTION OF ESTUARY THAT WE'RE VOTING THROUGH RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THE BRIDGE OVER HERE AND ST.
PHILLIPS IS ABOUT 20,000 ACRES OF ESTUARY, WHICH IS A LOT RIGHT.
I WOULD, IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES, SOUTH CAROLINA HAS THE MOST SALT MARSH ESTUARY OUT OF ALL THE STATES AND BUFORD COUNTY HAS HALF OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S ASTEROID JUST IN THIS ONE COUNTY.
UM, SO THIS STRETCH IS REALLY, REALLY COOL.
A LOT OF THE LAND IS PROTECTED HERE BETWEEN OLD ISLAND AND HUNTING ISLAND AND, UM, ST.
WHAT WE CAN REALLY SEE RIGHT NOW IS KIND OF THE MORE TERRESTRIAL VERSION OF THE ESTUARY.
SO WE'RE KIND OF SEEING ALL FOUR COMPONENTS THAT I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF EXPOSED RIGHT NOW.
SO I'LL JUST START WITH THE WATER.
SO WE KIND OF HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT THIS IS OCEAN GRADE SALTWATER, JUST MEANING THAT IF WE WERE TO TAKE A GALLON OF THIS WATER, BOIL OFF ALL THE WATER FROM IT, WE'D BE LEFT WITH ABOUT A QUARTER POUND WORTH OF SALT.
SO REALLY, REALLY SALTY WATER, WHICH AGAIN, MAKES IT A GREAT HABITAT FOR ALL OF OUR OCEAN GOING ORGANISMS TO KIND OF COME IN HERE AND SPEND TIME IN THIS SECTION OF THE ESTUARY.
AND THEN ALONG THE SHORELINE HERE, WE HAVE THESE LITTLE ROCKY SECTIONS, WHICH ARE OYSTERS, WHICH WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT I JUST LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OYSTER IN OUR ESTUARY.
Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE ACRES OF OYSTER BEDS AROUND HERE.
AND THAT JUST KIND OF TELLS US THAT THIS WATER IS SUPER CLEAN, RIGHT? BECAUSE OUR OYSTER IS GOING TO BE A FILTER FEEDER.
UM, IDEALLY THEY'RE TARGETING ALL OF THE PLANKTON THAT WE HAVE SUSPENDED IN THIS WATER THAT GIVES THE WATER, UM, THIS KIND OF GREENISH APPEARANCE TO IT.
UH, I WILL SAY ONE MORE THING ABOUT THE WATER.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO BUFORD AND THEY LOOK AT THE WATER AND THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, YOUR WATER SOAKED DIRTY.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY Y'ALL WE'LL KNOW BY THE END OF TODAY THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
UM, THIS WATER IS JUST SUSPENDED WITH TONS OF LIFE IN IT.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE EQUIVALENT OF AN AQUATIC RAINFOREST, RIGHT? WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING INTO THIS WATER, YOU CAN'T SEE THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES TYPE OF THING, VERSUS IF YOU WERE TO GO DOWN TO THE CARIBBEAN, RIGHT? THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT, I'M AN AQUATIC DESERT.
THERE'S JUST NOTHING THAT'S SUSPENDED THERE, WHICH ALLOWS US TO SEE THROUGH IT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM.
SO THIS KIND OF CREATES AN AWESOME BASE TO OUR FOOD WEB HERE, BACK HERE IN THE ESTUARY, WHICH REALLY FUELS OUR OYSTER POPULATIONS.
SO THE OYSTERS ARE GOING TO BE
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FILTERING ABOUT 25 GALLONS WORTH OF WATER A DAY, EACH INDIVIDUAL OYSTER.IT WOULD BE 50 IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND HALF OF THEIR DAY, YOU KNOW, COMPLETELY EXPOSED, UH, IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUN.
SO IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, UM, THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL OYSTER CAN FILTER THAT MUCH, AGAIN, TARGETING ALL OF THE PLANKTON THAT WE HAVE IN THE WATER, BUT INADVERTENTLY SOMETIMES THEY PICK UP A LOT OF THE POLLUTANTS, YOU KNOW, FERTILIZERS AND RUNOFF THAT KIND OF COME OFF OF OUR SEA ISLANDS.
AND THEY'RE REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING OUR ESTUARIES SO CLEAN.
AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THE OYSTER, YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY THAT THEY'RE A KEYSTONE SPECIES, MEANING THAT JUST LIKE AN ARCHITECTURE, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT THIS ARCHWAY WITH THE KEYSTONE.
IF WE WERE TO REMOVE THE OYSTER FROM THIS HABITAT, FROM THIS ECOSYSTEM, THE ESTUARY WOULD COLLAPSE AROUND THE LOSS OF THE OYSTER.
SO I REALLY CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THE OYSTER IS.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY'RE FILTER FEEDERS.
IT'S NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY'RE KEEPING OUR WATER SUPER CLEAN.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE EQUIVALENT OF OUR CORAL REEFS.
IT'S JUST PROVIDING TONS OF STRUCTURE FOR ALL THESE LITTLE INVERTEBRATES, LIKE CRABS AND SHRIMPS, KIND OF HANG OUT IN, UM, AS WELL AS OUR LARVAL FISH, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE'RE ON A LOWER TIDE.
UM, SOMETIMES THESE REEF WILL KIND OF CREATE THESE LITTLE POOLS WHERE THESE, UM, THESE FISH CAN KIND OF ESCAPE THE MAIN WATER COLUMN HERE WHERE ALL THESE LARGER PREDATORS LIKE TO HANG OUT AND THEY CAN KIND OF HANG OUT IN AMONGST THE OYSTER REEFS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LOT OF SHOREBIRDS THAT ARE KIND OF PLUCKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE OYSTERS.
THEY'RE KIND OF FEEDING ON THOSE LITTLE INVERTEBRATES THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO THE WATER AND THE OYSTERS ARE KIND OF TWO OF OUR ELEMENTS.
THE THIRD ELEMENT I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT IS JUST THE GRASS ITSELF.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY HEAR THAT THE GRASS IS REALLY COOL, THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE, OKAY, HOW COULD GRASS POSSIBLY BE COOL? BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AROUND HERE, WE'RE SEEING A MONOCULTURE, RIGHT? THIS IS ALL A SPARTINA GRASS OR SPAR TYNA DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE FROM.
IT WAS ONCE KNOWN AS SPARTINA, ALTERNA, FLORA.
THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE NAME SPARTINA FROM.
UM, IT WAS RECENTLY RECATEGORIZED AS A SPIROMETER PLUS ALTERNATIVE FLORIS I BELIEVE WHICH NOW THAT YOU'RE ALL NATURALIST, YOU'RE PROBABLY JUST AS UPSET ABOUT THAT AS THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT THIS GRASS IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
UM, IT CAN ACTUALLY HANDLE DRINKING OCEAN GRADE, SALT WATER.
IT'S ONE OF THE FEW PLANTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SALT TOLERANT ENOUGH TO HANDLE THAT.
AND SO IT'S GONNA SUCK UP THAT SALTWATER THROUGH THE ROOTS, AND IT'LL ACTUALLY EXCRETE THE SALT THROUGH THE BLADE OF THE GRASS.
SO IF YOU EVER GO UP TO THE SPARTINA AND YOU KIND OF RUN YOUR HAND ALONG, IT YOU'LL HAVE TONS OF SALT, THAT'S KIND OF LEFTOVER ON YOUR FINGER.
SO A LOT OF THE TIMES YOU'LL SEE DEER OUT HERE AND THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY EATING THE GRASS.
THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE SALT OFF OF THE BLADE.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT REALLY GRAZES ON SPARTINA.
WE DO HAVE PERIWINKLE SNAILS THAT ARE ACTUALLY FARM ALGAE THAT GROWS ON THAT GRASS.
UM, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THE MOST FUNCTION THAT THIS GRASS IS GOING TO SERVE ALL IT'S ALIVE IS REALLY JUST AGAIN, PROVIDING REAL ESTATE FOR THESE JUVENILE FISH TO HANG OUT IN, ESPECIALLY AT HIGH TIDE RIGHT NOW, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THOSE TINY FISH TO ACCESS THE GRASS.
BUT ON OUR WAY BACK THIS AFTERNOON, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE MORE AQUATIC VERSION OF THIS LANDSCAPE WHEN ALL OF THE WATER IS KIND OF PRESSED UP INTO THE GRASS.
AND AT THAT POINT, PROBABLY THE ONLY THING WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE IS THIS OLD GROWTH.
THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, STILL HANGING AROUND ON TOP HERE.
SO WE'VE GOT THE NEW GROWTH THAT'S KIND OF COMING UP UNDERNEATH THIS YEAR'S GROWTH.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THE GREEN STUFF.
AND I'LL SAY THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION OR ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF SPARTINA IS ACTUALLY THAT DEAD GROWTH.
THAT'S STILL KIND OF HANGING ON, ON TOP.
SO THAT'S GOING TO FORM WHAT WE CALL RACK OR RACKAGE.
AND SO AS THAT SPARTINA BREAKS OFF, IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BREAK DOWN FOR THEM TO TRY TO SWITCH AGAIN, FUELS LIKE A LOT OF THESE SMALLER FISH.
IT'S LIKE ESSENTIALLY BABY FOOD AND FOOD FOR ALL THE CRABS THAT LIVE BACK HERE AS WELL.
BUT WHEN THAT RAT KIND OF KNITS TOGETHER AND FORMS THESE LITTLE BARGES THAT FLOAT THROUGH OUR WATERWAYS, I'M A KIND OF CREATES THESE LITTLE SANCTUARIES FOR THE FISH.
WHEN THEY GET PULLED OUT OF THE GRASSES, THEY CAN THEN HANG OUT UNDERNEATH THAT ROCK AND TRY TO ESCAPE FROM THOSE LARGER PREDATORS.
AND THEN SOMETIMES THE ROCKET'S GOING TO MAKE ITS WAY OUT, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR RIVERS, IT'S GONNA MAKE ITS WAY OUT INTO THE OCEAN AND THEN GET DEPOSITED ON THE HIGH TIDE LINE OF OUR BARRIER ISLANDS.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE'VE GOT ALL THIS RACK, THESE REEDS THAT HAVE KIND OF FORMED HERE ON THE HIGH TIDE LINE, WE'VE GOT ALL OF THE SAND THAT'S BLOWING ACROSS THE BEACH, AND NOW IT'S GOING TO START TO ACCRETE ON THIS RACK.
AND SO THAT IS THE FIRST STEP FOR DUNE FORMATION, WHICH I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW, THE DUNES ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR ANY STORM THAT COMES OFF THE ATLANTIC.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE SPARTINA GRASS, WELL, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF BIODIVERSITY WITH THE GRASS OUT HERE.
THE SPARTINA THEN HAS TO FUEL A REALLY HIGH FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY, JUST MEANING THAT IT HAS TO SERVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT NICHES AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT ROLES TO KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HELP THE ESTUARY IN THE ECOSYSTEM THRIVES BACK HERE.
OUR FOURTH ELEMENT IS JUST THIS PLUFF MUD THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, IT'S ESSENTIALLY LIKE A BIOGENIC OOZE.
UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE EVER INTERACTED WITH PLUFF MUD, I GUARANTEE IT'S NOT AN EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'RE LIKELY TO FORGET.
ANYTIME SOON YOU CAN BE WALKING THROUGH IT AND BE UP TO YOUR ANKLES AND THEN TAKE ONE STEP AND BE UP TO YOUR WAIST, LIKE WITH NO PROBLEM.
AND SO THIS, UM, THIS MODEST HOME TO TONS OF DIFFERENT FUNGUS AND BACTERIA AND ALGAE THAT KIND OF HELPS BREAK DOWN THAT DETRITUS THAT'S FORMED BY THE SPARTINA GRASS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND SO YOU CAN ALSO IMAGINE TOO, IT'S JUST THE BY-PRODUCT OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS BEING ERODED OVER THE LAST
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SEVERAL MILLION YEARS AND KIND OF MAKING ITS WAY DOWN THROUGH THE STATE.IT'S KIND OF JUST SPENT IN THE LAST, LIKE I SAID, SEVERAL MILLION YEARS JUST ERODING INTO THIS REALLY FINE PARTICULATE.
AND IT'S ALSO FULL OF NUTRIENTS.
IT'S GOT TONS OF PHOSPHATES IN IT, TONS OF NITRATES, UM, WHICH AGAIN, KIND OF HELPS FUEL THAT SHEREE THAT WE HAVE BACK HERE.
SO AS WE'RE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE END OF THE STORY RIVER HERE, WE'RE GOING TO GET TO DRUNKARDS INLET.
WE'RE GOING TO CROSS THAT INLET AND THEN GET INTO THREE SISTERS CREEK.
THAT'LL ACTUALLY TAKE US TO THE DOCK ON ST.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND PICK UP SOME MORE SPEED.
WE MADE SURE TO BRING AT LEAST TWO WATER BOTTLES PER PERSON FOR THE TRIP.
POSTAL EXPEDITIONS RECOMMENDS GETTING MORE WATER THAN YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED.
ALRIGHTY, Y'ALL EVERYBODY DOING WELL SO FAR, YOU CAN GO SUPER AS Y'ALL CAN SEE IT.
DIDN'T TAKE US TOO LONG TO FIND SOMETHING INTERESTING ON ST.
PHILLIPS, WHICH IS USUALLY THE CASE.
THIS STOP, UM, IS REALLY GREAT, ESPECIALLY FOR NATURALISTS THAT ARE READING OUR LANDSCAPE, UM, BECAUSE WE CAN DETECT A TON OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISTURBANCES, RIGHT? SO THINGS THAT HAVE KIND OF ALTERED OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPE HERE.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AROUND, RIGHT, WE'VE GOT, UM, ALL OF THESE TREES THAT HAVE KIND OF BEEN, UM, UPTURNED AND, UH, ENDED UP DYING BECAUSE OF THAT.
WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK COULD CAUSE THAT FORM OF NATURAL DISTURBANCE HURRICANES? YEAH, MICROBURST EVEN SOME OF OUR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. NOR'EASTERS TROPICAL STORMS THAT COME IN THIS AREA ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO DO THIS SORT OF DAMAGE.
UM, AND SO THIS KIND OF JUST TELLS US THAT WE'RE STILL NEAR THE EDGE OF OUR BARRIER ISLAND, RIGHT? THE EDGES OF OUR BARRIER ISLANDS KIND OF BEAR THE BRUNT OF A LOT OF THOSE STORMS THAT KIND OF COME IN AND HELP PROTECT THE INTERIOR THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET TO HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GREAT NEWS FOR THE THREE THAT GETS UPROOTED AND, UH, SUBSEQUENTLY DIES FROM ONE OF THESE STORMS. IT DOES PUT A LOT OF NUTRIENTS BACK INTO THE SOIL, FEEDS A LOT OF DIFFERENT FUNGAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE KIND OF HANGING OUT IN THIS AREA.
AND IT DOES PROVIDE A LOT OF SHELTER FOR DIFFERENT ANIMALS THAT LIKE TO ACCESS BOTH THE MARITIME FOREST THAT WE'RE KIND OF IN RIGHT HERE AND THE ESTUARY, WHICH YOU ALL CAN SEE, WE'RE KIND OF TRANSITIONING OUT OF STILL AT THE EDGE OF THIS HABITAT.
SO JUST KIND OF KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED.
PHILLIPS HAS A TON OF WHAT WE CALL THESE DYNAMIC EDGES, WHERE WE HAVE THESE TWO HABITATS THAT ARE KIND OF BLENDING INTO ONE.
UM, AND SO AS WE'RE GOING ALONG HERE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO KIND OF SEE AS WE TRANSITIONED FROM ONE HABITAT TO ANOTHER.
AND I'LL KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AT THE SECOND STOP HERE, BUT RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US, RIGHT, WE'VE GOT THIS DISTURBANCE, UM, WHERE THE SOUTHERN RED CEDAR HAS KIND OF BEEN UPROOTED HERE AND IT'S KIND OF PULLED TO THE SURFACE, ANOTHER, UM, FORM OF DISTURBANCE.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW THE NAME OF THIS STRUCTURE? WHAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE? OKAY, LET'S START FROM SQUARE ONE.
IT'S A LOT OF OYSTER SHELLS, RIGHT? AND WE LEARNED THAT ON THE BOAT THAT THIS IS NOT WHERE ALWAYS STIRS GROW.
THEY DON'T GROW IN THE ROOT WALLS OF TREES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION THAT SHOULD COME INTO YOUR HEAD IS LIKE, OKAY, WHO OR WHAT PUT THE OYSTERS HERE.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE RACCOONS THAT WE HAVE ON THE ISLAND ARE NOT THIS ORGANIZED.
THEY DO NOT PUT ALL THEIR SHELLS INTO A LITTLE PILE LIKE THIS, AND IT'S NOT THE REMNANTS OF ONE OF TED TURNER'S FAMOUS, OYSTER ROAST, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A NATIVE AMERICAN OYSTER MIDDEN.
SO MID DEN, AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST A NATIVE AMERICAN GARBAGE DUMP.
UM, THEY WOULD COME TO THE EDGES OF THESE ISLANDS AND PUT EVERYTHING THAT THEY WERE DONE USING INTO THESE PILES, LIKE WHAT Y'ALL ARE SEEING HERE.
SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF OYSTER SHELLS.
WE DO HAVE SOME COHORT CLAMS THAT ARE KIND OF SPRINKLED IN THERE AS WELL AS SOME WHELK SHELLS.
IF WE WERE ABLE TO EXCAVATE THIS A LITTLE BIT, WE MIGHT FIND PIECES OF POTTERY, MAYBE LIKE OLD ARROWHEADS DEER SKELETONS, TURTLE SHELLS, REALLY ANYTHING THAT THEY WERE DONE WITH, THEY WOULD PUT INTO THESE PILES.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T EXCAVATE IT DUE TO THE EASEMENT.
THAT'S KIND OF ON THE ISLAND, PROTECTING IT FROM ANY SORT OF, UH, DISTURBANCE CAUSED BY US.
UM, BUT WE CAN STILL LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE NATIVE AMERICANS JUST BY LOOKING AT THE PILE THE WAY IT STANDS RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE EATING A LOT OF OYSTER SHELLS OR A LOT OF OYSTERS, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY, LEAVING BEHIND THE SHELLS, WHICH TO US THAT REALLY DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THAT BIG OF A DEAL.
I'M SURE MOST OF US GO THROUGH THIS MONEY OYSTERS IN A WEEK WHEN WE'RE IN THE PEAK OF OYSTER SEASON.
UM, BUT IF WE KIND OF LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF NATIVE AMERICANS BEFORE THEY ARRIVED TO THE LOW COUNTRY, THEY WERE VERY NOMADIC PEOPLE, RIGHT.
THEY WERE KIND OF FALLING AROUND THESE HUGE HERDS OF ELK AND BUFFALO AND DEER.
CAUSE THAT WAS NOT ONLY THEIR MAIN SOURCE OF PROTEIN, BUT ALSO THEIR MAIN SOURCE OF RESOURCES, RIGHT.
SINCE THEY USED ALL PART OF THE ANIMAL THAT THEY KILLED.
SO THEY WERE KIND OF PICKING UP AND MOVING EVERY FEW DAYS OR SO FOLLOWING AROUND THESE BIG HERDS UNTIL THEY CAME TO THE LOW COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF STUCK TO THAT NOMADIC LIFESTYLE FOR A WHILE, UNTIL THEY DISCOVERED, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES THAT THE OYSTER PROVIDES.
UM, AND SO THEY KIND OF SWITCHED FROM THAT NOMADIC LIFESTYLE TO A MORE SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, KIND OF MIMICKING THE OYSTER IN A WAY, RIGHT.
WE KNOW THAT THE OYSTERS DON'T REALLY MOVE AT ALL THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIME.
AND SO WHEN THAT HUGE SHIFT HAPPENED, RIGHT FROM NOMADIC TO MORE SEDENTARY, UM, THAT LED TO A HUGE KIND OF CULTURAL SHIFT WITHIN THE PEOPLE AS WELL AS ACTUALLY LIKE A PHYSIOLOGICAL SHIFT IN THEIR BODIES AS WELL.
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SO WHEN YOU'RE SETTLED DOWN IN ONE AREA, YOU'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ACCUMULATE THINGS, RIGHT.IF YOU'RE PICKING UP AND MOVING EVERY FEW DAYS, YOU DON'T WANT TO REALLY HAVE THAT MUCH STUFF THAT YOU HAVE TO CARRY WITH YOU.
AND SO THAT LED TO KIND OF THE ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH FOR THEM, WHICH TO THEM IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE HUGE STRINGS OF LIKE OYSTER PEARLS THAT THEY WOULD WEAR AROUND THEIR NECKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY BEGAN TO START, UM, YOU KNOW, FARMING, CREATING THESE DIFFERENT CROPS AND FORAGING IN THE AREAS WHICH LED TO AN INCREASE IN DIFFERENT VITAMINS AND MINERALS THAT THEY WERE GETTING INTO THEIR BODIES, WHICH ACTUALLY LED TO THEM LIVING A LOT LONGER AND GROWING A LOT LARGER IN SIZE.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SHIFT THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT KIND OF CULTURAL SHIFT THERE.
AND I'LL SAY IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE ECOLOGY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
ANYTIME YOU LOOK AT THE HUMAN CULTURES HERE, THEY'RE USUALLY IN SOME WAY, JUST INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO THE ECOLOGY THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE NATIVE AMERICAN'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE OYSTER AND ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE HERE IS A GREAT ONE.
IF WE LOOK AT, UM, SPANISH AND FRENCH COLONIZATION OF THIS AREA, IT WAS MAINLY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH IS JUST TO THE SOUTH OF US HERE.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL SOUND IN THE SOUTHEAST, UM, ANYWHERE FROM 40 TO 60 FEET DEEP, NATURALLY WITH NO DRUDGING.
AND IT HASN'T REALLY CHANGED THAT MUCH SINCE THE 500 YEARS AGO WHEN THE, THOSE EUROPEAN EXPLORERS WERE FIRST COMING TO THIS AREA.
AND SO, AGAIN, IT'S JUST THIS, THESE REALLY STRONG LINKS BETWEEN HUMAN CULTURE AND ECOLOGY HERE.
I COULD GO ON ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE, SO I'LL PROBABLY JUST CUT MYSELF OFF THERE.
UM, BUT THEY ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS THAT WERE HERE, ANYTHING, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE YEMENI WERE A LITTLE BIT FARTHER INLAND.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY FROM WHAT I'VE READ ANYWHERE BETWEEN 20 TO 25 DIFFERENT TRIBES THAT WERE BETWEEN THE SAVANNAH RIVER TO THE SOUTH AND THE EDISTO RIVER TO THE NORTH.
UM, SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHICH TRIBE IT WAS WITHOUT EXCAVATING THIS AND FINDING THAT PIECE OF POTTERY.
UM, THAT MIGHT TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS A LOT OF THE TIMES THEY WOULD PUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE DIFFERENT LIKE INSCRIPTIONS OR PRINTS ON THE POTTERY THAT WOULD TELL ME, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY WHAT TRIBE IT IS.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE EDISTO, UM, OR THE KIAWAH.
I KNOW THAT THOSE WERE PRETTY PREDOMINANT COASTAL TRIBES, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO KNOW WITH CERTAINTY.
SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK BACK AT THE HUMAN HISTORY ON ST.
PHILLIPS, OBVIOUSLY THE NATIVE AMERICANS WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE HERE, AS FAR AS THE DEEDED HISTORY GOES.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, NANCY SILVAN WAS A LADY WHO BOUGHT THE ISLAND AND THE 1940S FOR $10,000.
AND SHE WAS LEASING IT OUT FOR A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO KIND OF COME OUT HERE AND USE THE ISLAND RECREATIONALLY, UM, FOR FISHING, HUNTING, CAMPING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO SHE ENDED UP SELLING IT TO A GROUP OF FOUR BUSINESSMEN IN 1974.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED WITH THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAME OUT HERE AND THEY LOOKED AROUND AND THEY WERE LIKE, NOPE, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR.
CAUSE THEY ENDED UP SELLING IT THAT SAME YEAR, UM, TO A MAN NAMED OH, STANLEY SMITH.
AND MR. SMITH WAS ACTUALLY A REALLY IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDER IN THE HISTORY OF ST.
PHILLIPS BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BUILD A BRIDGE FROM ST.
HELENA, WHICH IS JUST BEHIND US HERE OUT TO ST.
PHILLIPS WITH THE INTENT OF DEVELOPING THE ISLAND.
UM, SO LUCKILY THE, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE COAST GUARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE AND A FEW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS KIND OF SHOT DOWN THE BRIDGE IDEA.
AND SO HE ENDED UP SELLING THE ISLAND IN 1979 TO TED TURNER.
AND SO A LOT OF THE PROPERTY THAT HE PURCHASED, HE WOULD ACTUALLY PUT UNDER EASEMENT TO PREVENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE IN THE EVENT THAT HE WAS TO SELL THE PROPERTY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT HE DID WITH ST.
PHILLIPS IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST EASEMENT THAT'S HELD BY THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT'S REALLY SPECIAL TO THEM FOR THAT REASON.
HE ALSO HAD THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE COME OUT HERE AND THEY DESIGNATED THE ISLAND A NATIONAL NATURAL LANDMARK.
SO IT'S ONE OF ONLY SIX THAT WE HAVE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A RUFFLES POTATO CHIP.
IT'S GOT ALL THESE BRIDGES THAT KIND OF RUN PARALLEL.
THERE'S ABOUT 21 RIDGES TOTAL, AND THEY'RE JUST ANCIENT DUNE RIDGES THAT FORMED WHEN THE ISLAND WAS FIRST CREATED.
SO THE WHOLE TIME WE'VE BEEN ON THE TRAIN AND WE'VE BEEN ON TOP OF ONE OF THESE DUNE RIDGES, AND THEN Y'ALL CAN SEE THERE'S ANOTHER RIDGE JUST ACROSS THE WAY HERE.
AND THE RICHES ARE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THAT CONSTITUTES ALL OF THE HIGH GROUND.
THAT'S ACTUALLY CONSIDERED ST.
PHILIP'S, WHICH IS ONLY ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES.
IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT THE EASEMENT THOUGH UNDER THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, UM, THERE'S ABOUT 4,600 ACRES THAT ARE ACTUALLY PROTECTED UNDER ST PHILLIPS.
AND SO THE REMAINING 3,600, OTHER THAN THE A THOUSAND THAT'S HIGH GROUND IS GOING TO BE EITHER ESTUARY THAT JUST SURROUNDS THE ISLAND OR THESE LOW LYING TROUGHS THAT ARE IN BETWEEN THE RIDGES HERE.
AND SO THE TROUGHS ARE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CAN SEE HERE THAT THIS IS A FRESH WATER POND THAT STAYS PRETTY FULL.
UM, FOR THE MOST PART, UH, DURING THE YEAR IT'S FED BY RAINWATER THOUGH.
SO IF WE DO GO THROUGH A DROUGHT EVENT, IT WILL KIND OF DRY UP.
I THINK WE WENT A COUPLE MONTHS WITHOUT RAIN ACTUALLY OUT HERE ACTUALLY.
AND SO THE FRESH WATER POND WAS PROBABLY ONLY LIKE THIS BIG, IT WAS MORE LIKE A FRESH WATER PUDDLE IN REALITY.
AND SO THERE WAS LIKE ALL OF THESE ANIMAL TRACKS THAT WERE GOING TO, AND FROM THIS PUDDLE, CAUSE IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, RIGHT, FRESHWATER IS KIND OF LIKE AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS BIG SALTWATER DESERT.
SO IT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR ALL THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE AND A LOT OF MIGRATORY SPECIES THAT ARE KIND OF MOVING UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST, DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR.
AND SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT'S A TON OF DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS THEN THAT ARE ON ST PHILIP'S AND AS WE'RE KIND OF GOING ALONG HERE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE, WE KIND OF REACHED THE END OF THIS RIDGE AND WE'LL KIND
[00:20:01]
OF START TO WEAVE IN BETWEEN THE RIDGES AND THE TROUGHS.YOU'LL NOTICE WE'LL START OFF PRETTY FRESH AND THEY'LL GET LIKE A LITTLE BIT SALTIER AND A LITTLE BIT SALTIER UNTIL WE HAD THE OCEAN, WHICH IS JUST ABOUT AS SALTY AS IT GETS.
UM, SO KIND OF KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THOSE CHANGES IN THE ECOSYSTEM AS WE'RE GOING ALONG.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE FIRST CATEGORY THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT.
THE SECOND CATEGORY IS ACTUALLY JUST THE FOREST ITSELF THAT MAKES ST PHILLIPS SO SPECIAL.
THIS IS AN OLD GROWTH MARITIME FOREST, JUST MEANING THAT IT'S NEVER BEEN HARVESTED, NEVER BEEN TIMBERED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S ACTUALLY ORIGINAL TO THE ISLAND, WHICH IS PRETTY RARE.
I BELIEVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, IT'S LIKE 10% OF OUR LAND IS VIRGIN GROWTH.
UM, AND TO HAVE THAT ON A BARRIER ISLAND, ESPECIALLY IS PRETTY SPECIAL SINCE THE TIME THAT COLONISTS BEGAN ARRIVING TO THIS AREA, HUMANS HAVE BEEN CLEAR CUTTING THESE ISLANDS BACK THEN IT WAS FOR CROPS AND FARMS AND NOW IT'S FOR AND GOLF COURSES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S STILL INTACT THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET A TRUCK AND TRAM THROUGH TO ACTUALLY VISIT, UM, IS, IS PRETTY SPECIAL.
AND SO JUST LOOKING AT IT, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, AH, YES, CLEARLY THIS WAS AN OLD GROWTH MARITIME FOREST, BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY A FEW CHARACTERISTICS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT HERE THAT ACTUALLY HELP US DETERMINE THAT.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT FOREST SUCCESSION, WHICH HAPPENS IN FOREST ALL OVER THE WORLD, THEY KIND OF HAD THESE DIFFERENT LEVELS THAT THEY GO THROUGH BEFORE THEY REACH THAT TROPHY STATUS OF OLD GROWTH.
SO WE'RE HERE WITH CLAIRE MUELLER, WHO'S WITH COASTAL EXPEDITIONS AND CLAIRE, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE COULD NOT HAVE PICKED A BETTER DAY FOR COMING OUT HERE TO ST.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, WHAT IT WAS THAT ATTRACTED YOU TO COME TO WORK FOR COASTAL EXPEDITIONS.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO I ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING WITH THE STATE PARK SERVICE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO NOW, AND I WAS IN THE NATURE CENTER AND I GOT TO COME OUT HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME JUST TO KIND OF DO A TURTLE PATROL, UM, PICK UP TRASH AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ISLAND.
IT WAS JUST UNTOUCHED, BEAUTY, REALLY REMARKABLE.
AND SO I MOVED ON FROM THAT NATURE CENTER JOB.
AND THEN I HEARD THAT A POSITION HAD BECOME AVAILABLE WITH COASTAL EXPEDITIONS TO TAKE TOURS OUT HERE.
AND I REALLY COULDN'T SAY NO AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN HERE A WHILE AND JUST LISTENING TO YOU AS WE WERE COMING IN ON THE BOAT AND HEARING WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY ON THE FREE MILE TRAIN RIDE TO THE BEACH HERE, UH, I CAN SEE THIS AS REALLY FOR YOU, A LABOR OF LOVE, ISN'T IT? YEAH.
AND I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, WE COME OUT HERE SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, BUT WE ALWAYS SEE SOMETHING NEW WHEN WE COME OUT HERE, THE ISLAND ALWAYS SHOWS US SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UM, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, TURTLE TRACKS IN THE SUMMERTIME OR, YOU KNOW, ALLIGATORS MOVING UP AND DOWN THE ROAD, ONCE THEY COME OUT OF RUMINATION IN THE SPRING, IT'S REALLY, REALLY A SPECIAL PLACE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS BEACH HERE WITH ALL THIS DRIFTWOOD, I MEAN, I WAS JUST LIKE BLOWN AWAY AT THE, THE LIGHTING AND JUST THE BEAUTY OF THIS.
I THOUGHT I WAS LIKE LOOKING IN MY POLARIZED SUNGLASSES JUST BECAUSE IT'S SO STUNNING.
IT IS A PRETTY STARK LANDSCAPE FOR SURE.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST AS WE WERE COMING IN ON THE BOAT TO HAVE ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE, WE HAD, WE SAW EAGLES TODAY.
AND I LOVE THE, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE PELICANS, WHICH YOU ACKNOWLEDGED THE MOST SOUTH CAROLINIANS TAKE FOR GRANTED, THERE ARE UNIQUE IN THAT THERE'S ONLY TWO DIVING PELICANS, UH, THE, THE BROWN PELICAN, WHICH IS NATIVE TO OUR AREA HERE.
AND THEN I THINK YOU MENTIONED THE PERUVIAN PELICAN AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT THEY JUST DIVE LIKE FROM WHAT'D YOU SAY, 60 FEET.
SO 60 FEET, THAT'S PRETTY CRAZY.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE WHO TAKE THE COASTAL TOUR CAN EXPECT TO SEE? YEAH, IT KIND OF JUST DEPENDS ON THE SEASON.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST COMING OUT OF WINTER AND WE WERE REALLY LUCKY TO SEE A LOT OF OUR MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES THAT COME THROUGH IN THE WINTER TIME.
UM, WHITE PELICANS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE A PRETTY, PRETTY COMMON SITING, WHICH THEY'RE ALWAYS INCREDIBLE TO SEE THEY'RE ABOUT TWICE AS BIG AS THE BROWN PELICAN.
UH, SO THE BROWN PELICAN WEIGHS AROUND LIKE, I THINK EIGHT POUNDS AND THE, THE WHITE PELICAN COMES IN AROUND 16.
SO IF YOU CAN BELIEVE THEY'RE LIKE LITERALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT LARGER.
SO THEY'RE ALWAYS IMPRESSIVE, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T GET TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUT IN THE ESTUARY.
IT'S ALWAYS REALLY COOL TO SEE THOSE GUYS.
UM, WE GET A LOT OF NORTHERN HAIRS.
THAT'LL COME IN IN THE WINTER TOO, AS WELL AS OUR BALD EAGLES ARE PRETTY COMMON SIGHTING.
THE ISLAND USUALLY GETS A LITTLE BIT QUIETER.
UM, DURING THE WINTER TIME, EVERYTHING KINDA, YOU KNOW, GOES IN FOR BRUMATION AS FAR AS THE REPTILES GO.
AND THE MAMMAL ACTIVITY KIND OF DIES DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THEN IN THE SPRING TIME IS REALLY MY FAVORITE ONE.
THE ISLAND KIND OF TENDS TO COME BACK TO LIFE.
UM, ALL THE LEAVES KIND OF START TO COME OUT ON THE TREES AND STUFF, AND WE TEND TO SEE A LOT MORE FOX SQUIRREL ACTIVITY.
WE'LL SEE A LOT OF GATOR TRACKS KIND OF MOVING UP AND DOWN THE ROAD.
LIKE WE SAW WHEN WE WERE ON OUR WAY OUT HERE THIS MORNING.
UM, SOMETIMES WE'LL EVEN GET TO HEAR THE ALLIGATORS BELLOWING TO EACH
[00:25:01]
OTHER, WHICH IS ALWAYS A KIND OF A JURASSIC PARK EXPERIENCE FOR SURE.AND THEN ONCE WE GET INTO SUMMER, IT'S REALLY AMAZING.
UM, WE GET A LOT OF THE ROSEATE SPOONBILLS AND THE WOODS STORKS THAT GET TO COME OUT HERE.
UM, TONS OF JUST ACTIVITY WITH THE WADING BIRDS, UM, BOTH IN THE ESTUARY ON THE BOAT RIGHT OUT AS WELL AS ON THE ISLAND ITSELF.
SO REALLY ANYTIME OF THE YEAR THAT ANYONE CHOOSES TO COME AND YOU GUYS DO THIS YEAR ROUND.
YOU YOU'RE USUALLY NOT GOING TO MISS OUT.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING SPECIAL EVERY, EVERY SEASON.
I WAS FASCINATED BY THE STORY THAT YOU TOLD ABOUT HOW THE, UH, WELL, I GUESS THE EAGLES AND, UH, THE, UM, THE OSPREY OSPREY, THEY, THEY KIND OF ALTERNATE, UM, THE NESTING SEASONS HERE, BUT WHEN THEY'RE BOTH IN THE AREA, TELL, TELL OUR VIEWERS WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT HOW THE EAGLES JUST SIT BACK.
SOMETIMES THERE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT OF FRICTION BETWEEN THE BALD EAGLE AND THE OSPREY COMMUNITY.
UM, THE WE'LL TYPICALLY SEE THE BALD EAGLES JUST KIND OF HANGING OUT IN A TREE WALL.
UM, THE OSPREY, ESPECIALLY IN THE FRIPP INLET RIGHT THERE, THEY'LL JUST KIND OF BE ACTIVELY HUNTING FISH.
AND THAT THE OSPREY ARE REALLY WELL ADAPTED TO HUNT FISH.
RIGHT? THEY'VE GOT THESE REALLY SANDPAPERY PALMS. THEIR RISKS CAN KIND OF ARTICULATE AT AN ANGLE THAT LETS THEM PICK UP A LARGER PAYLOAD FOR THEIR BODY SIZE AND THE BALD EAGLES KNOW THIS.
AND SO THEY JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, RELY ON THE REALLY EXCELLENT FISHING ADAPTATIONS OF THE OSPREY.
AND SO AS SOON AS THE OSPREY PICKS UP THAT FISH AND TAKES FLIGHT, THE BALD EAGLES, LIKE, ALRIGHT, IT'S TIME TO GO TO WORK.
AND THEY'LL JUST KIND OF SWOOP DOWN AND BULLY THE OSPREY OUT OF ITS CASH.
BUT I USED TO ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, I'M LIKE, YEAH, YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE BEACHES OR LIKE BACK IN THE ESTUARY, YOU'RE LIKELY TO SEE IT.
BUT THERE WAS ONE TIME, JUST THIS PAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY 21 ON ST.
HELENA AND AN OSPREY JUST FLEW RIGHT DOWN IN FRONT OF MY CAR WITH THIS HUGE FISH IN ITS CLAWS.
AND THEN RIGHT BEHIND IT WAS A BALD EAGLE.
SO YOU REALLY CAN JUST BE ANYWHERE IN BUFORD COUNTY AND BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE THAT AS WELL.
WELL, I WAS GOLFING ONE DAY AND I WAS JUST ON THE FAIRWAY READY TO TAKE A SWING.
AND LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN OUT OF NOWHERE, THIS FISH APPEARS ON THE FAIRWAY AND IT'S SITTING THERE FLOPPING AND I'M GOING, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS RAINING FISH OR WHAT? AND THEN NO SOONER COULD I GET THAT THOUGHT GOING, THIS EAGLE COMES BACK DOWN AND OBVIOUSLY HE HAD DROPPED IT AND THEN HE CAME BACK TO GET IT.
AND I MEAN, THIS IS ALL PART AND PARCEL OF BEING HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY BEFORE I ACTUALLY MOVED HERE WHEN YOU WERE FIVE, UH, FROM NEW YORK.
AND, UH, I IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, SPENDING, UH, A NUMBER OF YEARS UP IN CHARLESTON AND THEN COMING DOWN HERE TO THE HEART OF THE LOW COUNTRY, YOU MUST BE IN LOVE WITH THE PLACE.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN BEFORE COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN CHARLESTON WHEN IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LESS BUSY AND EVERYBODY WOULD ALWAYS ASK ME, OKAY, LIKE WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO MOVE BACK TO CHARLESTON? AND ONCE I DISCOVERED BUFORD, I WAS LIKE, NEVER, YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T INTEND ON LEAVING THIS PLACE JUST BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH WILDLIFE HERE.
UM, REALLY JUST UNTOUCHED ESTUARY ON TOUCH BARRIER ISLANDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN HAVE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN GO WHERE YOU CAN JUST NOT SEE HOUSES FOR MILES AND MILES.
IT'S REALLY AN INCREDIBLE PLACE FOR SURE.
I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT I'M REALLY NOT A QUOTE UNQUOTE NATURE HOUND OR NATURE FIEND.
AND, UH, UH, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE BOAT AND TRAM WITH US TODAY WERE OBVIOUS NATURE WRISTS.
AND, UM, I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE FACT THAT, UM, THEY'RE ALL VERY HELPFUL, UM, WITHOUT BEING INTRUSIVE.
SOMETIMES THEY'LL ADD THEIR 2 CENTS WORTH AND REALLY MAKES THE WHOLE TRIP INTERESTING.
AND TO, UM, JUST FIND OUT EVEN FROM A AGAIN, CIVILIAN STANDPOINT, UM, ALL OF THIS STUFF THAT IS PART OF THIS TOUR IS REALLY ENTERTAINING AND REALLY ENJOYABLE.
UH, SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS FOR BOTH NATURE WRISTS, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THE TYPICAL PERSON THAT WORKS A NINE TO FIVE OFFICE JOB.
IT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE TRIPS THAT MAKES SOMETHING THAT SEEMS VERY WILD, A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCESSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, I'M HERE WITH YOU THE WHOLE TIME AND I'M LIKE ABLE TO KIND OF LIKE WALK YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SEEING AND KIND OF GIVE YOU LIKE AN INTRODUCTION TO BOTH THE ISLAND AND YOU KNOW, THE LOW COUNTRY B FOR COUNTY AS A WHOLE, BUT I'LL SAY THAT'S DEFINITELY LIKE ONE OF THE COOLER ASPECTS OF MY JOB IS WHEN WE DO GET PEOPLE OUT HERE, BOTH WHO KNOW THEIR STUFF AND DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT NATURE.
CAUSE I FEEL LIKE I HONESTLY CAN LEARN FROM BOTH OF THOSE PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE ME FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK IS INTERESTING OR WHAT THEY HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
AND IT'S HONESTLY JUST LIKE KIND OF EXPERIENCING THE ISLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALL OVER AGAIN.
WHEN I GET TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE COME OUT WITH ME.
SO YOU AND YOUR, UH, TODAY IT WAS MATT, WAS YOUR COWORKER AND, UH, HE PILOTED THE BOAT.
[00:30:01]
UH, THEN I WASN'T SURE WHETHER, I THINK IT WAS HERE THAT WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK WELL.AND, UM, YOU GUYS, UH, DO THIS LIKE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK OR FIVE DAYS A WEEK OR WHAT, UM, SO IN THE SPRING TIME IT'S GOING TO BE TUESDAYS, FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS.
IF THAT TOUR BOOKS UP AND WE GET A WAITING LIST, THEN WE'LL ACTUALLY OPEN ON 11 O'CLOCK TOURS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING OUT AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN ON THAT DAY IN THE SUMMERTIME, WE KIND OF SWITCH OVER TO A MORE TITLE BASED SCHEDULE, JUST SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE OUT HERE AT LOW TIDE SO THAT THEY HAVE PLENTY OF BEACH TO EXPLORE.
CAUSE USUALLY THE TRAILS ARE A LITTLE BIT TOO HOT AND BUGGY THAT TIME OF YEAR TO REALLY BE FULLY ENJOYABLE.
UM, AND THEN, SO WE'LL TEND TO GO OUT PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER WEEK IN THE SUMMERTIME, USUALLY A FEW DAYS IN A ROW.
AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF SWITCH BACK TO THAT THREE DAY A WEEK SCHEDULE IN THE FALL.
AND THEN ONCE IT COMES TO BE WINTER TIME, UM, WE'LL JUST GO TO IT BASICALLY A ONE DAY A WEEK, USUALLY JUST ON SATURDAYS.
SO PEOPLE JUST CALL IT COASTAL EXPEDITIONS.
AND, UH, ASIDE FROM THE TRIP OUT HERE TO ST.
PHILLIPS ISLAND, YOU'VE GOT SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY AS WELL AS UP IN CHARLESTON, RIGHT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO OUR HEADQUARTERS ARE BASED IN CHARLESTON.
WE'VE GOT, UM, NOT ONLY COASTAL EXPEDITIONS LIKE THE OUTFITTER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE COASTAL EXPEDITIONS FOUNDATION, WHICH IS REALLY INVOLVED IN A LOT OF, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, I'LL SAY NATURE RELATED PROJECTS, LIKE RESTORING CRAB BANK, DOING VETERAN PACKING PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE RECENTLY STARTED THIS BRANCH, UM, IN BUFORD IN 2020.
AND SO WE REALLY, IT ORIGINALLY CAME HERE WITH THE INTENT OF DOING THESE TRIPS OUT TO ST.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID, WE'VE KIND OF BRANCHED OUT SINCE THEN.
SO WE NOW OFFER DOLPHIN TOURS OUT OF RUSS POINT BOAT LANDING AT HUNTING ISLAND, STATE PARK, AS WELL AS LIKE A HISTORY AND DOLPHIN TOUR OUT OF THE DOWNTOWN MARINA IN DOWNTOWN BUFORD TOO.
WE'RE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE CHARTERS.
IF YOU HAVE A SPECIAL OCCASION OR AN EVENT THAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT ON THE WATER FOR.
AND ON OUR WAY OUT HERE, WE DID GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE SOME OF THOSE WONDERFUL DOLPHINS.
I THINK YOU ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE ONE WE SAW ON THE TRIP OUT HERE, ONE OF THEM AT LEAST WAS ONE OF THE LARGER DOLPHINS THAT YOU'D SEEN.
HE LOOKED LIKE A PRETTY GOOD SIZE GUY.
IT WAS PRETTY, YEAH, IT WAS A PRETTY CRAZY BIG DOLPHIN.
UM, TYPICALLY THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER, BUT LIKE I WAS SAYING EARLIER, WE'RE KIND OF GETTING INTO THE MIGRATORY SEASONS FOR THE DOLPHIN.
SO IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF A LUCK OF THE DRAW.
YOU NEVER KNOW REALLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE OUT THERE.
WELL, CLAIRE MUELLER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS WONDERFUL ISLAND WITH US TODAY.
AND IF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION, THEY CAN JUST GO TO COASTAL EXPEDITIONS AND SELECT WHAT YOU WANT AND HOW OFTEN, OR HOW MUCH IN ADVANCE DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE MAKE THE RESERVATIONS? UM, I USUALLY SAY AS SOON AS YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE COMING TO THE BUFORD AREA TO TRY TO GET YOUR SPOT, UM, WE TEND TO BOOK UP PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, ESPECIALLY ONCE WE GET INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS AND WE KIND OF GET THE TOURISTS THAT ARE KIND OF COMING INTO TOWN, DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE OUT.
WE'VE GOT, I THINK THE SCHEDULE THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO AS FAR AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS YOU'D LIKE TO.
AND WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL PRISTINE ISLAND.
WE'LL RIGHT AFTER THIS, THE HISTORY OF ST.
PHILLIPS ISLAND IS REALLY FAIRLY INTERESTING.
IT WAS BOUGHT ALMOST A CENTURY AND A HALF AGO BY NANCY SILVAN.
AND THEN SHE HELD ONTO IT FOR A WHILE, SOLD IT TO FOUR SHAREHOLDERS WHO THEY HAD PLANS THAT REALLY NEVER CAME TO PASS.
AND THEY KNEW RIGHT AWAY AFTER THEY BOUGHT IT, THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
SO THEY QUICKLY TURNED IT AROUND AND SOLD IT TO A FELLOW BY THE NAME OF OH, STANLEY SMITH.
HIS DESIRE WAS TO ACTUALLY BUILD A RAILROAD FROM THE MAINLAND TO THE ISLAND, BUT THAT WAS NOT TO BE EITHER.
AND SO IN 1979, TED TURNER BOUGHT IT AND TED TURNER, EVERYBODY KNOWS HIM AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES OF CNN AND THE TDS, THE SUPER STATION AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF OTHER STATIONS THAT WERE OWNED BY HIM.
BUT WHAT THEY MAY NOT KNOW IS THE FACT THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST LAND CONSERVATIVES IN AMERICA.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, AT ONE POINT, TED TURNER OWNED MORE LAND IN AMERICA THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
AND HE ENDED UP BUYING THIS, UH, PROPERTY, WHICH IS ABOUT 4,600 ACRES.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT HE DID WAS HE BUILT A HOME HERE AND THE HOME IS BY TED TURNER STANDARDS, RATHER MODEST, BUT YOU CAN STILL SEE THAT IT'S GOT A GORGEOUS VIEW OF THE OCEAN.
AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE, UH, LAZING AROUND, THERE'S, UH, AN AMAZING LARGE HAMMOCK.
[00:35:01]
UH, SO AS THE CROSS WINDS HIT YOU, IT'S JUST VERY, VERY RELAXING, ALMOST HYPNOTIC.AND THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT SINCE THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA PURCHASED IT IN 2016, TED TURNER SOLD IT TO THEM FOR $4.6 MILLION.
AND THAT WAS REALLY A GREAT DEAL BECAUSE AT THE TIME IT WAS VALUED AT ABOUT $16 MILLION.
AND WHAT THEY ARE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO DO IS RENT THE HOUSE.
YOU CAN EITHER TAKE THE $12,000 PACKAGE OR THE $20,000.
UH, AND REALLY THE $12,000 PACKAGE IN AND OF ITSELF IS PROBABLY THE WAY TO GO WITH IT.
YOU GET A THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF FOOD THAT THEY WILL DELIVER TO YOUR, UH, PROPERTY HERE.
AND YOU GET TO STAY FIVE DAYS AT FOUR NIGHTS.
AND REALLY WHEN YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT, IF YOU DIVIDE THAT UP AMONGST ABOUT 12 PEOPLE, WHICH CAN COMFORTABLY FIT IN THIS ABOUT 4,000 TO 5,000 SQUARE FOOT HOME, UH, IT DOESN'T BECOME THAT EXPENSIVE.
SO MAYBE IF YOU'VE GOT LIKE A FAMILY REUNION YOU WANT TO HAVE, OR IF YOUR COMPANY WANTS TO HAVE A, UH, A GETAWAY, THIS IS NOT A BAD DEAL.
THE ONLY BENEFIT THAT YOU GET FROM THE $20,000, UH, PACKAGE IS THAT WHEREAS THE $12,000 PACKAGE ONLY GIVES YOU A THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF FOOD AND ALLOWS YOU, UM, ONE TIME A DAY TO TAKE THE FERRY BACK TO THE MAINLAND.
UM, THE $20,000 PACKAGE WILL ALLOW YOU $2,000 WORTH OF FOOD.
AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE OPTION TO GO BACK TO THE MAIN LONDON, A NUMBER OF TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
SO IT REALLY $12,000 FOR ME IS THE WAY TO GO.
AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO SPEND THIS? WE HAPPENED TO COME AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS PARTICULARLY BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S PROBABLY 78 DEGREES OUT RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T EVEN NEED THIS CAP IN THE, IN THE SHADE HERE.
UM, BUT IF YOU WERE OUT ON THE BEACH WHERE WE'LL BE GOING IN JUST A MINUTE, UH, IT'S, IT'S SUNNY.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU MIGHT BE NEEDING TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THAT BREEZE CAN ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A WIND BURN GIVEN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, BECAUSE THE UV LIGHTING IS, IS SET AT ABOUT A ZERO A FACTOR TODAY.
SO NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY AND REALLY A SPECTACULAR PLACE TO BE IF YOU TIME.
PHILLIPS ISLAND IS A SPECTACULAR PLACE TO BE.
UH, WE ARE HERE NOW IN LATE APRIL GOING INTO MAY, AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE BUG ACTIVITY, VERY LITTLE OF THE NO CMES.
ALTHOUGH WHEN YOU DO COME TO ST PHILLIPS ISLAND, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE FOR A DAY TRIP, OR WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO RENT THE FACILITY, THEY DO RECOMMEND A NUMBER OF THINGS.
ONE OF THOSE OF COURSE, IS THAT YOU BRING SOME BUG JUICE TO GET RID OF THOSE.
AND THEN OF COURSE YOU'LL WANT TO TAKE A COUPLE OF BOTTLES OF WATER.
THEY DO HAVE SOME PORTA JOHNS AROUND THE AREA HERE.
YOU'LL WANT TO TAKE SOME WALKING SHOES AND JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE.
AND, UM, ASIDE FROM THAT, UH, YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD TO GO BECAUSE THE, UH, THE VENTURE THAT WE TOOK TODAY TOOK OFF AT NINE AND WE'LL RETURN AROUND TWO OR TWO 30.
YOU MIGHT EVEN WANT TO BRING A PICNIC LUNCH WITH YOU.
UM, SO LOTS OF FUN, A REALLY GREAT DEAL.
IF YOU'VE GOT FRIENDS AND RELATIVES THAT ARE COMING TO THE LOW COUNTRY, AND YOU WANT TO TAKE THEM OUT ON SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY UNIQUE, A DAY TRIP TO ST.
PHILLIPS ISLAND IS RIGHT AT THE TOP OF MY LIST.
AS YOU COME OUT OF THE TURNER HOUSE, WE'LL CALL IT THE TURNER HOUSE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S OWNED BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
NOW THE TEMPTATION IS TO REALLY GO TO THE BEACH BECAUSE THAT'S THE MONEY SHOT, RIGHT? BUT REALLY IF YOU'VE HAD A ROUGH DAY OR MAYBE A ROUGH YEAR, AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MORE CONTEMPLATED, I WOULD SUGGEST GOING TO THE RIGHT HERE AND JUST KIND OF WALKING DOWN THIS NARROW PATH BETWEEN THESE TREES, IT'S REALLY THOUGHT PROVOKING AND AN ENJOYABLE AND RELAXING WALK.
AND IF YOU'VE GOT WHATEVER WORRIES YOU HAVE IN THE WORLD, THEY JUST SEEM TO FADE AWAY.
AS YOU JUST TAKE IN GOD'S BEAUTY HERE IN THIS VERY PRISTINE PART OF NATURE, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS SON TO YOUR BACK, THE WAVES CRASHING AGAINST THE ROCKS AND JUST A GORGEOUS
[00:40:01]
DAY IN THE LOW COUNTRY.YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU, AS WE PAN OVER THE, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IS ALL THE WILDLIFE, ALL THE BIRDS THAT ARE JUST EVERYWHERE YOU GO.
SO YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF BROWN PELICANS OVER THERE AND SOME OTHER SMALLER BIRDS, BUT AS YOU ZOOM FURTHER OUT, YOU SEE A LOT OF THE WOOD THAT IS LEFTOVER FROM VARIOUS STORMS. AND CLAIRE WAS TELLING US EARLY ON, IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE, BUT WHERE THAT DRIFTWOOD ALL IS THAT USED TO BE THE ROADWAY THAT THE TRAM WOULD TAKE TO TAKE PEOPLE OVER TO THE, TO THE TURNER HOUSE.
UH, IT'S NOW JUST IN A MATTER OF ABOUT THREE YEARS, YOU WROTE IT BACK.
SO THEY HAD TO DO ANOTHER ROADWAY.
AND THAT'S JUST PART AND PARCEL OF BEING HERE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S SO MUCH WAVE ACTIVITY.
AND WE SEE A LOT OF IT, OF COURSE IT AT HUNTING ISLAND AND OUT AT FRIPP AND PLACES LIKE THAT.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY WON'T SEE UNLIKE THOSE AREAS IS THERE WON'T BE ANY BEACH RENOURISHMENT HERE.
SO THE TIDE IS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING THE SANDS AND CAUSING THE COASTLINE TO ALWAYS EVOLVE.
AND SO WHAT WE SEE AT ST PHILLIPS ISLAND IS REALLY A MICRO SYSTEM, AN ECOSYSTEM THAT IS ALIVE.
IT'S CONSTANTLY MOVING AND CONSTANTLY RECEDING AND GROWING, DEPENDING ON HOW THE WAVES MOVE.
AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO TAKE IN ALL OF THIS WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL GIFT OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, TO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO COME OUT HERE AND ENJOY IT.
AND THAT HAS BEEN PUT HERE IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THE EROSION IS MITIGATED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT THERE'S A NICE WALKING AREA IMMEDIATELY AROUND THE TURNER HOUSEHOLD, YOU CAN THEN WALK THE TRAIL DOWN TO THE BEACH, WHICH IS SPECTACULAR AND IS, HAS A LOT MORE SAND AND A LOT GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME SUNBATHING AND JUST TAKE IN THE BEAUTIFUL BREEZE COMING IN RIGHT OFF OF THE OCEAN.
AS I MENTIONED, THE CARETAKER'S HOUSE IS NOT TOO SHABBY AND IT'S IN AND OF ITSELF, ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT THE CARETAKER'S HOUSE OVERLOOKS THE OCEAN FROM THE SECOND FLOOR, IT ALSO HAS ITS OWN LITTLE PROMINENT PROMONTORY THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THE GROUP THAT ARE IN THE CARETAKER'S HOME TO GO TO THE OCEAN AND TAKE IN SOME OF THAT BEAUTY AS WELL.
NOW, AS FAR AS PROVIDING VARIOUS AMENITIES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE STAYING HERE AT THE TED TURNER HOME OR AT THE CARETAKER'S HOME, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE CELLULAR SERVICE HERE IS AWESOME.
I GOT LIKE THREE BARS OF 5G SERVICE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, BUT IT'S AVAILABLE HERE.
ALSO, THE POWER IS SUPPLIED BY SOLAR PANELS.
AND IN THE CASE, THE PERHAPS INCLEMENT WEATHER OVERCAST FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS, THERE ARE BACKUP DIESEL GENERATORS.
SO YOU'LL HAVE YOUR QUIET, UH, INTERRUPTED A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UH, BY AND LARGE, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE RUNNING OFF OF THOSE SOLAR PANELS.
AND THEN THERE IS THIS WATER COLLECTION TOWER BEHIND ME THAT ALLOWS FOR, UH, PROBABLY, I GUESS, JUST LOOKING AT IT, MAYBE THREE OR 400 GALLONS AT LEAST OF FRESH WATER TO BE COLLECTED FROM RAINFALL.
AND SO ANYTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE, ALL OF THE NECESSITIES OF HOME ARE RIGHT HERE ON THIS SECLUDED REMOTE BARRIER ISLAND KNOWN AS ST.
PHILLIPS ISLAND, WHETHER YOU'RE HERE FOR JUST A DAY TRIP OR WHETHER YOU'RE ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES WHO CHOOSES TO GO AHEAD AND RENT THE TURNER COTTAGE FOR 12 OR $20,000, BY THE WAY, I DIDN'T MENTION EARLIER, BUT THE $20,000 OPTION DOES GET YOU PRIVACY, AS OPPOSED TO THE $12,000 OPTION, WHICH WILL GET YOU PROBABLY TOURISTS EVERY SO OFTEN COMING AND WALKING AROUND PROPERTY MUCH AS WE DID TODAY, BUT WE'RE NOW ON THE BEACH.
AND THE TIDE IS BEGINNING TO GO OUT AND BEHIND ME, YOU CAN SEE THAT AS THE TIDE GOES OUT, YOU REALLY HAVE A NICE ACCESS TO A LARGE SANDY BEACHED AREA WHERE YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SUNBAE THEN, UH, MAYBE HAVE YOUR PICNIC OUT THERE.
AND IF IT'S WARM ENOUGH, DIP YOUR TOE IN THE WATER.
SO IT'S JUST A GREAT EXPERIENCE HERE AT ST.
[00:45:21]
WELL, GOOD THINGS DO COME TO AN END AS DOES OUR TRIP TO ST.BUT HERE WE ARE AT THE NATURE CENTER, IT'S REALLY A VERY PLEASANT DAY AND A GREAT DEAL.
MORE GREAT INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THEIR WEBSITE.
THE TRIP IS ABOUT $65 PER PERSON, AND THEN YOU PAY $8 PER PERSON FOR PARKING AT HUNTINGTON STATE PARK.
IT'S A LITTLE LESS, IF YOU'RE A SENIOR CITIZEN OR CHILD, AND IT GETS YOU INTO THE STATE PARK AT HUNTING ISLAND.
SO YOU CAN REALLY MAKE A WHOLE DAY OF IT.
WE WANT TO THINK CLAIRE AND CAPTAIN MATT FROM COASTAL EXPEDITIONS, WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT UPCOMING EPISODES ON COASTLINE, INCLUDING THE BUFORT WATER FESTIVAL.
WHEN WE TALKED TO THIS, YEAR'S COMMODORE.
YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THAT HERE ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL, THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO, ON DEMAND, GO TO BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM MELISSA CALL TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THE ONE-STOP SHOP IS LOCATED IN ADMINISTRATION, BUILDING ON THE SECOND FLOOR IN ROOM 2 25 BEFORE THE ONE-STOP SHOP PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
YOU HAD TO GO UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, AND POSSIBLY ONCE YOU WERE UPSTAIRS, YOU HAD TO GO BACK DOWNSTAIRS TO SEE ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
SO WITH A ONE-STOP SHOP, WE CONSOLIDATED THOSE.
SO IT'S ONE LOCATION, THE BUSINESS LICENSE DEPARTMENT AND THE BUILDING CODES DEPARTMENT.
IT'S LITERALLY ONE STOP FOR YOUR PERMITTING AND LICENSING.
HI, MY NAME'S VICTORIA HOFFMAN, AND I'M THE RECYCLING COORDINATOR FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
I'M GOING TO PROVIDE A QUICK COMPOSTING ONE-ON-ONE TUTORIAL.
COMPOSTING IS A GREAT WAY TO DIVERT FOOD AND YARD WASTE FROM LANDFILLS.
AND IT'S WONDERFUL FOR YOUR PLANTS.
A FEW REASONS WHY WE LIKE TO PROMOTE COMPOSTING ARE THE EPA REPORTED MORE THAN 63 MILLION TONS OF FOOD WASTE SENT TO LANDFILLS IN 2018 AND SOUTH CAROLINA, ABOUT 30% OF WASTE TAKEN TO LANDFILLS IS YARD WASTE.
COMPOSTING REDUCES MATERIALS SENT TO LANDFILLS AND REDUCES METHANE RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
SO YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT IS COMPOSTING? COMPOSTING IS THE BREAKDOWN OF PLANT MATERIAL THROUGH DECOMPOSITION.
THIS HAPPENS IN NATURE, BUT AT A SLOWER PROCESS, ONCE THE MATERIAL BREAKS DOWN, YOU ARE LEFT WITH A NUTRIENT RICH DIRT LIKE MATERIAL THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO PLANTS YOUR GARDEN OR YOUR LAWN.
COMPOST HELPS RETAIN MOISTURE IN SOIL AND REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS USED IN GARDENS.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMPOSTING, BUFORD COUNTY HAS EARTH MACHINE COMPOST BINS FOR SALE FOR A GREAT PRICE OF $50.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON PURCHASING ONE ON OUR WEBSITE.
THE BINS ARE ALMOST AT A 50% DISCOUNT OF THE NORMAL PRICE.
IT IS EASY TO ASSEMBLE AND DISCREET.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE BINS COME IN THREE PARTS.
SO TAKING THEM HOME IN YOUR CAR IS SIMPLE.
THE BIN COMES WITH FOUR SCREW PEGS TO SECURE IT TO THE GROUND.
[00:50:01]
A HARVEST STORE THAT CAN SLIDE UP AND HAS THE CAPABILITY OF BEING LOCKED.ALSO, YOU HAVE A BASE, A TOP AND A LID.
THE COMPOST BINS COME WITH A HANDBOOK THAT INCLUDES EASY ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS.
CHOOSING THE LOCATION OF YOUR BIN IS IMPORTANT.
YOU WANT IT TO BE CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE IN A SHADED AREA, AND YOU NEED A WATER SOURCE AVAILABLE.
YOU DON'T WANT IT TOO FAR FROM YOUR HOME BECAUSE YOU WANT THIS TO EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
YOU NEED A WATER SOURCE, SUCH AS A WATER HOSE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IT MOIST.
A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU WILL NEED TO START.
YOUR COMPOST BIN ARE SOME GREENS, WHICH IS YOUR NITROGEN SOURCES.
THIS INCLUDES GREEN GRASS AND LEAVES AND GARDEN CLIPPINGS AND YOUR BROWNS.
YOU NEED YOUR BROWNS, WHICH ARE THE CARBONS.
EXAMPLES OF THESE ARE DRIED LEAVES, TWIGS AND WOOD CHIPS.
SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF YOUR NITROGEN AND CARBON SOURCES ARE LISTED ON THE SCREEN WHEN JUST STARTING YOUR COMPOST BIN.
IT IS IDEAL TO LAYER YOUR GREEN AND BROWN MATERIAL IN AN ALTERNATING PATTERN.
BE SURE TO ADD WATER, TO KEEP YOUR BIN MOIST, LIKE A WRUNG OUT SPONGE.
NOW THAT YOUR COMPOST BIN IS SET UP, YOU'RE ALL SET TO BEGIN DIVERTING YOUR FOOD WASTE.
WHEN YOU ARE IN THE KITCHEN, PREPARING YOUR MEALS, INSTEAD OF TOSSING THOSE FOOD SCRAPS IN THE TRASH, YOU CAN SET THEM ASIDE TO DISPOSE OF AND YOUR COMPOST BIN.
THINGS LIKE PEELS FROM VEGETABLES AND FRUITS, EGGSHELLS, AND COFFEE GROUNDS CAN ALL BE PUT INTO YOUR BIN.
I LIKE TO KEEP A CONTAINER ON MY COUNTER FOR ANY SCRAPS THAT ARE COMPOSTABLE.
A SMALL BIN WITH A LID IS IDEAL TO DETER ANY PEST OR SMELLS.
YOU CAN ALSO STORE YOUR SCRAPS IN THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO TAKE THEM OUT TO YOUR COMPOST BIN.
YOU WANT TO BE SURE TO KEEP THESE ITEMS OUT, BONES, MEAT, AND TOXIC PLANTS.
HERE'S A LIST OF OTHER ITEMS YOU WANT TO KEEP OUT OF YOUR BIN.
I LIKE TO USE A PITCHFORK AND WORK MY WAY AROUND THE BIN.
YOU CAN ALSO USE A SHOVEL OR OTHER GARDEN TOOLS, A PROPERLY MANAGED COMPOST BIN.
SHOULDN'T ATTRACT PESTS OR RODENTS, NOR SHOULD IT SMELL BAD.
IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO COMPOST OUTSIDE, YOU MAY WANT TO EXPLORE VERMICOMPOSTING VERMIN.
COMPOSTING IS WHEN YOU USE WORMS TO FACILITATE THE COMPOSTING PROCESS.
IT CAN BE DONE WITH A SMALL BIN AND KEPT INSIDE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COMPOSTING, PLEASE GO TO THE COUNTY WEBSITE TO ORDER YOUR BIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING AND HELPING US TO DIVERT OUR ORGANIC WASTE AND REMEMBER GO GREEN, KEEP IT CLEAN.
BUFORD COUNTY BUFORD COUNTY, STRONGLY ENCOURAGES LOCAL, SMALL AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES TO SUBMIT A NEW VENDOR APPLICATION TO ITS PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.
THAT APPLICATION AND VENDOR GUIDE ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE.
ALONG WITH INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT WWW.BEAVERCOUNTYSC.GOV.
I WANT TO VIEW BIDS AND RFPS UNDER BUSINESS SERVICES VENDORS MUST BE REGISTERED WITH THE COUNTY IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO SOLICITATIONS QUOTES, BIDS, OR PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH THE COUNTY WILL BE REJECTED.
REGISTERED VENDORS, RECEIVE EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS WHEN NEW SOLICITATIONS PERTAINING TO THEIR AREA OF INTEREST ARE POSTED TO THE WEBSITE.
THANKS FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
YOU BROUGHT COUNTY BEGAN THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAM IN 1988.
IT WAS ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED AS A PILOT PROGRAM.
AND, UH, SINCE THEN IT'S EXPANDED TO 46 COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE.
SO WE WERE FIRST ONE IN THE STATE TO UTILIZE THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAM.
THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT TO BE AN OFFICIAL ADOPT.
A HIGHWAY PROGRAM IS FOUR LITTER PICKUPS A YEAR, BUT WE HAVE SUCH GREAT VOLUNTEER GROUPS THAT MANY OF THEM CHOOSE TO CONDUCT MONTHLY PICKUPS BECAUSE THEY REALIZED THAT LITERALLY LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT, ONCE IT STARTS TO PILE UP, IT JUST CONTINUES TO INCREASE AND INCREASE.
SO THEY WANT TO STOP THE LITTER PILE UPS AND KNOW THAT IF THEY DON'T GET OUT THERE WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, IT WILL JUST CONTINUE TO GROW AND GROW AND GROW.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT A THIRD OF OUR GROUPS GO OUT MONTHLY, PROBABLY THE REST OF THE GROUPS GO GO OUT FOUR TO SIX TIMES A YEAR.
[00:55:01]
ALL THE SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAM, UH, BETWEEN DDOT AND THE COUNTY.WE PROVIDE THE ORANGE LITTER BAGS THAT SAY ADOPT A HIGHWAY.
WE PROVIDE THE GLOVES AND WE PROVIDE GRABBERS.
WE ALSO PROVIDE LITTER PICKUP AHEAD SIGNS.
AND THEN THERE'S A SAFETY DVD VIDEO THAT WE OFFER TO ALL THE GROUPS PICKING UP.
SO WE TRY TO COVER ALL THE GAMBITS OF EVERYTHING.
A VOLUNTEER WOULD NEED TO PICK UP FOR AN ADOPTIVE HIGHWAY.
FIRST OF ALL, THE GROUPS SELECT AN AREA THAT THEY'D LIKE TO ADOPT.
THEN THAT NEEDS TO BE A TWO MILE AREA.
AND THEN THE VOLUNTEERS ALL SIGN A FORMAL AGREEMENT, AND THAT IS A TWO YEAR COMMITMENT.
AND ONCE THAT'S THEN SENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND ONCE THEY APPROVE IT IN THE GROUP CAN CONDUCT.
SO LITTER PICKUP, THEY WILL THEN ORDER A SIGN IN RECOGNITION OF THE GROUP.
AND SO THEY DO NEED A TWO YEAR COMMITMENT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT KIND OF EXPOSURE.
AND THANK YOU FOR A GROUP TO HAVE AN ADOPT A HIGHWAY SIGN, WHICH MOST OF OUR GROUPS REALLY APPRECIATE.
WE'RE ALWAYS ADDING NEW GROUPS AND THEN SOME GROUPS WERE, ARE ALSO DROPPING OFF.
BUT I WOULD SAY OUR NUMBERS ARE INCREASING.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THAT LITERACY IS SUCH A CRITICAL PROBLEM AND THAT STATE AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PICK UP LITTER.
SO THEY ARE NOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING ACTION AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEANING UP THEIR, FOR KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY CLEAN.
AND SO WE ARE ADDING GROUPS AND WE JUST HAVE A WONDERFUL GROUP OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARD STEWARDS IN OUR COUNTIES.
THERE ARE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN WITH US FROM 1988.
THEY JUST REALIZED THE IMPACT IF THEY DON'T PICK IT UP.
FOR INSTANCE, WITHIN THIS LAST YEAR, WE PICKED UP OUR VOLUNTEERS DONATED 4,000 HOURS AND JUST WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, THEY PICKED UP 80,000 POUNDS OF LITTER.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, IF THAT HAD NOT HAPPENED, HOW MUCH LITTER WOULD BE PILED UP ON THE ROAD, MOST OF OUR CLEANUPS TAKE PLACE EARLY IN THE MORNING.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHY IT'S SO CRITICAL THAT PEOPLE REALIZE THESE ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAMS PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART IN KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY CLEAN BECAUSE THEY'RE USUALLY OUT THERE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND PEOPLE DON'T SEE THEM.
THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE VOLUNTEER WORK THROUGH OUR VOLUNTEERS.
IT INCREASES ECONOMICS ON MANY LEVELS.
SO VOLUNTEERS TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF LITTER IN A VIABLE WAY TO BENEFIT ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF BEAVER COUNTY.
IT'S A SHORT DRIVE FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO YOUR NATURE HOOD TO FIND A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK OR GREEN SPACE NEAR YOU.
VISIT DISCOVER THE FOREST.ORG.
THIS IS THE SALT MARSH, ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND PRODUCTIVE HABITATS ON EARTH.
IT'S HOME TO AN INCREDIBLE DIVERSITY OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES FISH, AND EVEN REPTILE SPECIES LIKE THIS DIAMOND.
PACTERA MANY OF THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE, GROW UP IN THE SPAR TYNA NURSERY BEFORE THEY MOVE INTO THE RIVERS.
JOIN US FOR COASTAL KINGDOM, A FIELD TRIP TO THE LOW COUNTRY AND A CHANCE TO MEET SOME OF THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE.