Keep South Carolina Wild

Category: Native Plants

Haig Point on Daufuskie Island Celebrates Certification as a Community Wildlife Habitat

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Haig Point was recently certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat! As the 15th Certified Community Wildlife Habitat in our state, Haig Point has joined over 300 other communities across the nation making a difference for wildlife. Located on the southernmost sea island of South Carolina, the Haig Point Community is set amongst the majestic moss-draped live oaks and pristine beaches of Daufuskie Island. Residents and visitors enjoy the uninterrupted sounds of nature as they travel around the island by electric golf-carts instead of cars, far from the noise of motors, horns, and traffic. This bridgeless island is a unique coastal ecosystem, and once you arrive by boat or ferry, you instantly find out why.













The island is home to a large rookery of nesting egrets and wood storks, and you can spot fox squirrels and white-tailed deer munching on acorns. As a threatened species, loggerhead sea turtles nest along the shores during the summer months. Supporting an abundant diversity of wildlife, insects, plants, and marine life, the wooded areas, lush marshes, and beaches are critical habitats that residents of the island are dedicated to protecting.

Oyster Reef Restoration

Volunteers and community members joined together with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources SCORE (South Carolina Oyster Recycling Enhancement Program) to complete the island’s first oyster reef build in 2017. These living reefs protect the salt marsh and estuaries, while also helping to naturally reverse beach erosion, improve water quality, and create habitat for marine life. After a second build in 2022, healthy waves of spartina grass have established and become a living shoreline, supporting hundreds of species from small invertebrates to blue crabs and redfish.

South Carolina contains half a million acres of salt marsh, more than any of the other Atlantic states, but many coastal residents are concerned about the heavy amount of erosion as tides rise higher with more intense storms. Oyster reefs act as natural barriers against these threats, reducing the amount of shoreline that gets washed away and creating a more resilient coast. The community of Haig Point has constructed three oyster reefs on the island and plans to install more.

Daufuskie Island Turtle Team

About 4 miles long, Daufuskie Island’s beach provides nesting habitat for loggerhead sea turtles. The Daufuskie Turtle Patrol staff must check the tide each morning before venturing onto the beach because at high tide, some areas are impassable. Having experienced heavy erosion, many nesting areas have washed away. Abandoned beach homes have succumbed to the rising tides, and exposed roots from large, dead oak trees make navigating the beach difficult.

The island currently has around 60 nests and several of them started hatching in July. Led by volunteers, the many tasks of the turtle patrol team include documenting turtle tracks seen in the sand, marking nests, and placing protective covering over nests to prevent predators like ghost crabs, racoons, and armadillos from eating the eggs.











An Ocean-front Celebration









The community held a celebration at the Haig Point Beach Club on July 12th with residents and many other stakeholders who were involved with the certification process. Haig Point earned this impressive certification by certifying properties including homes, parks, farms, businesses, and government buildings on the island as Certified Wildlife Habitats. SCWF staff were honored to be a part of the ceremony, and Sara Green, SCWF Executive Director, spoke at the reception. SCWF’s Habitat Education Manager, Savannah Jordan, also spoke and presented the community’s certificate to Don Hunter, CEO of Haig Point. Lauren Hunt, the Brand Manager for Haig Point, oversees communication to its residents through the publishing of community newsletters and posting to social media. Lauren has been integral in the community’s certification, having digitized huge stacks of paper notes written by former habitat team members and promoting events that bring the whole community together to help wildlife. In partnership with the Daufuskie Island Conservancy, Haig Point hosts a biannual Beach Sweep in the spring and fall to help keep litter under control. Free educational events are available to the island’s residents and visitors that engage the community in creating wildlife habitat and protecting special species, including recent presentations on loggerhead sea turtles, salt marsh habitats, manatees, and butterflies.

Haig Point earned the name “Guardian of the Sea” by the Palmetto Ocean Conservancy in 2018 due to the Beach Club’s efforts to eliminate plastic straws, incorporate recyclable and reusable cups, change lights on buildings to LED lighting, and these other “Green Initiatives”:

  • Wood duck and Eastern bluebird boxes placed throughout the community, with annual maintenance and monitoring of bluebird boxes

  • Installation of a demonstration rain garden to encourage the use of native plants in our landscapes and water conservation

  • Nature Trail educational signage throughout in several key areas throughout the property

  • Butterfly gardens and the Welcome Center, Mansion, Beach Club, and Clubhouse

  • Educational table in the Mansion to promote Environmental Committee events as well as educating Members on green practices

  • Recycling receptacles in all areas of property

To learn more about the Community Habitat Program, click here or contact Savannah Jordan at mail@scwf.org.

Chapin is now a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat

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The town of Chapin was recently certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat! Chapin is now the 13th Certified Wildlife Habitat in our state and has joined over 300 other communities across the nation making a difference for wildlife. Chapin earned this impressive achievement by certifying over 180 homes, 3 parks, 4 schools, 3 places of of worship, and 5 businesses as Certified Wildlife Habitats.

Activity Highlights

This certification effort was led by Cindy Chin and the Chapin Garden Club, who named the project “Chapin Goes Green” when they registered their community back in June of 2021. These are just a few of their many accomplishments that have created healthier wildlife habitat and a healthier community:

Bluebird trails

Worked with local schools to install bluebird nesting boxes, which now make up several bluebird trails that are maintained and monitored for nesting activity.

Educational classes

Held programs on a variety of topics at the Chapin library, which included migratory birds, snakes, owls, and tips for creating colorful wildlife habitat.

Pollinator garden

Installed a 70-foot Carolina Fence pollinator garden at Chapin Town Hall, providing a sanctuary for bees, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Chapin Goes Green!

The community held a celebration at Chapin Town Hall on June 18th with the Chapin Garden Club and many other stakeholders who were involved with the process. The Mayor of Chapin made a proclamation in support of Chapin’s enrollment in the Certified Community Wildlife Habitat Program and recognized the outstanding efforts of the community’s commitment to becoming more wildlife-friendly. Kelly Long, Wildlife Habitat Chair of the Garden Club of SC and leader of the Greer Community Wildlife Habitat also gave remarks, along with David Stoudenmire, Jr., President of the Garden Club of SC and William Slaunwhite, Treasurer of the SC Bluebird Society. The Eaglets Making an Impact Club presented a video created by students at Chapin Elementary School showing the steps to certifying your wildlife habitat.

SCWF staff were honored to be a part of the ceremony and certification process. SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager Jay Keck helped with the certification by installing nesting boxes, presenting on wildlife topics, and installing native plants at Chapin Town Hall’s lush pollinator fence garden. Both he and Sara Green, SCWF’s Executive Director, spoke at the reception.





Chapin Town Hall Pollinator Garden





Milkweed for Monarchs Project: Nine Years of Helping Monarchs Thrive

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We are thrilled to announce the mailing of native milkweed seeds to SC residents, thus completing the 2024 Milkweed for Monarchs Project! We are grateful to Comporium for sponsoring this year’s project. This project was a huge success due to the statewide support of South Carolina residents and the dedicated volunteers who gave their time and expertise to hand-mix seeds and prepare each packet for mailing.

This is the ninth year that the SC Wildlife Federation (SCWF) has completed this project, which is vital for the survival of monarch butterflies. Over the past twenty years, there has been a sharp decline in the monarch butterfly population along their normal migration routes from Canada to Mexico. In fact, these important pollinators have dwindled by almost 97 percent. Native milkweed plants, however, are the key to helping these beautiful butterflies continue to thrive in North America.

SCWF was able to assist in increasing crucial habitat for our fluttering friends by distributing thousands of packets throughout the state! Native milkweed seed varieties were purchased in bulk from Ernst Conservation Seeds, then packaged and shipped by SCWF staff and generous volunteers. These seed packets were paired with informational cards that SCWF created for recipients to learn how to successfully raise the plants, how essential the plant is to the monarch species, and additional steps to take to certify their yards as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Read more about how to certify your yard on our habitat page, or contact Savannah Jordan at mail@scwf.org.

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped with this project, especially Barb & Jimmy Watson and Tami Kyre.

Image Caption: Volunteers assisting with the Milkweed for Monarchs project.

One of our favorite parts of this project is when milkweed recipients send us photos of their milkweed to be featured on our social media. You can email us your photos at mail@scwf.org.



Image Captions: These beautiful photos are from milkweed seed recipient Amy Bryan. The first photo was taken on Sep 29, 2023, and she saw her first butterfly on October 16, 2023.

We are grateful to Comporium for their sponsorship of this project! Their generosity allows us to send these packets to SC residents completely free of charge. If you or your company are interested in sponsoring this program in 2025, please contact Ari at mail@scwf.org or 803-256-0670, or use the  donate button to make your gift in support of this program.

Banner Image Credit: Monarch by BeBe Dalton Harrison.

Venus Flytrap Bill at the SC State House

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Senator Hembree of Horry County has introduced a bill (S.581) which would designate the Venus Flytrap as South Carolina’s Official State Carnivorous Plant. SCWF spoke in support of this bill at a recent sub-committee meeting, where it passed unanimously out, and will next be considered by the full Senate Family & Veterans’ Services Committee. If approved by the Committee, it will be placed on the Senate calendar for a floor vote.

Recent News Coverage:

03/21/23: Snap! Venus fly trap fans ask South Carolina to honor plant – AP News

Here is a copy of remarks from Sara Green, Executive Director, at the sub-committee hearing:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the subcommittee, for the opportunity to speak with you this morning.  I am the Executive Director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.  We are the oldest conservation organization in the state, founded in 1931 by Harry Hampton and Zan Heyward.

Our mission is to conserve and restore habitat for wildlife through education and advocacy. 

We hold classes and events throughout the state to teach people of all ages about our beautiful state’s natural resources, and how they are connected with the local ecosystem, as a way to inspire folks to take action to preserve our natural treasures

We have taken people to see and experience many of the special gems all across South Carolina, and this includes the Venus Flytraps in Horry County.

Like all plants, the Venus flytrap gets its energy from the sun through photosynthesis. However, it lives in very nutrient-poor soil, so it has adapted a method of luring insects with sweet nectar, and capturing and digesting insects and arachnids to get nutrients that are not available in the surrounding environment.

The “trap” is made of two hinged lobes at the end of each leaf. On the inner surfaces of the lobes are hair-like projections that cause the lobes to snap shut when prey comes in contact with them. The hinged traps are edged with small bristles that interlock when the trap shuts to ensure the prey can’t squirm out. There are other carnivorous plants in the wild, but the Venus flytrap is one of the very few that exhibits motion to actively trap its prey.

Once the trap closes, the digestive glands that line the inside of the leaf secrete fluids that dissolve the soft parts of the prey, kill bacteria and fungi, and break down the insect with enzymes to extract the essential nutrients. These nutrients are absorbed into the leaf, and five to 12 days following capture, the trap will reopen to release the leftover exoskeleton.

These plants were historically found as far south as Charleston, but many threats have limited its range to today’s small populations.

This species is often poached because there is a market for these plants for backyard gardens. There are specific guidelines online for how to buy plants which were farmed rather than ones that were illegally dug up from native populations.

New housing developments are a threat due to clearing of land and draining of the boggy habitats where this species thrives.

This is a highly fire-dependent species and it flourishes best when the landscape is burned every 2-3 years. Managing habitat for this one species with fire protects many other species of plants and animals including maintaining viable habitat for our game species like quail, turkey, and deer.

This designation will help promote education and awareness of this globally unique and rare species found in our state, and help to promote stewardship and conservation. Since our state symbols are part of an education standard taught in elementary schools across the state, this designation will also help develop curriculum in our schools for a species that is right here in our own state, and is sure to capture the attention of students!

I thank you for your consideration of this bill this morning. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation fully supports passage of this bill.

SCWF’s Sara Green speaks in support of the bill – photo by Trip King.

New WAIT Site Certified at Shaw Industries

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Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) certified Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Plant 8S as a Wildlife And Industry Together (W.A.I.T.) site on June 16th.  The W.A.I.T. program recognizes industries who are dedicated to protecting the environment and keep wildlife needs in mind when making their land management decisions. Shaw joins 28 other plants in the state with this distinction.

Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Plant 8S is a nylon and polyester fiber manufacturing facility located in Columbia, South Carolina that has more than 300 employees. The plant’s products are used to make a variety of different types and styles of nylon and polyester carpet.  Shaw Industries is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider. The company manufactures and distributes carpet, custom rugs, hardwood, laminate, resilient, and tile and stone flooring products for residential and commercial applications worldwide. A recognized environmental leader, Shaw takes a holistic approach to sustainability including a keen focus on its 2030 goals related to water, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, safety and designing to Cradle to Cradle protocols.

SCWF acknowledged that Shaw is proudly committed to being good stewards of the environment.  The W.A.I.T. certification recognizes that Shaw Plant 8S has taken a leading role in environmental protection, in part by setting aside property around the plant that includes planting food plots for wildlife, creating two butterfly gardens, constructing hawk perches, installing duck and bird boxes and building numerous walking trails for its employees to enjoy the abundance of wildlife along the Saluda River in Lexington County. Associates from all departments are involved in W.A.I.T. projects.