Wildlife

Bluffton Today veteran reporter Frank Morris has a comprehensive story about the Town of Bluffton's new efforts to get people to care for and clean up the May River.

Read the Bluffton Today story here.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) plans to re-open the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, Friday, July 29, 2011. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), the agency administering the Freshwater Diversion Canal repair project, has completed the work associated with refuge lands south of S.C. 170, which includes the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive.

(Editor's note: The following is from Dot Bambach of the Ogeechee Audubon Society chapter.)

Join Ogeechee Audubon and expert birder Diana Churchill at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, for a field trip to Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge’s Wildlife Drive will have just re-opened after a long closure, and it’s the prefect time of year to look for swallow-tailed and Mississippi kites.

(Editor's note: The following media advisory was issued by the Town Of Bluffton, S.C.)

The May River's problems -- from water pollution to oyster bed closures – are often in the news these days. What you aren't hearing about are the solutions. The Town of Bluffton, in partnership with surrounding Beaufort County, has started an environmental awareness initiative, called "Neighbors for Clean Water."

Island Packet reporter Allison Stice has a story, photos and video about new efforts to monitor Lowcountry dolphins.

Read the Island Packet story here.

Bluffton Today reporter Sara Wright visits the coolest summer camp in the Lowcountry at the Coastal Discovery Museum.

Read the Bluffton Today story here.

Post and Courier reporter Bo Petersen gets a behind-the-scenes look at the sea turtle hospital at the S.C. Aquarium. It isn't always pretty, but it is fascinating.

Read the Post and Courier story here.

Taking your dog to the beach or sandbar can be fun for your pet, but the wild creatures that live there deserve some respect.

Read the Associated Press story via Bluffton Today here.

Save more than 20 percent on six issues of South Carolina Wildlife magazine right now. Start a new subscription to South Carolina Wildlife (or renew an existing subscription) using convenient online service through July 29 for just $14 for one year (six issues), including the 2011-2012 Sportsman’s Calendar and Almanac issue.

Go online and subscribe today:
www.dnr.sc.gov/magazine/subscribe.html.

So far through June of 2011 (representing 54% of the nesting season), 2,545 loggerhead, and four leatherback nests have been reported on project beaches along the South Carolina coast. The preliminary 2011 statewide estimate for South Carolina this year is 3,511 turtle nests, which includes nests laid on beaches that do not have daily monitoring. Nesting in 2011 has started out extremely strong with most of the coast reporting higher than normal nest counts. Often, when nesting starts strong, the nest numbers drop off quickly toward the end of the season.