Simple Ways We Can Protect
Kiawah's Wildlife & Environment
Obey The Speed Limit Everyday in the U.S. an estimated one million animals get hit by motor vehicles. By simply slowing down and driving cautiously we can protect all the wildlife that feed and travel along Kiawah's roadways. Better yet, park the car and ride a bike!
Give Migrating Birds Their Space Species of migrating birds, such as red knots, use Kiawah as a place to rest and feed. Shore birds who are disturbed by bikers, beachwalkers, or dogs will stop nesting and feeding to escape danger: this extra stress can be devastating to migrating animals.
Use A Reusable Water Bottle While exploring and enjoying Kiawah opt for using a reusable water bottle as opposed to a disposable one. The resort is making the process easier by creating a network of water refill stations. Currently, water refill stations with reverse osmosis filtration are located at the Heron Park Center at Night Heron Park, Kiawah Outfitters and the Fitness Room at the Straw Market and at The Sanctuary Spa and Fitness Room and Mingo Point. If you did not bring your own reusable water bottle, they are for sale at the Heron Park Nature Center. You'll be glad to say fill 'er up!
Stay On The Path When exploring Kiawah travel on the designated bike paths, trails and beach boardwalks. By using the trails, you ensure that you will not further disturb wildlife or our trailside vegetation.
Properly Discard Monofilament Fishing Line Monofilament can last 600 years in a marine environment and discarded fishing line is hazardous for everyone. Monofilament line can foul boat propellers, entangle and poison wildlife and threaten the health of fisheries. The Kiawah Island Community Association has placed monofilament recycling tubes at many of Kiawah's popular fishing spots or you may bring it to the resorts Nature Center at Night Heron Park.
Pick Up Litter Litter, such as plastic bags, is devastating to marine wildlife. Every year in the United States tens of thousands of animals such as dolphins, birds and sea turtles are killed from plastic bag litter. Animals often mistake plastic bags for food such as jellyfish. Once ingested, the plastic cannot be digested or passed. In an animal's gut plastic can prevent food digestion and can lead to a very slow and painful death. There is no simpler way to save our wildlife than making certain all trash is properly disposed of.
Don't Feed The Alligators Never feed or entice alligators - it's dangerous and illegal. When fed, alligators overcome their natural fear and learn to associate people with food. This is dangerous for you and will most likely result in the demise of the alligator. If people simply educate themselves on the American alligator, we can continue to successfully coexist with these awe inspiring reptiles.
Lights Off For Sea Turtles Turn off the lights! Turn off flashlights and beachfront lights throughout the night from May to October. Beachfront lights can confuse our Loggerhead Sea Turtles during the nesting and hatching season.
Discovering Kiawah By educating yourself on Kiawah's natural environment you will continue to learn ways to protect our island, its wildlife, and our planet. It's simple; join us on Nature Tours, browse this website or visit the Nature Center!
Kiawah Island: Ecologically Sensitive
Kiawah Island has always been renowned as a naturally beautiful location. Filled with vegetation, flora and fauna, you could call it the archetypal "green" destination.
Since resort and real estate construction began on the island in the 1970's, all development has been carefully designed to blend into the island's natural habitat. In fact, before any commercial earth was turned, a complete inventory of the island's wildlife and plant life was undertaken.
This commitment to nature preservation led to many innovative developments, including the requirement that all buildings remain behind the secondary dune line to protect this critical habitat. There are also no streetlights on Kiawah, as the artificial light could attract Loggerhead Sea Turtles away from the beach on which they nest for six months of the year.
Long before "ecotourism" became a marketing term, the resort was giving guests the opportunity to donate $2 per night during their stay to the Kiawah Island Conservancy, which is dedicated to the preservation of the island.
Each of our five championship golf courses as well as the grounds of The Sanctuary have been certified by Audubon International as Cooperative Sanctuaries. This award-winning education and certification program recognizes golf courses and other facilities for their sensitivity to protecting the environment. To achieve the Audubon Sanctuary Certification, our golf courses and The Sanctuary demonstrated a high degree of environmental quality in a variety of categories, including Environmental Planning, Wildlife Habitat Management, Resource Conservation, Waste Management and Outreach and Education.
And, as the world does become more eco-conscious, the resort continues to respond with new initiatives, including additional nature programming, water conservation and recycling. Even the oyster shells from our summer oyster roasts are redistributed into the salt marsh around the island.
We hope that this site helps you understand the things the resort is undertaking to make vacations less impactful on the environment.
Kiawah Green In The News
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Good Rating
2 Green Eco-Leafs
Kiawah Island Golf Resort Awarded the Prestigious Green Eco-Leaf Award (Read more pdf. )
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Businesses Honored For Outstanding Recycling Programs
April 28, 2009
Kiawah Island Golf Resort was recognized for their comprehensive recycling program that accepts numerous items including electronics, pallets, fluorescent bulbs, paint, plastic bags, batteries, fishing line, and oyster shells.
Resort Recycling Program
Since 1993, the resort has been recycling in our offices and facilities. Although a Villa pick-up service is currently not available, we are pleased to offer guests the opportunity to recycle on an individual scale.
Clean recyclables can be brought to the Nature Center at Night Heron Park. The following is a list of materials, which the Nature Center will gladly recycle:
• Plastic containers (#1 and #2 plastics) • Glass containers • Aluminum cans • Tin cans • Newspapers
• Brochures • Paperboard (i.e. cereal boxes, tissue boxes) • Alkaline and rechargeable batteries • Plastic bags
• Monofilament fishing line
Thank you for helping us protect our beautiful natural environment!
Why we recycle oysters...
In the summer, adult oysters release millions of fertilized eggs. During their development, larvae (young, free-swimming oysters) may travel great distances. When development is complete, young oysters must attach to a hard substrate, ideally another oyster shell. If no suitable substrate exists, the oyster dies. South Carolina has a critical shortage of oyster shells. To properly manage the state's oyster beds and maintain these important oyster habitats, we must continually replace the oyster shells that are removed from the state's oyster beds. By recycling our oyster shells, we are helping to restore, preserve, and enhance South Carolina's oyster habitat!
Help us recycle! Simply place oyster shells only in the container located in the center of your oyster table.
Kiawah Island Natural Habitat Conservancy
As you enjoy this island teeming with wildlife and lush vegetation, remember that you are exploring a habitat that is becoming increasingly rare along our cost. Kiawah is fortunate to have the Kiawah Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which is dedicated to the preservation and research of coastal maritime forests and wildlife, .
If you enjoy everything that makes Kiawah special, we encourage you to help our Conservancy through donations. Donations can be made at the Heron Park Nature Center or upon checkout at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort and The Sanctuary. To learn more about KINHC and their efforts, please visit kiawahconservancy.org.
Golf Inc. Magazine Announces Winners of Inaugural Green Awards
Kiawah Island Golf Resort has been chosen as one of five winners in the golf club category of the Inaugural Golf Inc. Green Awards. The awards competition sponsored by Golf Inc. is aimed at recognizing golf courses and companies that have adopted programs and practices designed to promote environmental sustainability and responsible environmental stewardship.
"We are pleased to be able to honor the outstanding efforts of these courses and companies in embracing effective environmental programs and practices." said Chase Peckham, associate publisher of Golf Inc. "It is rewarding to see how many operations have incorporated environmental sustainability into their day-to-day operations."
Kiawah's Tennis Clubs Take Their Green Initiatives To The Court!
Our entire tennis management and staff have teamed up to continue the resort's mission to keep it green and clean on Kiawah Island Golf Resort. In addition to recycling plastic, paper, and cardboard, replaced equipment is donated to the following outlets:
Nets
Donated to be used at schools and playgrounds
Worn out Tennis Balls
• Used balls are reused into rental equipment
• Donated to inner city schools for tennis programs
• Donated to schools for use on the bottom of chair legs, they cut the balls in half and they prevent the chairs from making noise when they are moved
• Donated to retirement homes for use on walkers, they help walkers move more smoothly along the floor
• Donated to guests and owners for their dogs
• This amounts to around 16,200 tennis balls each year
Carry products from tennis vendors that now offer recycled products
Wilson Sporting Goods offers tennis bags made of recycled nets and plastic and are made PVC free
Image Network/The Odle Group offers cotton sweatshirts from the company 'Playback' that are made from 70% recycled cotton scraps from clothing production
