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 resort' s 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 present 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 rersult in the demise of the alligator. If people simple 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, it's 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 requiremet 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, Wilflife Habitat Mangement, 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 including the oyster shells from our summer oyster roasts.
We hope that this site helps you understand what else the resort is undertaking to make vacations less impactful on the environment.
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 help us protect our beautiful natural environment!
Why we recycle oysters...
In the summer, adult oysters release millions of fertilized eggs. During thier 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 subsctrate 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 teaming 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 an organization dedicated to the preservation and research of coastal maritime forests and wildlife, the Kiawah Conservancy, a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization.
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 www.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 practics." 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."
