EAST COOPER
LAND TRUST
Our Present for the Future
OUR MISSION: The East Cooper Land Trust is a community-supported organization devoted to conserving natural spaces, thus the quality of life for current and future generations.
OUR VISION: East Cooper Land Trust will be leading the most important and ambitious conservation effort for the East Cooper area. We will: -Identify and conserve natural spaces of environmental, cultural, or historical value. -Enrich our urban community with natural spaces and preserve the rural character of surrounding coastal communities. -Collaborate with other organizations to provide natural lands such as parks, gardens and trails for people to enjoy. -Provide education about the benefits of open space and conservation for all ages.
Field Notes from the Chairman & Executive Director Our Greatest Challenge
Our East Cooper community is constantly changing. Mount Pleasant is the 9th fastest growing city in the nation. It is no surprise that more and more people want to live and work in this beautiful place. There is an ever-growing need to strike a sustainable balance between population growth and preservation of natural resources.
Striking a Balance
East Cooper Land Trust is actively working to find that delicate balance. We think it is important to maintain natural areas with public access, lands of archaeological and historic value, wildlife habitat and farmlands. We are not an advocacy group, but instead seek harmony and balance in this growing community. With the right resources we will be able to reach out to more landowners and work cooperatively with them to permanently protect their properties. We are also working through our Council of Mayors to establish feasible alternatives to sprawl and work to permanently protect natural areas. It has been an exciting year for East Cooper Land Trust. We have just purchased and permanently protected the 94-acre Thornhill Farms property in McClellanville (cover feature). This working organic farm, host to sustainable produce and livestock production, will be forever preserved and continue to offer public education opportunities. It will be an invaluable community asset, not only helping train the next generation of small farmers but helping the community learn the origins of its food supply and the importance of land conservation. We hope you enjoy reading more about Thornhill Farms, as well as updates on several of our other permanently protected properties. Thank you, Jonathan Lamb Board Chairman Catherine Main Executive Director
Board of Directors Jonathan R. Lamb, Chair Lawrence Middaugh, Vice Chair Alys Anne Wiedeke, Secretary Robert (Scott) Schlau, Treasurer Joseph J. Calandra Margaret (Sissy) Ehrhardt William T. Eubanks Richard L. Habersham Susan L. Johnson William W. Miller, Jr. Michael Veeck Advisory Board James B. Bagwell, III John C.L. Darby James C. Thompson George K. Wood Staff Catherine Main, Executive Director Alison Geer, Development Coordinator Alex Smith, Graduate Intern
Focusing our efforts on the Greater East Cooper Area
The East Cooper Land Trust is... -Working with landowners to preserve their land with conservation easements. -Protecting valuable farmland within the East Cooper area. -Creating an off-road trail system to connect Mount Pleasant, City of Charleston, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, Awendaw, McClellanville, and Charleston County.
332.3 Acres Protected Forever by East Cooper Land Trust: 132.6 acres Oakland Plantation 94 acres Thornhill Farms 57 acres Marsh View Trail 21 acres Rivertowne Wetland 6 acres CAGE Organization 3.8 acres Phillips Community 3.7 acres Magnolia Park & Community Garden 3.4 acres Shemwood II 3.4 acres Shem Creek Headwaters 3.1 acres Sullivan’s Island Station 19 2 acres Rivertowne Island 1.8 acres Moultrie Park .5 acres Sullivan’s Island Station 9
The primary tool used to permanently protect land from development is a conservation easement. Simply put, a conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a nonprofit conservation organization that permanently limits a property’s uses in order to protect its conservation values.
Thornhill Farms On November 21, 2014 the East Cooper Land Trust acquired Thornhill Farms to be permanently protected as a farm for the benefit of the public. The purchase of this property was made possible by the funding East Cooper Land Trust received from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program, the South Carolina Conservation Bank and a generous donation from Gary Thornhill. Thornhill Farms is a beautiful 94-acre piece of farmland just north of McClellanville on Highway 17. This property connects to and provides buffers for 1,000 acres of land conserved by the National Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy. By preserving Thornhill Farms as a working and teaching farm, local farmers will have new opportunities to learn how to make their farms profitable and sustainable. When farms are profitable and farming is valued, it decreases the threat of losing other farms to incompatible development. “In our society people have lost their connection to the land. Farms and farmers are no longer a national treasure. By saving this farm we hope to plant a seed that reconnects people to the land and our agricultural heritage” says Bill Eubanks, East Cooper Land Trust Board Member. A farm of this size and diversity is unique and has the potential to be a perfect farm classroom teaching a variety of sustainable practices including vegetable and livestock production. Thornhill Farms has been managed as a teaching farm since 2006 and has been important in the growing Farmto-Table movement in the Charleston area, serving many local restaurants. Historical and current land management at Thornhill provides an excellent demonstration for both farmers and landowners of innovative production and conservation practices in the Lowcountry including organic production, crop rotation, cover-cropping, pollination habitat, rotational grazing, forage planting, and animal integrated silviculture. Excitement at East Cooper Land Trust continues to grow as the Board of Directors and staff plan for this exceptional property. We are in discussion with Clemson University as a potential managing partner and look forward to the future of this unique farm. East Cooper Land Trust has placed a conservation easement on the property to ensure that no further subdivisions or other alterations are made that could devalue the ecological integrity of the farm. East Cooper Land Trust will maintain an on-site presence to better serve Charleston County farmers and rural residents east of the Cooper River, resulting in the conservation of more land. Executive Director, Catherine Main, explains East Cooper Land Trust’s interest in protecting more rural lands like Thornhill Farms, “Traditionally we’ve been an urban land trust and have focused on parcels that are inside the urban growth boundary. We are now also focusing on the rural communities surrounding the urban area so we can proactively conserve more natural areas. With your help, we can keep our farms that add flavor and character to our lives every day.” Visit eastcooperland.org to read the latest news about the project.
“In our society people have lost their connection to the land. Farms and farmers are no longer a national treasure. By saving this farm, we hope to plant a seed that reconnects people to the land and our agricultural heritage.� -Bill Eubanks, East Cooper Land Trust Board Member
Moultrie Park
John Popelka of JSP Moultrie Park, LLC (above) donated a 1.8-acre wooded property to the East Cooper Land Trust. This property provides habitat, scenic value, and health benefits for Moultrie Park residents to enjoy. The donatation of this property to East Cooper Land Trust will ensure this green space is used for passive recreation and wildlife preservation forever. Also note our new signs! Keep an eye out for our logo on East Cooper Land Trust’s protected properties.
Rivertowne Wetland & Island
This is a 2-acre hammock island within the Rivertowne neighborhood, between Parkers Landing Road and Horlbeck Creek. These areas provide habitat for hundreds of animal and plant species on a permanent and migratory basis. In particular, various bird species may utilize the property for feeding, nesting, and roosting sites due to its relatively isolated location. Wading birds such as blue herons, egrets, and night herons are bird species often found on hammock islands. Mammal species such as raccoons, otters, and deer have been observed using hammock islands. This privately-held island was preserved under a conservation easement in July 2011.
Magnolia Park & Community Garden
This 3.7-acre property is in West Ashley at the intersection of Magnolia Rd. and Sycamore Ave. The land was purchased through the Charleston County Urban Greenbelt Program. East Cooper Land Trust now holds a conservation easement on the property and the Charleston Parks Conservancy is using the land for community gardens.
Marsh View Trail
“I treasure our walks along the Marsh View Trail because one can sense peace in all of the tree tops. It is fun to see the variety of birds and butterflies, and to watch the fiddler crabs dancing at the edge of the marsh is truly a joy.” -Hugh B. Tant III, Brig. Gen., US Army, (Ret.)
The Marsh View Trail is a publicly-accessible quarter-mile nature walk located at 1619 Rifle Range Road (behind Mount Pleasant Waterworks and Mamie P. Whitesides Elementary School). This paved trail winds across a 57-acre conservation easement donated by Mount Pleasant Waterworks and held by the East Cooper Land Trust. Passing under majestic live oak trees and over a tidal salt marsh, one can enjoy a beautiful Lowcountry vista of hammock islands and miles of marshland. Above: Long-time Mount Pleasant residents, Hugh and Christine Tant, enjoy a routine morning stroll under the trail’s 200-year-old live oaks.
Phillips Community
This 3.84-acre wooded lot was purchased through the Charleston County Urban Greenbelt Program and ownership was transferred to the Phillips Community. East Cooper Land Trust has the property under a permanent conservation easement. Located in an unincorporated area of Mount Pleasant, this historic African-American Community of 600 residents utilizes the property for a cultural, interpretive community center as a site where sweetgrass basket makers can gather to weave their craft. (Right: Richard Habersham, Phillips Community leader and East Cooper Land Trust Board Member with Larry Middaugh, Vice Chair of Board of Directors, monitor the protected property.) Local artist William Rollis (photographed below) has been making sweetgrass baskets for as long as he can remember. He has lived in the area his entire life and has seen the toll that development takes on our natural resources, including sweetgrass. He is grateful for the preservation of this beautiful piece of property. His masterpieces have been featured in cultural festivals and exhibits around the Charleston area. You can find Mr. Rollis selling his craft most weekends at the Charleston
Oakland Plantation Oakland Plantation is a 132.6-acre property off Porchers Bluff Road between Highway 17N and Rifle Range Road. It has been permanently protected via a conservation easement held by the East Cooper Land Trust. This easement contains pine/mixed hardwood forest, forested wetlands, maritime forest, brackish marsh, salt flat, shrubby and herbaceous woodland borders. A 1.5-mile nature trail crosses the property. The trail is an amenity of the KOA campground and is not open to the general public. However, it can be available for local school groups and other organizations with pre-approval. Any interested group should contact the KOA office at (843) 849-5177 to schedule a visit.
Sullivan’s Island Station 9 & 19 Our protected properties near Station 9 and 19 provide great recreational opportunities for residents to enjoy. The Station 9 property is a 0.48-acre plot of wooded land with a trail leading from Conquest Avenue to the edge of the property overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. This piece of land was once the landing area for the Pitt Street Bridge that connected Mount Pleasant to Sullivan’s Island, giving it an added historical significance. The 3.1-acre property at Station 19 serves as both a public green space and an access point for fishers and kayakers to explore the Intracoastal Waterway.
CAGE Organization This is a 6-acre tract protected by a conservation easement held by the East Cooper Land Trust. The two acres at the northwest side are restricted to passive recreation/nature trail use only. The remaining 4 acres were purchased in 2011 via funding from the Charleston County Urban Greenbelt Program and transferred to the CAGE organization. This property is adjacent to the new Jennie Moore Elementary and Laing Middle Schools. It will be used to develop a 6,000 sq. ft. community center, parking, utility building for equipment storage, trails, and the future location for the Gullah Cultural Festival. The CAGE Organization (Community Action Group for Encouragement) represents the Six and Seven Mile com-
Candy’s Cove at Shemwood II
In January 2013, the Town of Mount Pleasant transferred title of this 2-acre wooded lot to the Shemwood II Community Association. It is adjacent to “Peggy’s Park,” the community’s small playground and picnic area, and has long been a favorite play area for kids in the neighborhood. East Cooper Land Trust now holds a conservation easement on this property and vows to ensure it remains natural in perpetuity.
Shem Creek Headwaters This 3.37-acre land donation forever preserves the wetland and tidal creek watershed of the Shem Creek headwaters. The property is located along Von Kolnitz Rd. adjacent to the Medical Arts Building. The property provides an outdoor classroom and field study location for James B. Edwards Elementary School students.
Partnership Spotlight: Alhambra Garden Club
The Alhambra Garden Club teamed up with a number of organizations to help maintain the beautiful Butterfly Garden on the Marsh View Trail. Local leader Eve Smithers remarks, “Alhambra Garden Club youth chairwomen Janice Rhodes and Carolyn Yarbrough have developed an educational opportunity and Girl Scout project using the Butterfly Garden for the benefit of our East Cooper community. Alhambra members are committed to youth education in horticulture.� This beautiful garden on the Marsh View Trail provides a place for butterflies to feed and lay eggs.
How you can demonstrate your commitment to conservation in the East Cooper area: -Donate online at eastcooperland.org/donate/ -Include us in your estate plans -Make a charitable gift of stocks, bonds, mutual funds -Make a Corporate matching gift -Contact us at (843) 224-1849 or info@eastcooperland.org about volunteering
Thank you to all of our generous supporters! Together we are leading the most important and ambitious conservation effort in the East Cooper area.
Donations Received January 1, 2013 to October 17, 2014 $100,000+ eGroup Mr. Mario Nardone Charleston County Greenbelt Program Alison and Arthur Geer Savannah Presbytery M.K. Pentecost GFT Farm, LLC The Joanna Foundation Ecology Fund Grant South Carolina Conservation Bank Mr. and Mrs. Francis G. Johnson South Carolina Sports Medicine & Mr. and Mrs. Gary Thornhill Mr. Hoyt Kiser, Jr. Orthopaedic Center Mr. Jonathan Lamb Stubbs Muldrow Herin architects, Inc. $10,000+ Lucey Mortgage Corporation Clyde and Carlin Timmons The Darby Family Foundation Larry and Susan Middaugh Ms. Anita Condon van de Erve Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc. Foundation Post and Courier Foundation $250 - $499 Mike and Jenny Messner Everett and Margaret Presson Anonymous (1) Mr. and Mrs. John Popelka Seamon, Whiteside & Associates, Inc. Acupuncture & Wellness of Charleston, Speedwell Foundation Billy Swails State Farm LLC Mr. and Mrs. James C. Thompson Triangle Char and Bar Amedisys Home Health Services The Backpacker Quality Gear $1,000 - $9,999 $500 - $999 Mr. and Mrs. James Bagwell Alhambra Garden Club Mr. John Burn The Beach Company The Boulevard DWG Consulting Engineers Mr. and Mrs. Brian Berrigan Joseph Calandra Harbor National Bank Dr. and Mrs. John Boatwright Community Action Group for Ms. Julia Kelly Mr. and Mrs. Claus W. Busch Encouragement Mr. and Mrs. Theodore L. Manos Elaine Brabham & Associates Real Estate Daniel Island Community Fund Morris Financial Concepts, Inc. Mr. William T. Eubanks
“We are thankful for our donors and volunteers that make it possible for us to lead conservation efforts in the East Cooper area. Together, we can find the balance between economic development and the preservation of our natural and culturally significant areas. Please join us.” Catherine Main,
Executive Director
$250 - $499, continued Mr. and Mrs. George Geer GEL Engineering, LLC Mr. William Griffin III Alex and Laura Kasman Kohlheim Family Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation Mr. Parker H. Lee Legal Professionals, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Dennie L. McCrary Mr. and Mrs. William W. Miller, Jr. Money With A Mission Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Myers III Dr. Patrick O’Neil Ms. Margaret Passailaigue Pitt Street Pharmacy Sewee Outpost Dave Westberg and Kim Green Mr. Joseph Whetstone Lynn and Alys Anne Wiedeke $100 - $249 88 Club Joan and John Algar Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Baker Brian and Carrie Bates Mr. Richard Bischoff Katharine and Gary Bloder Mr. and Mrs. Paul Boehm Ms. Lynn Carmody Mr. and Mrs. David Carrier Mr. and Mrs. Elton Carrier Mr. and Mrs. Scott Cracraft Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Cremins Mr. and Mrs. W. Bradley Crowther Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Cummings Robert and Cornelia Drew Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Drury Exxon Mobil Foundation John and Anne Girault Mr. David Harmon Dr. and Mrs. Frank Harper Mr. William Hautt Mr. Ray Hobbs The Law Offices of Richard A. Hricik Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Kaynard Ms. Marilou T. Linn Ms. Catherine Main Mr. Christopher Nickels Ms. Sharon Penny Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Mr. Richard Raymond Mr. James Reed
Dr. and Mrs. Frederick E. Reed, Jr. Ms. Sally Keltner Saunders & Associates, Inc Mr. and Mrs. Steven Kerr Margaret P. Schachte and Hal S. Currey Anne and Robert Kinter Mr. Dean Schmelter Ms. Leigh Ann Liddell Mr. and Mrs. Gordon D. Schreck Ms. Betsy Lile Sean and Rebecca Schultz Mr. Sean Markey Ms. Margaret J. Skinner Mr. Bruce C. Martin Mr. and Mrs. William S. Stuhr Mr. and Mrs. H. Chapman McKay Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Tant Susan and Douglas Mellichamp Mr. and Mrs. W. George Thomas IV Ms. Brigitte Miklaszewski Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Chris Miller John Winthrop Fund in Memory of Ms. Mary H. Molony Adrianne B. Reilly Dana and Thomas Moorer Tim and Kristy Wise Mr. and Mrs. Michael Naylor Mr. and Mrs. George Wood Ms. Melodie Olson Martin and Jeri Perlmutter Up to $99 Ms. Chrissy Petit Jayne and Christopher Ahlstrom Virginia and Michael Prevost Ashley Bell Mr. and Mrs. Philip Prickett Karen Beshears Ms. Beverly Prudhomme Mr. and Mrs. Terence N. Bowers Mr. James B. Puig Charles and Jessica Capasso Mr. David Quick Emilie Carey Mr. and Mrs. Brady Quirk-Garvan Ms. Mary Conley Dr. Lydia Engelhardt and Dr. Bill Rambo Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert E. Copeland Hilary and John Rieck Laura Cotton Mr. Donald Oswalt and Ms. Kathleen Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth P. Daniels Rodas-Oswalt Jana Davis Mr. and Mrs. Ernest A. Rodenberg Mr. and Mrs. Don Dennis Ms. Angela Rogers Drennan Law Firm Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Rosenthal Timothy and Lisa Dunlevy Mr. Randall Sandin Ms. Margaret L. Ehrhardt Mr. and Mrs. Herb Sass Ms. Florence T. Eubank Mr. R. Scott Schlau Ms. Burnam Eubank Mr. Corey Schuerman Mr. and Mrs. Gary Fink Kara and Jeff Skahill Joyce and David Freeman Ms. Rachael Smilowitz Ms. Katherine Gaffos Ms. Deborah S. Spehar Ms. Claudia Gowdown Ms. Carol Stanford Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gudinas Mr. Marlin Stewart Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hannapel Ms. Thomasena Stokes-Marshall Diane and Bill Hawkins Ms. Patricia Sullivan Jamie Healy Ms. Brigid Sullivan Mr. Edwin Hettinger Sun to Moon Yoga Sally Hickerson Ms. Cindi Thomas Jean Holst Ms. Kristina Thomason Jackie Huffman Ms. Ann Tiller Jack’s Cosmic Dogs Ms. Murrell Timmons Colette DeGarady & Thomas Johnson Ms. Bess Tompkins Ms. Susan Johnson Anne and Scott Toole Mr. and Mrs. David A. Jones Trident United Way Ms. Christina Jones Lisa Jones-Turansky and Mark Turansky Mr. Rufus H. Jones Mrs. J. Arthur Tuten
Mrs. J. Arthur Tuten Dr. and Mrs. Brian L. West Ms. Diane B. Westfall Mr. and Mrs. Bob Whittemore Mr. Josiah M. Williams, III Mr. and Mrs. Ricky Williams Jeffrey and Valerie Yurfest In Kind Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry Alhambra Garden Club ArborGen Bacco Italian Restaurant The Backpacker Quality Gear Ms. Jenna Baddeley Barrier Island Eco Tours Basic Kneads Mr. and Mrs. Brian Berrigan Brookgreen Gardens Pamela Brooks Photography Buist, Byars & Taylor, LLC By George Pottery Joseph Calandra Carolina Heritage Outfitters Charleston County Park & Recreation Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Charleston Outdoor Catering Charleston RiverDogs Charleston Symphony Orchestra
Mr. Michael Cline and Ms. Jennifer Mathis Coastal Expeditions College of Charleston Cooper River Bridge Run Mr. and Mrs. Steve Cregg Cub Scout Pack 502 David Brown Photographics Drayton Hall Dunleavy’s Pub East Cooper Sporting Goods Elite Dance International Bill Eubanks European Road & Racing EVO Pizza Fear No Easel Ms. Cathy Forrester Mr. Devin Fox Girl Scout Troop 304 Girl Scout Troop 394 Graze Restaurant Hopsewee Plantation Isle of Palms Marina Jack’s Cosmic Dogs Jesse & Friends Music JetBlue Amelia and Paul King KOA Mt. Pleasant Jonathan Lamb
Las Olas Ms. JoAnn Leigh Ms. Linda Love Maid Brigade Mandari Designs Elizabeth and co. Mex 1 Coastal Cantina Mi Xao Moranz Entertainment Mario Nardone Mediterranean Shipping Company SCS Engineers Seamon Whiteside & Associates Skyline Exhibits Sewee Outpost Ms. Amelia Rose Smith Max Streeter T. W. Graham & Co. Gray Taylor Ms. Ann Tiller TimeOut Sports Tours by Tim Mr. Karl Troy Urban Edge Studio of SW+ Mike Veeck The Village Museum Whole Foods Market Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Wiedeke Mr. Joseph Wilson
Honors and Memorials In Memory of E.G.R. Bennett by Mr. and Mrs. David A. Jones In Memory of The Honorable Francis F. Coleman by The Boulevard In Memory of The Honorable G. MaGrath Darby by The Boulevard In Memory of The Honorable John J. Dodds by The Boulevard In Honor of Alison Geer by Mr. and Mrs. George Geer In Memory of Mr. Michael Reese by Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Cummings In Honor of The Honorable Billy Swails by The Boulevard
The following individuals and firms have volunteered significant amounts of their time to the East Cooper Land Trust. THANK YOU! Ashley Gosnell Victoria Hill Laura Hoffacker Polly McGillivray Margaret Passailaigue Alex Smith
PO Box 2495 Mount Pleasant, SC 29465 (843) 224-1849 eastcooperland.org info@eastcooperland.org
Save the Date! March 1, 2015 See more details at eastcooperland.org