Southern Tides all about the water
December 2023
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CONTENTS
Southern T Ides Crew
Vol. 9, Issue 4 December 2023
PUBLISHER/EDITOR Amy Thurman amy@southerntidesmagazine.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Brandyn Bradford
7 Editor's Note
CONSULTING NATURALIST John "Crawfish" Crawford subtropicalnaturalist@gmail.com
9 A Note From Lucy 11 Tales from a Boating Nerd
THE BITTER END COLUMNIST Captain J. Gary "Gator" Hill theoriginalcaptaingator@gmail.com
13 Taste of the Tides
THE RIVERKEEPER REPORT Meaghan Gerard meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org
15 Season of Giving 16 100 Issues! Looking Back
TALES FROM A BOATING NERD Cynthia Lamb cynthia.l.lamb48@gmail.com
21 Going Native (Part II)
Contributors Nick Riccio, Jr. Wildlife Photographer
24 ORK Photo Contest Winners
Lucy Bowie Dunbar Yachts/Freedom Boat Club
26 Featured Artist Keller Jones 28 Holiday Fun Page
Keller Jones Featured Artist
29 Did You Know? 30 The Bitter End
Copyright © 2015-2023 All content herein is copyright protected and may not be reproduced in whole or part without express written permission. Southern Tides is a free magazine, published monthly, and can be found at multiple locations throughout coastal Georgia. (912) 484-3611 info@southerntidesmagazine.com Read the Digital Version at: www.SouthernTidesMagazine.com Visit us on social media: www.issuu.com/SouthernTidesMagazine.com Facebook.com/southern-tides-magazine Southern Tides Magazine is printed by Walton Press, Monroe, Ga. Letters to the Editor: We love hearing from you! Questions, comments, ideas, or whatever you'd like to share, please do! Send your thoughts to any of our email addresses listed above.
Top: April 2017 cover (page 16). Photo by Amy Thurman Center: Purple passionflower (page 21). Photo by US Fish & Wildlife Bottom: Beach Hammock, Little Tybee (page 26). Painting by Keller Jones
About the Cover:
Roseate Spoonbill, Angel Wings. We selected this cover for two reasons. First because it looks so angelic, which is especially fitting for December. Second, because a roseate spoonbill was our very first cover, it seemed right that it would be our 100th cover too. Photo by Nick Riccio, Jr. Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
5
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Editor's Note A
need his naturalist and marine educator lthough I announced in the knowledge. I’m always awed at the August issue that I would be closing depth of his understanding of our down Southern Tides after this, coastal ecology and environment and the December issue, I’m pleased to I’m grateful beyond words that he’s announce that this is no longer the shared so much of it with me and with case. Lucy Bowie, with Dunbar Yachts Southern Tides. and Freedom Boat Club on St. Simons Plus Emily Kenworthy, Rick Island, has stepped up to the plate Lavender, Bryan Fluech, Mike Sullivan, and will be taking over next month, Tyler Jones (and Nancy Butler before with the January issue. Lucy is an avid him), Melissa Cummings, Tim Keyes, boater, a business owner, and she’s Clay George, and Dory Ingram. For talented and creative, not to mention either your writing, photography, or determined, so I’m certain she’ll do a knowledge, or all of the above. fantastic job! Thank you Lucy! Thank you all. And so, short of uploading There have been others, but I’m these pages to the printer, writing running out of room. this column will be my last task as I also need to thank my “inner publisher and editor of Southern Tides circle.” Aside from those mentioned Magazine. And to that end, gratitude is above, these people have been in order. here when I needed support, First of all, for those of you encouragement, ideas, a sounding who’ve advertised and stuck with me board, or a confidential rant. Eddie It's been an adventure! Like above, where I'm all these years. You’ve kept the lights Boykin. Bubba Strickland. Joy learning to determine an alligator's sex. on, both literally and figuratively, even Campbell. Michelle Riley. Jamee Thank you all for the memories! when you didn’t NEED to advertise, Barnard. Elaine Maley. Lyn McCuen. and even when your own budgets were And now I'm off to the next chapter. Below is the Doug Haymans. Charlie Waller. Dustin view from my new office window. tight. There wouldn’t be a Southern Hartley. Thank you. Each of you. Tides without you. Period. Thank you. Lastly, thank you readers. It’s been Next up, our contributors. Captain an honor to put this magazine together Gator tops that list, both in how much for you each month, and it never fails he’s written (second only to me), and to make my day to get your emails or in being so loved by our readers. So phone calls, or when I’ve run into you many of you have told me over the somewhere and you’ve told me what years that you flip to The Bitter End you enjoyed about the latest issue. before looking at anything else in the You’ve been a phenomenal audience. magazine. Gator’s stories have always It’s strange to think this is it, and it’s been such interesting reads, and he’s bittersweet. The adventures I’ve had, such a likeable person to interact with the memories I’ve made, and most that it’s easy to forgive him for being importantly, the friends I’ve made. But perpetually on the wrong side of his the magazine is in good hands with Lucy and I’m off to the deadline! But seriously, Captain Gator is a gifted storyteller mountains to start a new chapter. I hope you’ll remember me and we have been blessed to have him share his talent on these fondly and raise the occasional glass in toast. pages. Also Meaghan Gerard, who, in spite of her own crazy Godspeed to you all. workload, has rounded up content for The Riverkeeper Report every month and sent it to me print-ready. She’s a powerhouse. Our newest columnist and everyone’s favorite boating nerd, Cynthia Lamb, has also been a pleasure to work with and she’s already helping Lucy out as the magazine transitions. I also want to include our unofficial staff photographer, Nick Riccio, Jr., who takes stunning wildlife photos, helps out with distribution, and is a good friend, too. Editor in Chief And of course Crawfish, for always being available when I amy@southerntidesmagazine.com
Amy Thurman
Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
7
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A Note From Lucy W
Left: Lucy and Mike.
ho am I, and why am I joining the crew at Southern Tides? I am Lucy Bowie, co-owner of Dunbar Yachts, and of the Freedom Boat Club location on St Simons Island, along with my husband, Mike. I am also proud to serve as Secretary of the Georgia Marine Business Association (GAMBA). In my role as a boat dealer, I regularly work on the displays at national boat shows. When I tell attendees, “I am your local dealer,” I see eyebrows rising towards the sky, and I can almost hear them thinking, “Where does she think I’m from?!?” And that’s because I have a different sort of Southern accent – I was born and raised in the south of England, which is where my journey into boating began. Mike and I spent our younger years sailing off the south coast of England, around the Channel Islands, and across to France. As we started to explore further and spent all our vacation time sailing, Mike subtly planted the idea that we should try living aboard and travel further. In all honesty, I was very reluctant to curtail my career (I am a qualified attorney), which is how Mike’s powers of persuasion led to us spending my maternity leave sailing around the world with our newborn son and our chocolate labrador! Long story short, we only travelled halfway round the world which, in case you were wondering, lands you squarely on St Simons Island, Ga. (or at least it did for us). It also allowed us to turn our passion for boating into a new vocation. If you have an enthusiasm for travelling and exploring, you are probably a lifelong learner at heart, and that certainly resonates with me. These are the attributes which made me excited to see Southern Tides continue to thrive. This magazine is the only publication that draws together the threads of news, information, experiences, and anecdotes about coastal Georgia. With every issue I learn a little more about the waterways which are now my home. I am passionate about people having opportunities to get out on the water and to explore our vibrant waterways and coastline. Southern Tides is about encouraging positive experiences and engagement with the geography of coastal Georgia, and I am excited to become a part of it. I look forward to continuing the magazine and bringing you more of the news and information you’ve enjoyed for the past 100 issues!
Below: Lucy and their sons.
Left: Lucy and Mike displaying the award naming Dunbar Yachts one of the Top 100 Boat Dealers in America in 2022, by Boating Industry.
Lucy B owie
Future Publisher/Editor
info@southerntidesmagazine.com
Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
9
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Tales from a Boating Nerd By Cynthia Lamb, Executive Officer
I
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Turns out there are eleven states in 'm always checking out boats. Besides which the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and checking out the different brands and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) abbreviations styles, I like to check out their registration are different. For example, California’s numbering. I know it sounds weird to be post office abbreviation is CA, but its boat checking out how boat registrations are registration abbreviation is CF. being displayed – but I'm a certified vessel Why are they different in the first safety examiner and this is something place? According to the New York I look for. I look to see if the numbers State Office of Parks, “This discretion are displayed correctly, if the characters results from a discrepancy between are at least three inches high, if they the Coast Guard and the Postal are block letters, if their colors contrast Service. The USCG’s boat registration with the boat’s hull, etc. abbreviations predate those used by So, when I saw a boat at my marina USPS, when in 1969 the USPS created with a registration that started with the their own two-letter abbreviation letters “MI” it caught my attention. system, intending to help process First, I wondered why it wasn’t GA. mail with easier character recognition. According to the Georgia DNR, “If They also changed some state a boat is fully registered and valid in Example of proper boat registration. abbreviations to avoid conflict with another state, the boat may be used Image provided by GADNR Canadian provinces, such as using NE in Georgia. However, after 60 days of for Nebraska, instead of NB, which continuous use in Georgia, the boat is used to identify the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. must have Georgia registration.” I’m thinking that this boat Other abbreviations were altered from the USCG list of really ought to be registered in Georgia. The letters were also unknown reasons.” hard to read against the camouflage coloring of the boat. So, while I jumped the gun thinking that the boat owner A few months later, I saw this same boat up on a work didn’t know the difference between Michigan and Mississippi, rack. The boat had very little freeboard, so I hadn’t been able I think some of the blame belongs to a somewhat common to see it that clearly when it was in the water. I walked by the bureaucratic failure - a failure to communicate. boat and saw that it was registered in Mississippi. So now I’m You learn something new every day. thinking that not only is this boat in violation of the Georgia registration requirement, but the boat’s owner doesn’t know the Stay safe and have fun out there. difference between Mississippi and Michigan. Geez. I decided to use this as one of those “what’s wrong with [Editor’s note: As it happens, postal code abbreviations are also this picture” deals in our club’s district newsletter. A few days very different from state abbreviations used in print media (newspapers, after the newsletter went out, I got an email from one of our magazines, books, etc.). Michigan is Mich., Massachusetts is Mass., readers telling me she couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Mississippi is Miss., Florida is Fla., Georgia is Ga., and California is the picture. I point out that the boat’s registration sticker was Calif. For the sake of the point of this column, I did not edit the above for Mississippi, but its registration number would make it from references to various states! ] Michigan. The woman, who is from Michigan originally, tells me that the boat registration abbreviation for Michigan is MC, not MI. What? I couldn’t believe it. I’d just sent that newsletter out to over a thousand people, and I’d made this stupid Cynthia is a resident of Saint mistake. Simons Island where she lives with Since getting into boating, every state boating registration her husband Jerry. She spends as I’ve seen has matched the post office’s state abbreviations. This much time on the water as she can has included Georgia (GA), South Carolina (SC), Florida (FL), fit into her schedule and is a selfConnecticut (CT), Virginia (VA), etc. Therefore, I assumed all proclaimed Boating Nerd. the state name abbreviations on boat registrations were the You can reach her at: same as the post office’s state name abbreviations. But, that’s Cynthia.L.Lamb48@gmail.com not true. The boating registration abbreviations for Mississippi, Michigan, and Massachusetts are MI, MC, and MS, respectively. Kind of confusing if you ask me.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
11
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Taste of the Tides HUSH PUPPIES Inspired by Captain Gator's Bitter End column this month (go read that first), we thought we'd share some methods on the "art" of hush puppy making. Although different recipes have varying ingredients, there are similarities - primarily that the base should be cornmeal and the dough should be deep-fried. But let's compare. Gator snacks. Photo by J. Gary Hill When I need a traditional recipe, I go first to my Joy of Cooking cookbook, then my Betty Crocker cookbook. Joy of Cooking (copyright 1931, my printing is 1975) lists the following ingredients for hush puppies: 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal 1 tsp double-acting baking powder ½ tsp salt 2-3 tbsp minced onions 1 egg ½ cup milk And of course, mix dry ingredients then wet ingredients, then stir together. Next shape into 2" x 4" x 3/4" long cakes,or pones. Then "fry in deep fat heated to 370°." My Betty Crocker's Cookbook (printed 1969) didn't even have a hush puppy recipe, which was a little surprising – I would have expected to find it in this cookbook before the Joy of Cooking, which has always seemed just a little more posh than dear Betty. But I did find the recipe online at www. bettycrocker.com, which lists the following ingredients for hush puppies: 2 cups self-rising cornmeal 2 tbsp Gold Medal self-rising flour 2 tsp sugar ½ tsp garlic powder ½ cup chopped onions 1½ cups buttermilk 2 eggs, slighly beaten Mix dry ingredients, then wet, then drop by tablespoonful in 2 to 3 inches of hot oil in a heavy pan.
I'm fairly certain that half our southern cooks reading that nearly had a stroke at the mention of sugar, but maybe the use of buttermilk makes up for it. Next I moved on to another cookbook in my collection: Stirrin' the Pots on Daufuskie, by Billie Burn, which was given to me by her son and daughter-in-law, Lancy and Emily Burn. The original edition was copyright in 1985, though the recipes included go back generations on Daufuskie Island. The hush puppy recipe in this book was contributed by Mrs. Maebell Williams Jenkins and ingredients include: 1 cup cornmeal (self-rising) 1 egg, beaten 2 tbsp minced onion (optional) Dash of black pepper Sweet milk Directions: Mix all of the ingredients, adding just enough sweet milk to make a real thick batter. In a black iron pan (or pot) add about 2 inches of cooking oil and let it get real hot. Drop teaspoons of the batter in the hot oil. With a slotted spoon, turn until brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. These are good with any seafood or eaten just so. As you can see, all slightly different. The best hush puppies I've ever had were in a restaurant in another coastal state that shall remain unnamed because I'm about to share their secret recipe. Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
This particular waterside eatery actually uses House of Autry hush puppy mix that's then jazzed up. I've been doing the same for years. Primarily because I don't tend to have things on hand like "stone-ground" cornmeal or self-rising flour, and let's face it, House of Autry makes less of a mess in Kitchen of Amy than scratch baking does! I was relating this story to Gator and as it turns out, House of Autry is his go-to hush puppy mix as well. Gator's Secret Ingredients • Whole corn or creamed corn with the moisture absorbed a bit before mixing it in • Minced onion • Milk instead of water • Diced parsley Amy's Secret Ingredients • Fresh sweet corn, sauted in butter until soft, and drained • Finely minced onions, of course • Buttermilk instead of water (or regular milk if I happen to be out of buttermilk) • Occasionally finely diced jalapenos, depending on my mood or what I'm serving them with. We both agree that baking them could conceivably be done, but why would you? Now go get your hush puppies on!
Southern Tides Magazine
13
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A Season of Giving "Make a career of humanity … It will enrich your spirit as nothing else possibly can. It will give you that rare sense of nobility that can only spring from love and selflessly helping your fellow man. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. This holiday season, consider going beyond material gifts. Volunteering your time to a cause dear to your heart is a rewarding experience. If you simply can't fit it into your schedule, a gift of money will help fund the organizations on this page in their efforts to make our world a better place. If you're struggling with what to give that hard-toshop-for person on your list, consider a membership, pledge, or "adoption" in their name.
NATURE
" There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more." ~ Lord Byron, 1788 - 1824, English poet and politician We live in the most beautiful place on earth. Our marshes and waterways are among the last remaining pristine areas of our nation’s coast, largely due to groups like this that work hard to protect it. Altamaha Riverkeeper - altamahariverkeeper.org Clean Coast - cleancoast.org Georgia Natural Resources Foundation - gnrf.org Gray’s Reef Foundation - graysreeffoundation.org Ogeechee Riverkeeper - ogeecheeriverkeeper.org One Hundred Miles - onehundredmiles.org Ossabaw Island Foundation - ossabawisland.org Satilla Riverkeeper - satillariverkeeper.org Savannah Riverkeeper - savannahriverkeeper.org St. Mary’s Riverkeeper - stmarysriverkeeper.org Tybee Clean Beach Volunteers - tybeecleanbeach.simpl.com
ANIMALS
PEOPLE
Nothing evokes the warm-and-fuzzies quite like animals, both the pets who are members of our families, and the wild creatures that inhabit our coast (and beyond). Consider volunteering, donating or adopting! Pet Rescue: Coastal Pet Rescue - coastalpetrescue.org Humane Society - search online for your nearest branch One Love Animal Rescue - oneloveanimalrescue.com Note: Even if you're looking for a specific breed, you can still rescue an animal in need by searching for rescues dedicated to that breed. Wildlife: Coastal Conservation Association - ccaga.org Georgia Sea Turtle Center - gstc.jekyllisland.com/ Oatland Island Wildlife Center - www.friendsofoatland.org/ The Dolphin Project - thedolphinproject.org Your nearest sea turtle project - seaturtle.org
If you’d rather help out your fellow humans, consider one of these organizations. Abilities Unlimited, Inc. - facebook.com/AbilitiesUnlimitedInc American Red Cross - redcross.org CASA - casaforchildren.org Disabled American Vets - dav.org Fishin’ For Jamie - facebook.com/Fishin-For-Jamie Second Harvest Food Bank - nwpafoodbank.org Southeastern Guide Dogs - savannahpuppyraisers@gmail.com Team Rubicon - teamrubiconusa.org/tides Want to help a Vet? Here's a great list of more options: militarybenefits.info/how-to-help-veterans-during-the-holidays/
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France, 1844 - 1924, French poet, journalist and novelist
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." ~ Albert Pike, 1809 - 1891, American writer, attorney, soldier, and Freemason
KNOWLEDGE
“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” ~ Albert Einstein, 1879 - 1955, German-born physicist These organizations strive to educate our communities about our amazing coastal region. Coastal Wildscapes - coastalwildscapes.org Savannah State University Marine Sciences Department Ships of the Sea Museum - www.shipsofthesea.org/ Tybee Island Marine Science Center - tybeemarinescience.org UGA Marine Extension & Georgia Sea Grant - marex.uga.edu
Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
15
100 ISSUES! Looking Back
Issue 100. There are moments when it seems like yesterday that I was sitting on the front porch watching boats go by on Turner’s Creek and brainstorming potential names for this magazine with my daughter, Bridgette. And now here we are, 100 issues later. Wait, did I count right? How have 100 months gone by? We've packed a lot into the past eight and a half years, and boy has it been a ride! Let's look back over some of highlights from the pages of Southern Tides Magazine!
2015
2016
The first issue of Southern Tides was published in September, featuring photography by Kelley Luikey, Nature Muse Imagery, and a feature article on diving Gray's Reef, written by former Gray's Reef foundation executive director and NOAA diver, Chris Hines.
Captain Gator wrote his first column for the magazine in the October issue and was an instant hit with readers! It would later be called The Bitter End.
Captain Gator wrote his first feature article in March; A Bird's Eye View, about aerial imagery.
B
ird’s-eye
View By Captain J. Gary Hill
A look at the other side of the controversial drone discussion, with a local videographer and waterman.
In April, Southern Tides attended the Darien Blessing of the Fleet, where shrimpers decked
In July we went bait shrimping with Captain Michael Purvis and in August Southern Tides visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.
A two part feature on oyster farming ran in the October and November issues, and included the first "Adventure Log" with a lighter look at the subject.
2017
out their boats and were blessed by multiple clergy. The Gray's Reef column appeared in the June issue. Also in this issue was a feature article about the ride-along Amy did with the Chatham County Marine Patrol.
After Hurricane Matthew ravaged the coast in October, Southern Tides dedicated the entire November issue to recovery stories.
In the December issue, Southern Tides spent time with the Ambos family - long-time coastal residents and a big name in the seafood industry. 16 Southern Tides Magazine
We lightened it back up for the December issue. Captain Gator wrote about bottle trees and we ran our first Taste of the Tides seafood recipe crab gratin.
DECemBER 2023
Issue 100
One of our editor's favorite adventures was a visit in April with Jamee Barnard and Don Crum who make a living as crabbers. Also in April, Cohen Carpenter visited the OCEARCH team and wrote a feature on shark research.
In May we ran our first hurricane preparedness guide, and in July we featured a story about a message in a bottle that was found on St. Simons, 36 years after it was thrown into the water in Fernandina! More sharks showed up on Southern Tides pages in the September issue with a feature about shark and redfish tagging with the GADNR. In November, The Burger Boat made it's first appearance in the magazine as staff worked to help them get a business license in Georgia. Also in November a bobcat rescue on Jekyll Island was featured, and in December Kristen Deason wrote about Tybee's beach restoration efforts.
2018 We started the year off with a bit of oddness, featuring oyster toadfish in the Did You Know? section. Two of these fish (known as the ugliest fish on the planet) were sent into space by NASA with John Glenn. In February Captain Gator talked about elaborate artwork called sailor's valentines.
2019
2020
We published our first paddling issue this year, featuring an article on paddling the Okefenokee with Chip & Joy Campbell. June featured the Lodge on Little St. Simons Island, Georgia's first eco-resort. It was amazing!
In a slightly ironic twist, we featured an article in the March issue about dealing with seasickness. If only that was the worst we'd had to deal with. Within days of going to print, Covid was
We explored Daufuskie Island as guests of Lancy & Emily Burn and featured that article and Adventure Log in July.
international news. Also in March, Captain Gator gave up on retirement! In April, due to quarantines, we only printed a digital issue, but featured an article on using NOAA in homeschooling activities. Our paddling issue in May featured a lovely article by Cathy Sakas about paddling Ebenezer Creek. We were back in print in June. Josephine Johnson wrote a fun piece about Daufuskie's marsh tacky ponies, while our own Captain Gator wrote a feature on Fort King George.
last, we completed our 3-part series on Sapelo Island in the September issue. Although the island is lovely, her heart and soul are her people. We ran another
In July US Fish & Wildlife's Dan Chapman contributed a lovely feature about Ceylon, Georgia's newest WMA. In October, we featured a new look
Old friends Kenny and Rhonda Thayer
bought their first boat and were preparing to live on it and travel. Their story appeared in the April issue. Southern Tides rode along with the Jekyll wildlife team on an alligator survey in June. The Savannah Bar Pilots invited us to tag along in August and learn about their organization, which dates back to biblical times. September featured an article about the DNRs ring research project, and in November, Southern Tides ran the first of a three-part series on Sapelo Island.
In August, Captain Gator thought he was retiring from The Bitter End. Ha! Saving the best for
special interest issue in October, focusing on oysters, including an article on the status of Georgia's oyster hatchery.
Issue 100
at living shorelines, which aid in coastal resiliency. And finally, even though it was the longest year on record, 2020 was over. DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
17
2021
2022
The new year brought big news. John "Crawfish" Crawford retired from UGA after 30 years. Luckily he agreed to stay on with Southern Tides as our naturalist!
Captain Gator started the year off in good humor with his article about a South Georgia penguin!
In April, Gator wrote about the discovery of a shipwreck in the Savannah River in Relics of the Past.
In March we featured an article about the restoration and new owners of historic Half Moon Marina and their river magic. Also in March we introduced the 21/22 season right whale moms & calves, and plan to continue this annually.
We spent "An Afternoon with a Naturalist" in June, exploring creeks and islands with Crawfish and learning a lot!
thrilled to ride along!
In August we ran the first Riverkeeper Report, compiled by Meaghan Gerard, with the Ogeechee Riverkeeper. When Neptune, a 3-year-old sea turtle, was released by UGA Aquarium staff, we were
In April, Gator wrote about the mystery of who is bured in the grave of Casimir Pulaski in The Bitter End. In May we covered the Thunderbolt Blessing of the Fleet.
Gisele Galoustian with Florida Atlantic University wrote an article on right whale vocalizations, featured in the October issue.
Georgia DNR staff had a wild time disentangling a line from the tail of a thrashing, 300-pound dolphin, without injuring her, or themselves. 18 Southern Tides Magazine
Our coast watched helplessly as fires raged St. Catherines Island due to multiple lightning strikes in June. Although this isn't typical content, we felt we had to run it in the July issue.
The search for a cover photo in August led us to Nick Riccio, Jr., who joined us as our staff photographer. This also lead to the September feature, a photo essay of reader images of birds, which Nick participated in as well.
DECemBER 2023
Issue 100
2023 April brought an article about a gator who wintered in a gopher tortoise burrow – 3 winters in a row. A most unusual occurence.
In the June issue we shared the story of Chatham Sailing Club as they celebrated ten years in their clubhouse on Turner's Creek. In July we ran an interesting article by DNR's Paul Medders in which he explained what the dog days of summer are.
In August we welcomed The Boating Nerd columnist Cynthia Lamb as she shares her stories of learning to boat with humor and wit.
In October we strayed from the beaten path with a feature on bats, because Amy loves them. In November we featured artist Michael Mills.
OUR TOP 10 COVERS all about the water
all about the water
all about the water
all about the water January 2018
all about the water
July 2018
April 2017
January 2020
Gray's Reef Film Festival Coming Soon!
DNR Logbook
Got Crabs? (pg 12)
Sea Turtle Research
Shark Research (pg 18)
Southeast U.S. Boat Show (pg 24)
Pelicans vs. Irma
October 2017
APRIL 2017 I love this one because the blue crab is so much a symbol of our coast, and for the face detail. Photo by Amy Thurman
Southern Tides all about the water
May 2020
OCTOBER 2017 Kemp's Ridley sea turtles aren't common on our coast and I loved being able to feature this one! Photo by Emily Woodward
JANUARY 2018 This panorama of Gray's Reef is so pretty and so filled with sea life! Definitely cover-worthy. Photo by Bill Goodwin
JULY 2018 JANUARY 2020 Taken during a shark There's something so tagging trip, this guy made touching about this his reentry with style and woodstork nest scene. And aplomb. the chicks are adorable! Photo by Amy Thurman Photo by Christy Hand
Southern Tides Southern Tides Southern Tides Southern Tides all about the water
all about the water
March 2022
February 2022
all about the water
all about the water
September 2022
September 2023
The 2nd Annual Paddling Issue
MAY 2020 From our paddling issue, this one of paddlers in the fog makes me want to get out there myself. Photo by Brian Sanford
FEBRUARY 2022 The color, the symmetry, and what's not to love about a Tybee winter sunrise? I love this! Photo by J. Gary Hill
HONORABLE MENTION
MARCH 2022 This little light of ours, after her restoration work was completed. Lovely Cockspur. Photo by J. Gary Hill
FUNNIEST COVER I know, I know,
all about the water
OCTOBER 2023
just didn't get it when I put a bat on the cover, but I LOVE this! Bats are so vital to our coastal ecology and so stinkin' cute! Photo by Brian Romm
BIGGEST OOPS! A leucistic king penguin on the South Georgia coast. South Georgia Island coast (east of the Falklands), that is. Blame Captain Gator! Photo by Yves Adams
Southern Tides some of y'all
October 2023
SEPTEMBER 2022 SEPTEMBER 2023 This lovely roseate Of all the beautiful birds spoonbill graced the cover that grace our coast, the of our 8th anniversary great blue heron has issue. Love this! always been my favorite. Photo by Nick Riccio, Jr. Photo by Nick Riccio, Jr.
January 2022
JANUARY 2022
Our very first cover had a really bad typo! Gray's Reef was written 21 times in the issue, but only the mention on the cover was spelled wrong! Photo by Kelley Luikey SEPTEMBER 2015
We hope you'll join us for the next 100 issues! Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
19
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A RGI EO
GOING
Native
Part II: Not Ugly Ducklings By Amy Thurman
"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Native plants play a crucial role in our coastal ecology. Last month we talked with GADNR's Eamonn Leonard about work he and his team are doing to restore native plants through the Coastal Native Groundcover Restoration/Production project. This month in Part II, learn how coastal residents can use native plantings in their landscapes, as well as a sidebar featuring rare plants that have been rescued and will be returned to the wild. Blanketflower, while not strictly native to Georgia, is a regional native and a great pollinator. Photo by Larry Allain, USGS
W
hat do roseate spoonbills, striped burrfish, sea turtles, and coastal bishopweed have in common? All are native to our coastal region. What sets them apart? Spoonbills, burrfish and sea turtles are cute, but plants aren’t. Plants are sometimes the ugly ducklings of native species lists and often don’t get the attention that cuddly animals get in conservation efforts. When you stand them beside begonias or tulips or other brightly colored flowers, native plants might not seem as dazzling as their more showy cousins, again earning that ugly duckling tag, and sadly, many are often considered weeds and removed. Judging them by looks alone isn’t a very fair assessment though. Although a lush green lawn, free of weeds and highlighted by lovely blooming flowers may be the goal of many human coastal inhabitants, it’s seldom the goal, or even beneficial, to the wild inhabitants that live alongside us. Issue 100
Every ecosystem is comprised of animals, birds, insects and plants that are all interdependent on each other and each serves a critical role. If one species experiences significant losses or disappears entirely, a gap is left in the ecosystem and it can have a domino effect. In the case of native species plants, they play incredibly important roles in local ecosystems, across all stages of growth. Young plants provide nutritious food for herbivores. Plants in bloom provide food for pollinators. After blooming, they produce seeds that lead to new plants (sometimes even after serving as food for birds and other animals, seeds grow where deposited as scat). Plant foliage can provide habitat for nesting and shelter for birds, animals and important insects, and later, decaying foliage provides rich nutrients for soil. While it’s true that some non-native species also provide some of those benefits, they often don’t do it as well, and some can even have adverse impacts on local ecology, by overtaking habitat, and even importing invasive or harmful species, such as funguses, insects or viruses, for which there are no natural predators or cures. So when comparing native plants with their more showy non-native cousins, it’s important to look beyond the showy façade. However, you might be surprised to find that several native plants are just as lovely, such as the purple passionflower, spotted bee balm and blanketflower, and some are very similar to their cultivated cousins, such as scarlet rose mallow, a member of the hibiscus family and very similar in appearance to hibiscus you might find for sale at your local garden center. So what can you do? One thing you generally can’t do is go to your nearest garden center and find native plants for sale. They just don’t often carry them. However, there’s at least one nursery on the Georgia coast that stocks native plants and one in Beaufort, S.C. In addition the Georgia Native Plant Society also stocks some plants. Coastal Wildscapes hosts two native plant sales per year, in spring and fall, at Ashantilly Center in Darien and UGA’s Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, on Highway 17, Savannah, also hosts an annual native plant sale in the spring. (See sidebar for links and additional information about these sources.) But what do you plant? Like anything you’ve never planted before, you’ll need to consider the conditions of the spot you have available. Does it get full sun or is it shady? Does the soil stay damp or is it a dry spot? Coastal Wildscapes has a downloadable brochure called “Landscaping with Native Plants” that provides a list of plants that prefer either wet or dry soil, as well as light conditions each prefer, and you can always speak with someone at the Georgia Native Plant Society or the Botanical Gardens for guidance. If you live on the Georgia coast, you likely have a deep appreciation for the natural beauty here and you can do your part to maintain it by contributing in positive ways to the local ecology. Rather than planting expensive non-native flowers that don’t provide much, if any benefit to the local environment, consider dedicating at least some of your planting space to native plants. You’ll learn something new and be doing something beneficial at the same time. Continued on next page with photos and species. DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
21
Left to Right: Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata); Georgia Blazingstar (Liatris patens) and monarch butterfly; Blue sage (Salvia azurea). Many native plants, in addition to being beneficial pollinators, are also edible and/ or have medicinal properties.
Photo by Amy Thurman
Photo by Amy Thurman
Photo by Larry Allain, USGS
Native Pollinators
Photo by USFWS
Photo by Eric Hunt
Photo by USFWS
Left to Right: American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana); Coreopsis (Coreopsis gladiata); the unique and showy purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Left to Right: Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a critical food source for monarch butterflies; Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus); Scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea) being enjoyed by a hummingbird.
Photo by Jim Evans
Photo by Native American Seed
Photo by Amy Thurman
Photo by Larry Allain, USGS
Coastal Wildscapes www.coastalwildscapes.org Georgia Native Plant Society www.gnps.org Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens coastalbg.uga.edu/ Florabundance Gardens, Darien florabundancegardens.com
Left to Right: Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) and seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos) 22 Southern Tides Magazine
NATIVE PLANT RESOURCES
DECemBER 2023
Issue 100
NatureScapes of Beaufort www.naturescapesofbeaufort.com
Rare Plant Rescues
The Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division works in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation, and US Fish and Wildlife Service to get permits and permissions, as well as other organizations in the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance that work collaboratively to rescue rare or imperiled plants, develop propagation tactics, and restore them to natural habitats. Coastal bishopweed (Ptilimnium ahlesii) This annual was rescued from near a bridge expansion project. GADNR is safe guarding plants and propagating seed until expansion is completed, then will return seeds and plants to the original site to reestablish this population in the wild. Photo by GADNR
Simpsons Rain Lily (Zephyranthes simpsonii) This species was rescued from roadsides north of Brunswick prior to road widening projects. Many of the rescued plants were planted at Altama Plantation WMA and Gasgoine Bluff on St. Simons Island. Additional plants will be planted in other protected areas. Photo by GADNR
Hooded Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia minor) About 350 of these plants were rescued by the Coastal Plain Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society volunteers in Camden county in an area likely to be developed. These plants will be put back out into the wild in areas with appropriate habitat at Ceylon WMA in Camden county. Photo by Amy Thurman
Corkwood (Leitneria floridana) These plants were removed from locations in Camden County to be impacted by future road expansion. GA DNR, in partnership with GADOT and USFWS, will develop a mitigation plan as the project gets closer to breaking ground. Eamonn Leonard pictured. Photo by Amy Thurman
Florida Hartwrightia (Hartwrightia floridana) These plants are being grown to help bolster a natural population that was accidentally impacted by an herbicide crew. The plants are being grown from seeds that originated from the impacted population. About 40 plants were grown and planted back out at this site. Photo by Amy Thurman
Alabama Milkvine (Matelea alabamensis) This species is only found in a couple locations on the mainland along the coast. These plants are being grown to augment the wild population and will be planted in appropriate habitat soon, to increase the natural populations and better ensure their long term survival in the wild. Photo by Amy Thurman
Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
23
ORK Photo Contest Winners Selected Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) has chosen the best photographs from across the 5,500 square mile watershed submitted for the annual photography contest. Judges sorted through images that highlighted what makes the Ogeechee and Canoochee Rivers, and the surrounding areas, ecologically and aesthetically remarkable. This year marked the most entries, from the most photographers, since the contest began in 2020. The guest judge for 2023 was Josh Yates, co-owner of Green Truck Pub and amateur photographer. He enjoys working with vintage film cameras and shooting urban scenes. “I loved seeing the views of other photographers from around the state,” said Yates. “The range of wildlife and views we have in our area is truly amazing.” And the winners are:
From top left, clockwise: Funny Wildlife: Struttin’, by Don Howe Portrait: Dog Paddling, by Wesley Hendley Wildlife: Cardinal, by Christian Scott Black and White: An Ogeechee Halloween, by Kristina Strozzo Plant life: Southern Crabapple, Shannon Matzke
24 Southern Tides Magazine
DECemBER 2023
Issue 100
From top to Bottom: Landscape: Nighttime at the Cabin, by Christian Scott Aerial: Ft. McAllister Marina, by William Harrell Honorable Mention: Portal to the Ogeechee, by Justin Gehrke
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FEATURED ARTIST
Keller Jones
Artist Keller Jones, originally from Augusta, attended SCAD and lived in Savannah for ten years. She looks forward to moving back this winter and starting a new series featuring coastal "alcoves."
Bell's Landing
SOUTHERN TIDES: What inspires your interest in painting landscapes? KELLER JONES: I grew up riding horseback in Augusta, where I was fortunate to experience all of the precise smells, textures, sounds, and weather available, while riding on nearby trails. Being an artist, I recorded every piece of bark, sap, and sensuous element of nature. The quiet spoke to me, even as it does now. Being highly sensitive to weather, I was able to understand that I had a calling to be in it, and only later, when I started painting, to be “of it.” Stormy weather is my best friend! LOL. It makes me feel protected and colors are at their purest when the sun is not burning out their saturation. ST: What medium do you use? KJ: I use a variety of media, mostly oil. I also do a lot of pet portraiture with pastel pencils and oils, and abstracts in a variety of media.
Incoming Storm, Observation Tower, Skidaway Island
ST: What artists inspired your own style? KJ: Since I was a child I’ve adored Toulouse Lautrec, whose color palette is bordering on neons – which I prefer. He used purples, yellows, and pinks to work with blacks in a way never seen before. He was revolutionary for me. ST: What’s your favorite subject? KJ: I adore landscape, rushing water cutting through slate rock. I loved the mirrored services of the beach tidepools, and the dark and stormy atmosphere as seen in a secret wild and tangled, green and brown coastal alcove. I also paint pets on commission, and I adore those as well. The eyes! ST: Is your work currently showing anywhere in coastal Georgia? KJ: I just took down a show in Augusta, and many pieces are sold, so I’m starting a series of alcoves. I don’t tend to have time to put together a show, because I live on my sales, and when they sell, they leave. I sell most of my work by word of mouth and through galleries and competitions. ST: Anything else you’d care to share? KJ: I’m also excited about some abstracts I’m working on, scenes which I’ve seen in meditation. Now, that’s a challenge! 26 Southern Tides Magazine
DECemBER 2023
Salt Marsh on Altamaha
To see more of Keller's work and contact her about purchasing or commissions, visit her website:
www.kellerjones.com Issue 100
Blue Altamaha
Lily Pads on the Okefenokee
Solace on Skidaway
The Golden Ray, Bell's Landing, Savannah Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
27
Christmas Fun Coastal Christmas Word Search
Stocking Stuffer Ideas Sure, you could go to the drugstore and load up on candy, but why not mix in a few fun items too?
Angels Boat Parade Bow Candy Carol of the Bells Christmas Tree Worms Coal Deck the Palms Eggnog Elves Gifts Good Tidings Heavenly Holy Holly Hot Buttered Rum Icicle Lights Jesus Jingle Bells Jolly Old St. Nick
Joy to the World Merry Christmas Mistletoe Nativity Noel North Star Oh Holy Night Oyster Roast Peace Peppermint Shrimp Pine Cones Port and Starboard Red and Green Santa Sea Stars Seas N Greetings Snow Stockings Wreath Yaupon Holly
Ball cap or visor Bottle or can coozie Bottle opener in a unique design Compass Ear muffs or warm hat Filet knife Fishing lures Gift cards from Southern Tides Advertisers! Hand warmers Jerky – beef, venison, gator Key float Lip balm Metal or paper straws Mini bottles of favorite liquor Oyster gloves Oyster knife (hand carved) Pocket knife or multi-tool Propane tank gauge Sunglass croakies Sunscreen (yes, even in winter) Waterproof gear bag Waterproof phone case Wine bottle stopper
Did You Know? Humans aren't the only creatures that go bald with age. Roseate spoonbills often lose the feathers on top of their heads as they get older! General Information
ROSEATE SPOONBILL Platalea ajaja
Compiled by Amy Thurman Photos by Nick Riccio, Jr.
One of only six spoonbill species in the world and only one found in the Americas.
◆ Forages by sweeping bill side to side, usually in about five inches of water. ◆ Very social birds, roosting & feeding in trees, in colonies with other large wading birds. ◆Pink coloring comes from food containing carotenoids pigments. ◆ Populations were nearly decimated in late 1800s by plume hunters (think fancy hats and hand-held fans) but have recovered.
Mating ◆ To get a female's attention, males bob their heads up and down and shake twigs. ◆ Attraction can be demonstrated by both males and females by clasping bills or stretching wings overhead.
Roseate spoonbills eat mostly small fish.
◆ Once paired, the male offers female twigs held in his beak and shaken. ◆ Roseate spoonbills only mate for one season.
Parenting and Offspring ◆ Clutches can have up to five eggs and are incubated by both parents for 22 - 24 days. ◆ Young can leave the nest after 5 to 6 weeks and are strong flyers by 7 to 8 weeks. ◆ Chicks aren't born with a spoonshaped bill. The bill begins to flatten in about 9 days, and by 16 days it starts to look a bit more spoonlike. After 39 days it is nearly full sized.
Above: Their wingspan can reach 50 to 55 inches. Left: Although they also sleep perched on one leg, this spoonbill is grooming. Issue 100
DecemBER 2023
Southern Tides Magazine
29
THE
Bitter End
HUSH, PUPPY! By Captain J. Gary "Gator" Hill
S
eparating truth from myth should be the goal of any writer and through the years I’ve tried to do that, though oftentimes struggling to find the right words or descriptions, for you see, I am no writer. [Editor’s note: You are a storyteller, which is just as good and often better than being a writer.] However, today I will try to be. And with that said, let me toss you a hushpuppy and get on with this. You might have heard that during the Civil War, to keep their dogs quiet when Union troops were passing, Confederate troops would often feed their pups balls of deep-fried cornmeal. Or perhaps you’ve heard that chefs of old would prepare these fried or baked nuggets and feed them to dogs begging and whining for scraps to appease and shut them up. I’m sure many of you have heard one or both of these origin stories as to how hushpuppies got their name. What if I told you that neither of these are true? Sacrilege, says you? Nay, says I. So let us take a historical trip down the culinary lane. Although the term hush puppy dates back as far as the 1700s, it was never used in connection with these bread balls until the 1920’s. The term hushpuppy (or hush puppy) dates back to the 18th century when it was used as a phrase that meant silencing someone or covering something up. When boarding ships for inspection, crooked British officials would often go to the captain’s quarters where they would be “entertained” for a period of time allowing contraband to be secreted away. This was known as playing the game of Hushpuppy. The real story of these fried dough balls begins in South Carolina with a renowned chef by the name of Romeo “Romy” Govan. Although born into slavery, after the war he settled in Cannons Bridge, not far from Bamberg, S.C. He was so talented as a cook that he entertained politicians and other prominent and affluent residents. Romy was known for hosting fish fries serving all manner of fishes, including one called the red horse (considered a gamefish and often referred to as “suckers” but usually overlooked by modern anglers). These red horse fish fries were always accompanied by what he called red horse bread, which made him so famous that it was said if you were a sportsman of any worth, you knew and had dined with old Romy. Although he passed away in 1915, his memory and famous bread lived on in the lowcountry. It was on the Georgia side of the Savannah River that red horse bread made a name change. In 1940, Earl DeLoach, a fishing columnist for the Augusta Chronicle, wrote about an earlier column, in the Macon Telegraph in 1927, where a man by the name of Roscoe Rouse hosted fish fries for his men’s 30 Southern Tides Magazine
DECemBER 2023
Hush puppy a la Gator. Photo by J. Gary Hill
bible class and would serve what he called hushpuppies along with his fish of the day. In another story, a writer for the Pennsylvania Harrisburg Sunday Courier had vacationed on Lake Harris, near Orlando, at Joe Brown’s Fish Camp, where he and other guests dined on the fresh catch of the day and always with delectable morsels that Joe Brown called “hushpuppies.” So, it was from these humble beginnings that the term and love for hushpuppies sprang, and they do pair quite nicely with most any coastal fish! Speaking of fishing. I’ve been writing The Bitter End for nearly all of Southern Tides’ 100 issues, with only one short break. And although I’ve enjoyed sharing stories with y’all every month, I’m going to hang out my Gone Fishin’ sign and am passing the torch to another writer. I want to thank Amy for tolerating and indulging my chaotic attempts at being a writer. And to all of you who’ve followed and enjoyed my column and articles, THANK YOU. If the new publisher is so inclined, I might whip out the occasional article now and then, but we shall see. I also want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope the new year brings you many adventures, good health, and calm seas. 'Til our wakes cross again, peace and love, and shrimp and grits. I'll see you on the water! Captain Gator has spent the past several decades truly living the salt life, from living on and racing sailboats, to being a paddle guide, to becoming a 100-ton master and working in the tour boat industry. A strong love of history and the water has shaped him into becoming one part educator, one part entertainer, and one part storyteller. When asked if he is a native, his reply is yes, by osmosis.
TheOriginalCaptainGator@gmail.com Issue 100
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