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Palmetto Plantation

A History Recovered for a Family’s Future by Megan Sheehan

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n the South Carolina Lowcountry, you can hear the whispers of generations past in the ancient live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and swaying with the coastal breeze. The whispers might tell of many things: Sewee Indians building oyster and clam shell middens, the English and French settlers staking claim, Revolutionary and Civil War soldier burials, plantation owners and AfricanAmerican slaves taming the land for rice cultivation. But on one early American plantation near Charleston, the whispers now are of conservation. Palmetto Plantation is a beautiful piece of land situated on the Intracoastal Waterway between Santee Coastal Preserve and Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Diverse habitat—tidal marshes, one full mile of undeveloped east coast frontage, freshwater ponds, creeks and stands of longleaf pine—supports an array of wildlife. This important corridor of 785 acres is now under conservation easement, with only the waterway separating it from the adjacent 1,100-acre Jeremy Island within the refuge. Above: View of Intracoastal Waterway from Palmetto Plantation, looking east toward the Cape Romain Lighthouse © Polly Walton Des Francs

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IN THIS ISSUE 2 Director’s Letter 3 Palmetto Plantation 4 Expanding Jones Gap 5 Hobby Becomes Conservancy Gift 6 Stories from Our Past 7 Conservation 365

Di rector’s letter

Generations

Conservation for the Future Change is constant at The Nature Conservancy. We have to plan for changes in the economy and in politics that can change how people prioritize nature in their lives. My father was in the Navy, so I am familiar with constant change: I had 10 addresses in 18 years! Change wasn’t the only constant throughout my life, however—the experience of nature was always present.

Mark Robertson © TNC.

I remember bird-watching, turtle-catching, tree house-building, gardening, camping and hiking. And when living in the Philippines in high school, I learned to SCUBA dive and wondered how people could destroy coral reefs, the very thing that provided their livelihoods. I went on to study marine biology in college.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Officers Arnold M. Nemirow Mt. Pleasant Chair Terry Richardson Jr. Barnwell Vice Chair George A. Durban III Columbia Treasurer Thomas Mauldin Columbia Secretary Trustees Ivan Anderson Charleston Ann Baruch Spring Island Robert C. Baugh Greenville Frank Brumley Charleston Travis Folk, Ph.D. Green Pond Catherine Heigel Greenville Richard Heusel Pawleys Island

My parents immersed us in nature. I remember crabbing on family vacations to Myrtle Beach and watching my father skin-dive and spear-fish in Hawaii when I was very young. On a cross-country car trip to Yellowstone National Park as a preschooler, I came face to face with a black bear cub as my mother frantically rolled up my window.

Russell Holliday Galivants Ferry Jessica Loring Yemassee William Lowrie Brays Island Patricia McAbee Greenville Natalma McKnew Greenville Dr. Richard Porcher Mt. Pleasant Dr. Doug Rayner Spartanburg The Honorable Alexander Sanders Jr. Charleston Dr. Harry Shealy Jr. Aiken Langhorne T. Webster Greenville Trustee Emeritus Joseph H. Williams Charleston Honorary Trustee Thomas Wyche Greenville

As an adult, I’ve tried to pass on these experiences and traditions to our children—the next generation. I must admit it is sometimes hard: Indoor attractions are stronger and the limitations to going outdoors are bigger. But we bird-watch, hike and spend time on the water whenever and wherever we can, and our family’s traditions have been sustained. Every year we gather at places where nature is the main attraction—places like central Oregon, national parks and coasts that still have some wildness. I have been fortunate to work for The Nature Conservancy for 27 years, and it’s been a privilege to work with volunteers, members, partners and other staff who have a shared passion to conserve the lands and waters that support all life on Earth. The Conservancy has allowed me to translate my childhood experiences with nature and wildlife into conservation action. In a constantly changing world, it’s good to know that we’re working to make nature a constant for the next generation—that we’re leaving a legacy. I really want healthy lands and waters and the experiences of nature to be here for the future generations of my family. That is why I have included the Conservancy in my estate plans, as a legacy donor, and why I participate in our online monthly giving program. We all hope to inspire the next generation, just as the last generation has inspired us. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

Mark L. Robertson, State Director To participate in our monthly giving program, visit nature.org/friends

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Palm etto Plantation

Katharine DuPre Walton and John DuPre (right), naturalist and guide, retired from US Forestry Service. © Polly Walton des Francs; Spanish moss drips from Live Oak trees on Palmetto Plantation. © Polly Walton des Francs.

Palmetto Plantation continued from front cover

Palmetto Plantation has been owned by the DuPre family since 1710—for 10 generations. Named for the house built between two palmetto trees, the plantation was owned continuously by the DuPres except for a period of 20 years, when, in 1938, at the end of the Great Depression, the widowed Helen DuPre sold the land to the Miller family of New York. Helen’s son Andrew DuPre—born in the Palmetto Plantation house—stayed on as caretaker for the land, while he managed Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. He helped transform some of the former rice fields into duck ponds and created habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. A true lover of the land, he cared for it for the next 20 years, until he was able to buy it back from the Miller family. Katharine DuPre Walton, Andrew’s granddaughter, says this land and its wilderness meant everything to him. “He was larger than life,” says Walton. “He could recognize and identify any bird. He loved this land. And when he died just feet from where he was born, he’d already willed Palmetto to his wife and agreed the land would be inherited by all five of his living children. There was much deliberation regarding selling

portions and an offer to buy the whole thing, but ultimately, the decision was for preservation—to do what my grandfather would have wanted.” Ashley Demosthenes, associate director of land protection for The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina, says, “Palmetto Plantation is a magnificent property steeped in history, habitat diversity and thoughtful stewardship. It was an honor to work with the DuPre family on the protection of their beloved Palmetto.” When Walton’s grandmother Katharine DuPre died, the discussion of what to do with the land became more pressing and immediate, she says. With ownership spread among the five siblings, there were differing opinions and thoughts. The five siblings who owned the property are now in their 60s and 70s, Walton explained. And the next generation—counting 13 cousins—realized that they supported conservation over selling or dividing the property. Having worked with the Conservancy in the past on two conservation easements on other parts of DuPre family property, the family approached the Conservancy for help.

“We had worked with the Conservancy in selling Jeremy Island,” says Walton. “Ultimately, all we had to do was ask ourselves what our grandfather would have wanted.” The DuPre family got their answer, and South Carolina got a beautiful piece of property that is now preserved for future generations. “Our parents and grandparents—and our ancestors before them—defined our family’s character and sense of what is important,” says Walton. “The old South’s taking of Native American land—and its plantation past—is hard to square with our reverence for the land, but we can do what we can now. By taking a plantation and enacting a conservation easement, we can do something kind and important. In buying back the land, my grandfather recovered our history. In putting in an easement that supports wilderness, we can rectify things somewhat and act on his values.” And so in the name of conservationist Andrew DuPre, the DuPre family has given South Carolina a link to its past and its future—protected for people and nature—for future generations.

The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina | nature.org/southcarolina 3

EXPAN DING Jon es Gap

Expanding Jones Gap A Bigger Park for Future Generations by Megan Sheehan

In the business of conservation, having a healthy natural world to share with our families—and our future generations—is how we define success. For The Nature Conservancy to achieve this success, we sometimes need to revisit our roots. The Conservancy’s roots in South Carolina are deep within Jones Gap State Park—our first conservation effort in the Upstate in 1977. At that time we assisted the South Carolina State Park System in acquiring 2,000 acres of land, which became Jones Gap State Park, one of the state’s most popular outdoor destinations.

Coleman Falls, the Jones Gap expansion purchase © Bill Sharpton; View from Jones Gap expansion purchase © Bill Sharpton

So popular, in fact, that in 2008—a generation later—the Conservancy returned to Jones Gap to help expand the park. “People flock to Jones Gap on beautiful days, especially on the weekends when there can sometimes be a wait to enter the park,” says Kristen Austin, the Conservancy’s project director in South Carolina. “One reason we wanted to expand Jones Gap by an additional 300 acres is to provide more access for the park and more room for recreation.” With hundreds of thousands of dollars left to fundraise towards the end of the deal in 2008, the Conservancy realized that the South Carolina community could help.

“We decided we needed to go public – we needed to ask the Upstate community for support to be able to expand the park.” — KRISTEN Austin. South Carolinians know the value of protecting land for future generations, and thanks to the community and donors, the Conservancy was able to close the deal in 2011. The Nature Conservancy is in the process of transferring the Jones Gap expansion property to the SC State Parks System. The state will own and manage the land as part of Jones Gap State Park and will plan how the new expansion will be incorporated for public use. “Excitement is an understatement,” says Phil Gaines, director of SC State Parks, about expanding Jones Gap State Park. “For a growing community like Greenville to have this resource in its backyard is amazing. But the support for the fundraising campaign goes to show people recognize the value of our mountain heritage. What strikes me is the tremendous value for future generations. That’s the exclamation point for the expansion of this great place.”

Your Support Can Leverage Additional Funds for Jones Gap Jones Gap has beautiful scenery that has always lured us from the daily grind: dramatic mountains, large boulder fields, and habitat for migratory songbirds, deer, bears, and trout. But it’s the tumbling waterfall within the newly purchased property that enticed one donor to give so that her grandchildren could feel a connection to their heritage. After realizing that the new Jones Gap State Park expansion had a beautiful waterfall that was unnamed, Lillian C. Darby came forward and made a leader4 SPRING/sUMMER 2012

ship gift towards the conservation work of the Southern Blue Ridge. The Coleman Matching Gift Fund for the Southern Blue Ridge is a generous gift of $200,000—a 1:1 match for contributions to the Southern Blue Ridge program. This matching gift is effective January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2013, or until all funds are matched. Now named Coleman Falls after Lillian’s parents, Jim and Jane Coleman, the waterfall is a new part of Jones Gap State Park that will remind her grandchildren and other generations of

the importance of conservation for people and nature. To be a part of the Coleman Matching Gift Fund for the Southern Blue Ridge, please send your donation in the attached envelope to this address: The Nature Conservancy 2231 Devine Street Suite 100 Columbia, SC 29205 Please note on your check that your gift is for the matching gift fund.

Hobby B ecom es a CONSE RVANCY G i ft

Hobby Becomes Conservancy Gift by M egan Sh e e han

Jim Stehlik retired to the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina in 2000, and every time he walks out his door, he sees Hogback Mountain. For years Jim has been enamored with “The Dark Corner.” Hogback rises to become the highest point in this remote northeastern portion of Greenville County. “It’s very rugged territory,” says Jim, “and it has quite an interesting history, but isn’t accessible because it’s restricted property in the North Saluda Reservoir watershed of Greenville. It was hard to learn anything about it. It became a puzzle I had to solve.” This corner of the South Carolina mountains boasts a list of tall tales that range from rumored visits of Al Capone in prohibition times to moonshiners and world-class golf course designers. But Jim discovered that Hogback’s history, while interesting, hadn’t been documented recently. “Anytime I would talk with someone who knew anything about Hogback’s history, they’d be using books that were 100 years old or more.”

“It was really exciting to see such creativity in the form of a gift to the Conservancy. Not only has it helped us with our closing efforts in the Jones Gap project, but his stories remind us that our history is always tied to our land.” —K r is t en Aus t in

So Jim did some research of his own—six years’ worth—and published Distilling the Mysteries of Hogback Mountain. After learning about the Conservancy’s Jones Gap project (see page 4), Jim decided to donate all proceeds of the book to The Nature Conservancy, a way of giving that inspired the South Carolina staff. “Jim took a hobby of his and made it a contribution,” says Kristen Austin, The Nature Conservancy’s Southern Blue Ridge project director. “It was really exciting to see such creativity in the form of a gift to the Conservancy. Not only has it helped us with our closing efforts in the Jones Gap project, but his stories remind us that our history is always tied to our land.” The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina | nature.org/southcarolina 5

Stor i es from Our Past

Stories from Our Past

Reading History from the Rings of Black River Bald Cypress by Megan Sheehan

Every so often, we glimpse nature untouched by the hand of humans. The experience may inspire us to stop and reflect on the value therein. Forgotten or passed over for timber, ancient trees may be hollow, but often brim with aesthetic, cultural, natural and historic value. Entering The Nature Conservancy’s Black River Preserve, near Andrews, offers the opportunity to step back in time. In this perfect place to escape and be restored by the ebb and flow of blackwater, one is likely to encounter a slew of species in the tidal forest. Maria Whitehead, the Conservancy’s project director for the Winyah landscape, remembers childhood encounters from nearby Mingo Creek, where her grandfather had a fishing camp. “I have memories of sitting on the dock and watching wild turkeys heave themselves into the tall pines to roost at dusk, and of prothonotary warblers curious enough to land right beside you.” She adds, “Of course, I also have memories of the everpresent fear of falling on an American alligator or cottonmouth while water skiing in the Black River.” But the most striking species in the swamp may just be the bald cypress tree. According to the late Bill Chandler, a local poet and conservationist, the ancient trees are a “swamp shrine and a natural cathedral,” and they hold secrets from generations past. As they grow, the trees fold some of

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the area’s history into their rings. The rings tell the story of climate, water and hydrology, and how the land has changed over the years. Dr. David Stahle, director of the Tree-Ring Laboratory at the University of Arkansas, has been studying bald cypress trees along the Black River in North and South Carolina for 20 years. He says there are probably only 12 species in the world that reach the age of 1,000 years or older, and these millennialists are extremely important to conserve.

“Ancient trees like the bald cypress wear their antiquity on their sleeve,” says Dr. Stahle. “They predate European settlements by hundreds of years and record a history of environmental variability. Thanks to the existence of these trees and our ability to date them via their rings, we can tell a history of droughts, catastrophic rains and an entire range of information about environmental history.”

Conservation 365

The bald cypress trees along the Black River Preserve in South Carolina not only allow us to imagine what life was like for generations past, but can help predict future changes in climate patterns as well. “We can compare tree-ring data with climate records to help determine if we are facing long-term climate change or if we’re merely within a circle of drought and heavy precipitation,” says Dr. Stahle. “The tree rings of the bald cypress provide a perspective for climate change. They won’t tell us when climatic events will happen, but studying the environment’s history can help us to understand.” The Nature Conservancy has been the vanguard of conservation along the Black River, in an attempt to preserve the few remaining ancient bald cypress forests. The Black River Preserve is important for its ecological and recreational values: The tide-driven swamp habitats have a higher-than-expected level of species diversity, and the Black River is one of the most incredible canoe and kayak destinations in the state. “You don’t need to know all of this to know that the Black River Preserve and its towering cypress trees are special,” says Maria. “As it has done for generations, this stretch of river does and will continue to be tonic for the soul in the midst of a harried and changing world.”

Conservation 365 For more than 40 years, The Nature Conservancy has been active in South Carolina – from the mountains to the sea.  We are a science-based organization, meaning our staff determines the best and smartest way to connect forests, waterways and land for the health of people and nature.  Conservation doesn’t just happen. Successful conservation takes people – supporters and the committed staff of The Nature Conservancy who are working every day to preserve South Carolina’s unique resources for today and for future generations.  Learn about our day-to-day work that is sustaining South Carolina 365 days a year, protecting oceans and coasts, bringing back longleaf pine, and conserving freshwater. Above: Installing a new information kiosk at Blue Wall Preserve © TNC

For five hundred years I’ve held this bank With patience, as my sap has risen and fallen. My experiences are scarred into my trunk, Folded into my rings and sucked up into my branches.

Learn more

Visit nature.org/southcarolina to learn more about our work, sign up for our monthly e-newsletter Great Places, or learn how you can help us protect everything that makes South Carolina so spectacular.

—from “Old Cypress at Horseshoe” by William Chandler

All photos © Gabriella Andrews.

The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina | nature.org/southcarolina 7

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