Kiawah Island Nature Program

09/15/2026

Meet Emma, Nature Program Lead Naturalist! 🌿

Emma is originally from Scituate, Rhode Island, and joined the resort as a Naturalist in spring of 2025. While earning her bachelors degree in Marine Sciences at the University of South Carolina, Emma fell completely in love with the Lowcountry. Kiawah Island was the perfect place to immerse herself in this unique environment!

Emma's favorite animal is the bonnethead shark. Bonnetheads are the only sharks that are omnivores, eating fish, crabs, snails, and shrimp, while also grazing on seagrass in the salt marsh.

Emma looks forward to meeting you out on a program or at The Nature Center!

09/12/2026

Meet the Naturalists! 🌿 🐬

You may recognize a few familiar faces from outdoor programs, excursions, or visits to the Nature Center. But how well do you know the naturalists behind the Nature Program?

Over the coming weeks, we’re giving you a closer look at the passionate people who share their knowledge and love of Kiawah Island's natural world with our guests every day. 🌎

Have you had a memorable experience with one of our naturalists? Tell us who made an impression on you in the comments below! We’d love to hear your story. 🤍

09/10/2026

Biologists with the Town of Kiawah Island recently deployed a bat detector at Captain Sam’s Inlet, equipped to capture ultrasonic sounds. The sonogram shown here features a Northern Yellow Bat (Lasiurus intermedius).

Northern Yellow Bats use these ultrasonic calls to locate prey, including leafhoppers, flies, mosquitoes, beetles, flying ants, and occasionally damselflies and dragonflies.

These bats are commonly found along the coastal regions of the southeastern United States, particularly in habitats with Spanish moss and palm trees, which serve as year-round roosting sites.

Exploring Kiawah Island in the evening or at night? Keep an eye out for bats flying overhead, especially near ponds and golf courses. 🦇

Learn more about research conducted by our Town Biologists: https://bit.ly/4xEVYAB

09/09/2026

The Kiawah Kids Adventure Guide | #15 Observe Turtle Patrol 🐢

Since 1973, Kiawah Island’s sea turtle nests have been carefully monitored and protected. Today, the Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol is one of South Carolina’s largest and most dedicated volunteer programs focused on protecting sea turtles and their nests.

Learn more about the Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol: https://bit.ly/4iOgslY

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! 🦀✨
Spend your holiday exploring with the Kiawah Island Nature Program. We’re open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM at The Treehouse Activity Center.
Come say hi to our animals and meet our naturalists! 🌿

09/01/2026

Ever wonder why alligators have little bumps across their skin? 🐊 Those "bumps" are actually bony plates embedded in the skin called osteoderms (or scutes).

☀️ Osteoderms contain blood vessels that act like mini solar panels, absorbing heat directly into their blood.
🌊 The smaller osteoderms near their jaws contain pressure receptors that help them detect vibrations and movement in the water.
💪 Best of all, they serve as a chemical reservoir to store vital calcium that alligators need.

If you are curious to learn more about these amazing reptiles, we would love to see you at Reptile Round-up! For reservations or more information call 843.768.6001. To view our class schedule, visit https://bit.ly/4v4koll

08/20/2026

This new antenna on the roof of The Sanctuary might not look like much, but it is playing an important role in a nationwide effort to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.

With this addition, The Sanctuary joins a network of historic lighthouses and buildings along the East Coast housing StationKeeper. Developed by MotionInfo in collaboration with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the International Fund for Animal Welfare inc, StationKeeper utilize AIS (Automatic Identification System) technology to monitor vessel speeds in federally protected waterways.

When whales are detected near an over speed vessel, a NOAA-approved advisory lands on the navigational equipment alerting the crew to reduce speed. With only an estimated 380 North Atlantic Right Whales remaining, these measures are essential to help prevent boat strikes— a leading cause of death and serious injury for right whales.

North Atlantic Right Whales are currently inhabiting their feeding grounds further north. But in November they will begin to migrate into our coastal waters, where the warm, shallow environment offers ideal conditions for calving and nurturing their young. We look forward to sharing updates about this new equipment and the important work being done to help protect North Atlantic Right Whales as they enter our waterways later this year. To learn more about StationKeeper, visit https://bit.ly/4wWWJnP

08/15/2026

As students head back to school, many of South Carolina's feathered residents are beginning a journey of their own! 🪶

Late August through November marks peak migration season across the Palmetto State, as millions of birds travel south along the Atlantic Flyway. One of North America's four major migration corridors, the Atlantic Flyway stretches from Arctic breeding grounds through Canada and the entire East Coast of the United States, connecting birds to wintering habitats in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Not every bird is taking flight for warmer destinations, though. While many inland species migrate south for the winter, South Carolina's iconic brown pelicans, pictured below, are year-round residents that call our coast home.

Want to see them for yourself? Join one of our tours or guided bird walks and experience South Carolina's remarkable birdlife up close: https://bit.ly/4cfI1R2

Interested in tracking migration activity this season? Follow along here: https://bit.ly/4zciwtN

📷 Dallas Agnew

08/10/2026

Great Egrets (Ardea alba) are a familiar sight across Kiawah Island, often seen gracefully wading through the shallow marshes and wetlands. 🪶

But have you ever wondered how these elegant birds manage to strike their prey so quickly? Their long, S-shaped neck contains specialized vertebrae and muscles that work together to create a powerful, spring-like motion. This adaptation allows Great Egrets to strike lightning-fast to capture prey such as fish, amphibians, and insects. 🐟🐸🪲

Have you spotted a Great Egret on Kiawah Island recently? Share your photos with us in the comments! 📸✨

📷 Dallas Agnew

08/04/2026

15 years ago today, Kiawah Town Biologists reported an unusually large flock of 30 to 40 Black Terns (Chlidonias niger) on the west end of the beach near Captain Sam's Inlet. While these early-migrating terns are common on Kiawah's beaches during late July and August, this was an especially exciting sight due to the size of the flock!

If you have spotted any Black Terns this season, please share where you have observed them. To learn more, visit the link below.

An outlier in a world of white seabirds, breeding Black Terns are a handsome mix of charcoal-gray and jet black. Their delicate form and neatly pointed wings provide tremendous agility as these birds flutter and swoop to pluck fish from the water’s surface or veer to catch flying insects, much as ...