Barrier islands in the Lowcountry are teeming with wildlife, and nature walks are a great way to experience some of it. Of course with COVID-19 putting some plans on hold, in-person nature walks might not be on the agenda right now. Never fear - there is a terrific local source of virtual nature walks, and they are well worth checking out.
Nature Walks with Judy
The Island Eye News, intrepid newspaper of the barrier islands near Charleston, recently featured a local resident who has put together some wonderful videos on wildlife around these parts. Her name is Judy Drew Fairchild, and she is a South Carolina Master Naturalist. She is also a trained educator and has a knack for sharing fascinating facts about the natural world. Judy lives on Dewees Island, the next island up from the Isle of Palms. She’s produced an extensive series of one-minute videos incorporating still photographs and videos of local wildlife - beach creatures, birds, you name it - that are really fun to watch. She compiled all of them onto a website entitled, “Nature Walks with Judy.” Their subject matter includes critters you will probably see and wonder about during your visit to the Lowcountry. Here is her invitation… “Explore nature with me. Every day, tiny miracles exist all around us. From the lengthy migrations or warblers to the way a bee gathers pollen, there is something incredible happening all the time if we only get out and look.”
Subjects of her videos include...
Carolina Anoles (the cute little green or brown chameleon-like critters that are all over the IOP)
Horseshoe Crabs
Mottled Purse Crabs
Mole Crabs
Sea Hares
Coquinas
Tricolor Anemones
Ghost Shrimp
Anhingas
Roseate Spoonbills
Yellow-Bellied Sliders
Black Racer Snakes
Two-Headed Butterfly?
Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Pink Ladies and Green Bees
Great Egret Babies
Red-headed Woodpeckers
Live Oak Trees
Painted Buntings
Baby Alligators
Cannonball Jellies and Spider Crabs
...and a whole lot more.
You can pick the ones that most interest you. Or, she has a neat feature on her website where you can binge watch them easily, as one will play right after another. At just one minute each, you get a fantastic overview of the fauna and flora of the islands near Charleston. As she puts it, "My goal is to get people to notice those and grow to love the nature around us. Once you love something, you’ll be more invested in protecting it.”
For more information…
Here is Judy’s website with all the available videos. This is a link to the Island Eye News article entitled, “Connecting with Nature.” So check out Nature Walks with Judy, to get a taste of the Lowcountry from wherever you find yourself. And when you’d like to take some of these nature walks in person, just give us a call at EP. We’ll help put you in a perfect Charleston beach house. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger