Edisto Island Open Land Trust, Inc.

Legacy Live Oak Memorial Park is a small passive nature park focused on providing the public with quiet walking trails and environmental education through interpretive signage. Donors to the Legacy Live Oak Program can have a name added to the memorial sign in honor or in the memory of a loved one, or can dedicate a feature within the park to that person.

The Young Naturalist afterschool program focuses on environmental stewardship, teaching 4th – 7th grade students to be responsible caretakers for our island. Monthly field trips connect Young Naturalists with the land through hands-on, experiential activities like mock sea turtle nest inventories, nature photography and more. Students become grounded in a sense of place and will practice care and responsibility for the environment throughout their lives. Over 75 Jane Edwards Elementary School, Lowcountry Leadership Charter School, and homeschooled students have participated since the start of the program in 2015. Guided by volunteers, Young Naturalists visit a new private or public property each month, learning about different habitats, animals, plants and environmental issues that relate to Edisto Island. Volunteers are instrumental to the success of this program, as they share their expertise as Master Naturalists, retired educators and ecotour guides.

Back to Nature is an ongoing, conservation-oriented learning series for adults. Since the inception of our Back To Nature series, we have educated over 1,000 adults in a wide variety of programs related to the habitats, wildlife and heritage of Edisto and beyond. These adult learners play a huge part in our efforts to preserve and protect Edisto through their membership, volunteerism and donations to the land trust. Programs take place about once a month and focus on topics ranging from Bluebird box building to coastal process to butterfly identification.

The Hutchinson House is EIOLT's flagship cultural heritage project. It's one of the best surviving examples of Freedman architecture from the Reconstruction Era and an important site to Gullah/Geechee culture on Edisto Island. EIOLT purchased the house and the land it sits on in 2015, which was on the verge of collapse at the time. EIOLT has been hard at work to restore the home back to its original configuration and prepare the grounds to become a public greenspace and historic site.

The waterways around Edisto Island are impaired by bacteria pollution. High levels of bacteria in local waterways have resulted in the closure of shellfish beds, which is a major impediment to local traditions and way of life, as well as an economic hardship for some. The most likely source of this pollution is failing septic systems. Septic systems require routine maintenance and repairs in order to function properly. If they fail, they can pollute nearby tidal creeks with harmful bacteria. Many people may not know how to properly maintain their septic systems, so we created an outreach campaign to educate all Island residents. Yet, EIOLT recognizes that some of our island’s residents may not be able to afford the costs of routine maintenance. Thus, we created a financial assistance program to offer free septic system inspections, repairs, and replacements to landowners who qualify for the financial help.