News and Information
WILDLIFE ON KIAWAH ISLAND
Town of Kiawah Island
21 Beachwalker Drive
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
(843) 768-9166
21 Beachwalker Drive
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
(843) 768-9166
HOW YOU CAN HELP CREATE WILDLIFE HABITAT
Eliminate invasive exotic plant species from your property - Exotic plants are often more expensive to maintain then
the native varieties, largely from chemicals to keep them healthy and water requirements. These plants also can escape into our native
landscapes and outcompete more valuable native plants. Plants to avoid: Chinese tallow tree, Silverthorn, Russian olive,
Phragmites, Chinaberry, Japanese privet, Kudzu, Chinese wysteria, Mimosa, and Beach vitex.
Minimize use of pine straw, mulch,
sod, and herbicides. Install drip irrigation - Replace pine straw when possible with native groundcovers or shrubs.
Pine straw, mulch, and sod provide little habitat value and are expensive to maintain. Pine straw is an annual expense and can be
costly to install especially in large areas. There is also the additional expense of using herbicides to keep weeds out of the area.
The use of native plants in these areas will require an initial investment (plant cost and water to establish them). In
the long run though, the need for annual pine straw will be eliminated, less chemicals will be required, and eventually any supplemental
irrigation can be turned off. The aesthetic and wildlife value difference between large areas of pine straw and a well-planted native
area is night and day. Switching to native plants and drip irrigation can have significant financial benefits in addition to
aesthetic and wildlife value. It costs much less to maintain native plants than turf anddrip irrigation is less expensive and
conserves water much better then sprinkler systems. Overall, native plants are less expensive to maintain then more exotic species.
In addition, chemicals used in landscape operations programs are expensive to use and can have a cumulative negative effect on the
landscape.
Apply for a Kiawah Conservancy Sweetgrass Award - The Kiawah Conservancy, in partnership with theTown of Kiawah Island and Kiawah Island Community Association, offers free habitat evaluations for Kiawah homeowners. This evaluation
may qualify you for a Conservancy Sweetgrass Award. Visit the Sweetgrass Award website for additional details and information
on how you can participate in this valuable program.
Help protect our island wildlife - Kiawah Island is home to a diverse
array of plant, bird, and animal species. Click here to view a list of ways you can help protect our native wildlife species.
We believe that we can keep our island beautiful and full of wildlife if we do 2 things: (1) preserve a relatively small amount
of really key habitat in a natural state for such things as bobcat denning and resting and (2) provide good vegetation on the majority
of our developed property--particularly shrub and grass type understory vegetation from 10 feet above the ground all the way to
the ground. All types of developed properties will need to do their part for this effort to be successful.
View "Jewels In The Crown" series for more information on how you can help wildlife on Kiawah Island
Use native plants in landscaping whenever possible - The use of native plant materials that have flourished in the maritime forest
environment on Kiawah in the past, or the few non-native plants that have been introduced successfully provide a low-maintenance approach
to a lush and complementary landscape. Native plants tend to make a property look as though it is truly a part of the Island.
They will contribute to the health of the environment by providing food and cover for wildlife, and once established, can be maintained
by normal rainfall. Native plants have evolved over centuries. When we use plants native to the Island, we take full advantage of
the evolutionary process of natural selection. Non-native plants that are used and grown elsewhere will generally not flourish on
Kiawah. With a few exceptions, maintaining them will require constant attention through fertilizing, watering, and pest control. They
will be of less value to island wildlife and the existing environment will have to be altered for them to survive. Furthermore they
may be more susceptible to destruction by the native deer population on the Island.