On Tuesday, December 1, a group of stalwart Seabrook Island Natural History Group nature lovers set off in dense fog to explore the 9800 acre Nemours Plantation, nestled in the Ashepoo/Combahee/Edisto (ACE) river basin in northern Beaufort county. This is another one of those magnificent tracks of land that was snatched up by wealthy northerners following the Civil War. Today, thanks to the foresight of the DuPont family, it is home to the Nemours Wildlife Foundation and one of only a handful of properties world-wide designated by the Nature Conservancy as “one of the last great places” because of its pristine beauty. It abounds with pine and hardwood forests, remnant rice fields and brackish and freshwater marshes.
Our guide, Ernie Wiggins, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the plantation, the cultivation of rice during its heyday, and current programs to manage these remnant rice fields for the benefit of wildlife. We also learned about the Foundation’s efforts to re-establish a long-leaf pine forest using prescribed fires. Our trip included a wagon ride along dikes through the plantation where we were able to glimpse eagles, cormorants, and other birds—not to mention a magnificent eagles’ nest. This was a “first” for SINHG, and a trip we’ll certainly repeat soon.
—Submitted by Carol Bane