This article is first in a series showcasing how Seabrookers are actively working to protect and enrich our natural environment.
As you enter Seabrook Island, you are greeted by a sign proclaiming it an ‘Audubon International Certified Sustainable Community.’ This designation signifies more than just a title; it reflects the community’s commitment to environmental stewardship and quality of life.
In 2017, the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association (SIPOA) became the first private community in South Carolina—and one of only six in the world at the time—to be designated as an Audubon International Certified Sustainable Community. The certification is based on three main pillars: a healthy local environment, economic vitality, and high quality of life. To maintain this status, the community manages 14–15 focus areas, including wildlife conservation, habitat enhancement, water conservation, and energy efficiency. SIPOA successfully maintained this designation with recertifications in 2020 and most recently in May 2024. Recertification occurs every three years.
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf
The relationship with Audubon began decades earlier through the island’s golf courses. In 1995 Seabrook Island’s two golf courses were the first in South Carolina to be certified in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf.
Seabrook Island’s Audubon International certifications are anchored by a series of high-impact volunteer programs and ecological projects that protect the island’s unique coastal biodiversity. These include the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol, the Seabrook Island Shorebird Stewarts Program, Seabrook Island Green Space Conservancy and others.
Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol
One of the island’s most established groups, the Turtle Patrol has worked since 1990 to safeguard Loggerhead sea turtles. Approximately 125 volunteers patrol the beaches daily from May to October to identify “crawls” (nesting tracks) and secure new nests. Patrol members mark nests with SCDNR (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources) signs and screens to prevent human and/or other predatory disturbance and they educate residents to turn off beach-visible lights by 10:00 pm to prevent disorienting hatchlings.
The team reports all findings to SCDNR on an annual basis including the results of nest inventories conducted at least three days after a “boil” (hatching event).
Shorebird Stewards Program
Operated by the Seabrook Island Birders, this program fulfills a federal promise to protect critical habitats on North Beach. Stewards protect threatened species like the Red Knot, which stops on Seabrook to refuel for its 9,300-mile migration, and the Piping Plover.The program specifically guards roughly 40 acres of nesting habitat from human and pet disturbance.
The Seabrook Island Birders also manage a network of specialized nesting boxes throughout the island, an essential aspect of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf. In 2025, thanks to a grant from the Town of Seabrook Island’s Environment and Wildlife Conservation, a series of nesting gourds was also installed at the Equestrian Center to support colonies of Purple Martins.
Green Space Conservancy
The Seabrook Island Green Space Conservancy (SIGSC), founded in 2000, is dedicated to preserving and protecting the island’s natural environment through land and easement acquisitions, educational initiatives, and advocating for the long-term protection of our island’s natural resources. Thanks to the dedication and generosity of the Seabrook community, the Conservancy has successfully protected 46 lots and 32 acres of habitat in perpetuity. SIGSC is a fully volunteer-run 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that is the only one exclusively devoted to the preservation of Seabrook Island.
In total, Seabrook Island’s designation as an Audubon International Certified Sustainable Community reflects a profound commitment to environmental stewardship, community well-being, and the preservation of our natural environment. Through the dedication of the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association (SIPOA) and various volunteer programs like the Turtle Patrol, Shorebird Stewards, and Green Space Conservancy, residents actively participate in protecting the island’s diverse wildlife and natural resources.
-Submitted by Seabrook Island Green Space Conservancy
(Image credits: SIPOA, Turtle Patrol, SI Birders and SIGSC)