SINHG – Page 15 – Tidelines

SINHG Presents “What’s New at McLeod Plantation on October 13th

On Thursday, October 13th the Seabrook Island Natural History Group will present Shawn Halifax, the Cultural History Interpretation Coordinator for McLeod Plantation. Mr. Halifax’ topic is “What’s New at McLeod Plantation”. The Plantation is located at the corner of Maybank Highway and Folly Road on James Island. The 37-acre historical site has deep roots in Charleston’s history dating back before the Civil War. The McLeod Plantation has preserved buildings like the McLeod’s main home which sits next to a massive 600 year old oak tree. There are also smaller homes where slaves, and then freed men lived, a cemetery a renovated dock and a cotton gin.
The preservationists hope the plantation will be a place where people come together and discuss the history that shaped our society today. “We look at ways to improve how we live today based on some of the things that happened in the past. It’s all kind of interconnected.” said Halifax.

Refreshments – 7:00 PM Program – 7:30 PM
Location – Lake House
All Seabrook Island residents and guests are welcome. There is a $5 donation for non SINHG members. Information about future programs and SINHG membership can be found at the SINHG web site, sinhg.org.

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Submitted by Gary Fansler

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SINHG Trip: 3 Cheeses in 3 Hours!

On Tuesday the 20th, we had a fun gathering of SINHG members at the Sullivan home on Bohicket Creek, where Casey Price of Jeremiah Farm and Goat Dairy regaled us with the virtues of micro-farming and taught us several ways to make wonderful cheeses.

Casey’s farm goats produce delicious milk, and she caters to people with special dietary needs who thrive on the alternative to traditional cow’s milk.

We enjoyed our fresh cheese productions – ricotta, mozzarella and Mexican (queso fresco) – with some bonus chevre served on crackers with sea salt and pepper as well as on lemon bread with caramel and with mint.

We now have the recipes and the needed hands-on experience to make our own cheeses. The only question is – are we brave enough?

Below is a photo of ‘Poppy’, one of Casey’s milk goats and a group shot of the intrepid cheese-eaters from the Three Cheeses Gathering (from left to right: Ellen Alexander, Chris Miniman,Diane Allen, Julia Thogmartin, Andy Allen, Andrea Prettyman, Bob Alexander, Joeseph Ficarra, Casey Price, Alison Bowers, Shaun Sullivan, Jane Magioncalda, Sarah Sullivan)

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Submitted by Shaun Sullivan

Reminder: SINHG evening program Thursday, September 8

Bertha Booker

The Charleston Salt Farmer

What started as a field-expedient solution grew into the enterprise Bertha Booker oversees today on a Lowcountry sea island plantation. As she tells it, “One evening, I was kayaking at the Botany Bay wildlife preserve and had forgotten the salt to cook my dinner, so I boiled a little creek water and made some. It was delicious! Briny with a hint of sweetness.” That ingenious solution sparked an idea and after almost two years of planning, regulation and perseverence, Botany Bay Sea Salt was born. Her salt is available at the Charleston Farmers Market. Join us on Thursday, September 8, to hear more about the history of salt making in the Lowcountry. Botany Bay Sea Salt will be available for purchase at the program.

Refreshments 7:00 PM Program 7:30 PM The Lake House

All Seabrook Island residents and guests are welcome. There is a $5 donation collected which is waived for SINHG members. Information about future programs and SINHG membership can be found at the SINHG web site, sinhg.org.

SINHG evening program Thursday, September 8, 2016

Bertha Booker

The Charleston Salt Farmer

Refreshments 7:00 PM Program 7:30 PM The Lake House

SINHG announces Fall 2016 programs

The Seabrook Island Natural History Group conducts six or seven evening programs each year offering outstanding speakers on a variety of topics related to nature and cultural history on Seabrook Island, Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. The fall 2016 line up provides a diverse and fascinating array of topics ranging from the production of sea salt on Botany Bay, an update on McLeod Plantation and an overview of Riverbanks Zoo and the plight of animals in Africa.

On Thursday, September 8, Bertha Booker will explain how an idea that started as a field-expedient solution grew into the enterprise she oversees today on a Lowcountry sea island plantation. As she tells it, “One evening, I was kayaking at the Botany Bay wildlife preserve and had forgotten the salt to cook my dinner, so I boiled a little creek water and made some. It was delicious! Briny with a hint of sweetness.” That ingenious solution sparked an idea and after almost two years of planning, regulation and perseverance, Botany Bay Sea Salt was born. Her salt is now available at the Charleston Farmers Market. Join us on Thursday, September 8, to hear more about the history of salt making in the Lowcountry.

On Thursday, October 13, Shawn Halifax, the Cultural History Interpretation Coordinator for McLeod Plantation, will bring us up to date on the development of Mcleod Plantation. McLeod is located at the corner of Maybank Highway and Folly Road on James Island. The 37-acre historical site has deep roots in Charleston’s history, dating back before the Civil War. The McLeod Plantation has preserved buildings like the McLeod’s main home which sits next to a massive 600-year-old oak tree. There are also smaller homes where slaves and then freed men lived, a cemetery, a renovated dock and a cotton gin.

The third speaker of the 2016 fall season will be Satch Krantz, President and CEO of the famed Riverbanks Zoo. For nearly four decades, he has guided the growth and development of South Carolina’s largest gated tourist attraction and one of the top zoos in the nation. Under his leadership, Riverbanks Zoo has been continuously recognized as a leader in wildlife conservation. Krantz began his tenure at Riverbanks in 1973 as curator of mammals. He was promoted to executive director in 1976, making him the longest serving zoo director in the nation. He is currently President and CEO. Krantz will speak on Thursday, November 10.

All of the SINHG Evening Programs are held at the Lake House with refreshments at 7:00 PM and the programs at 7:30 PM. All Seabrook Island residents and guests are invited. There is a donation of $5 requested from non-SINHG members.

SINHG fall trips: spaces remain- Sign up now!

Thanks to all of you who signed up for our Fall 2016 SINHG trips. We had a record number of responses, and yet, with so many offerings, we do have some trips that are a few spaces short of maximum. So if you’re a procrastinator, have been traveling, or are simply living under a rock and missed the deadline, here’s a second chance to join the fun! Below is a list of trips where space is still available. For more complete trip descriptions, as well as signup and membership renewal forms, please refer to our website (www.sinhg.org). We’ve had some technical difficulties, but it is now fully updated. Please direct all inquiries and replies to Julie Thogmartin at juliathogmartin@gmail.com (740-501-8154). Continue below to see what’s available: Continue reading “SINHG fall trips: spaces remain- Sign up now!”

SINHG Sign-up Deadline is Friday, July 29

It’s that time of year again! SINHG planners have been working feverishly to put together an astounding 42 outings for your perusal. Apologies—we had originally boasted 43, but the closing of Southern Seasons in Mt. Pleasant left us one cooking class short of a loaf. As always the trips run a gamut of interests. There’s a little something for everyone. including 14 never-before-offered junkets. The complete list is available online at the SINHG website (www.sinhg.org), but we’d like to take a moment to highlight a few special items here.

We have several outings that are based on Seabrook and Johns Island. You can learn about the history and cultivation of Sea Island Cotton on right here on Jenkins Point, go birding with David Gardner at Camp St. Christopher, watch bird banding on Captain Sam’s Spit with Aaron Givens of the Kiawah Conservancy, and explore Deveaux Bank right off the coast of Seabrook. We’re offering back-to-back ‘Behind the Scenes at Seabrook’ tours for all of you who’d like to know more about the infrastructure of our island and what those ubiquitous Interliner trucks are doing. New trip leader Shaun Sullivan and his wife Sarah will host a fun afternoon of cheese-making with the Jeremiah Farms ‘Goat Lady’, at their lovely Bohicket Creek home. And lastly, for history buffs we offer a bus trip ‘War on the Islands’ with well-known historian, author, and consummate storyteller, Doug Bostick.

Continue reading “SINHG Sign-up Deadline is Friday, July 29”

Reminder: Comcast Representative at the Lake House This Afternoon

Your Comcast community account manager Andy Gretton will be in the Live Oak Hall at the Lake House TODAY, Wednesday, May 25th between 1:00-3:00 pm to conduct an educational seminar on the XFINITY – X1 platform and X1 video service. This clinic is for educational purposes only and will provide an opportunity for residents to learn about the features of the X1 platform, as well as answer your questions about Comcast services and products. Light refreshments will be provided.

-Submitted by Shawna Jarrett, SIPOA

SINHG Pirate Tour

We’ve long had a fascination with pirates, be they real or fictional. Well do we remember being transfixed by Long John Silver, the peg-legged, parrot-toting villain of Treasure Island. Or listening spellbound to the tick-tock, tick-tock of a crocodile chasing the infamous Captain Hook. But perhaps the most famous of all is the real-life Blackbeard, born Edward Teach, a man of fearsome appearance with a personality to match. It’s said that he stuffed lit fuses under his hat to frighten his enemies. Or maybe he was just battling nits. At any rate, in 1718, Blackbeard commandeered a French merchant vessel, armed her to the gills and then set about blockading the port of Charles Towne, much to the dismay of the city populace. This and stories of other blackguards form the basis of Carol Ezell-Gilson’s Pirate Tour—a fun morning outing for all who attended (see photo below).

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Submitted By

Carol Bane

SINHG Cooking Class at Southern Season

Southern Season is the big kitchenware store located in Mt. Pleasant. How big is big? In many ways, Southern Season has become a Charleston ‘destination’ in and of itself. It’s like Charleston Cooks on steroids—a place where you can find virtually any kitchen gadget, utensil, and food/beverage-related item you can think of. On May 5, Julie Thogmartin led an eager group of Iron Chef wannabes to the Southern Season Cooking School. The result—see Julie’s words below—was history:

“This was a great cooking class. Our meal started with a field green salad with a creamy vinaigrette dressing, followed by red pepper soup with cheesy biscuits, grits and pork tenderloin medallions, and chocolate chess pie for dessert. All were complemented with wine. Best of all: a 10% coupon for merchandise!”

Sounds delicious. Look for more great cooking classes next season. These are always fun gatherings—a great opportunity to meet neighbors, enjoy a meal, and learn a bit more about different cuisines.

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Submitted by

Carol Bane

SINHG Trip to Riverbanks Zoo

Last October, our SINHG trip to Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens was cancelled when the rain gods decided to play ninepins and dumped 23” of the wet stuff on Columbia. We rescheduled for mid-April, and this time it was a perfectly splendid day. Zoo denizens were in fine fiddle and the gardens in full spring array.

We’re told a picture is worth a 1,000 words. What better way to describe our visit than to show you some superb photos? Here, then, are some fantastic shots taken by our own Mary Beth Joyce who used a simple point-and-shoot camera and zoom lens to wondrous effect. Enjoy!

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Carol Bane

SINHG Dinner Cruise on Spirit Line

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Twenty-three SINHG members braved a rainstorm while driving to the point of embarkation for the dinner cruise on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. However, the rain gods were good to us: as soon as we started sailing, the sun came out and after a while we saw the most beautiful sunset.
The four-course dinner was excellent, and a good time was had by all.

-Submitted by Ilse Calcagno