Spring Island Blogs

Pool bubblers can create special memories

Speaking of children, or in our case, grandchildren, we discovered a whole new SI "asset" when our granddaughter visited us down at SI the first week in July. We began to see things through the eyes of someone who is only 18 months old and only 30" tall.

She's our daughter's (Lesley) child. Her name is Elizabeth and she lives in San Francisco where the weather is just about the exact opposite of SI. She really took to our warmer, more humid climate...especially when it came to enjoying the water. We took her to the ocean, we went out in and on our coastal rivers, but the place she liked the most was our new pool. Why? Because of something that as an adult I had totally overlooked: the bubblers. She could stand next to them. She could stand in them. Watching her was pure joy for us. Playing in the bubblers was pure joy for her (see attached photo).

While our adult members and guests are wowed by all the exercise machines and beautiful surroundings in our new sports complex, if you see the facility through the eyes of Elizabeth, the real "wow" is over at the bubblers!

Jim K.

Back to school shopping

There are many great reasons to visit Spring Island in the summer. One reason is the back to school shopping specials at Tanger Outlet in Bluffton.

http://tangeroutlet.com/hiltonhead

Annual Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament

The Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament further benefits many worthwhile causes and is an event enjoyed by all.

To view a list of confirmed celebrities, the beneficiaries, and the schedule of events please click the link below:

http://www.hhcelebritygolf.com/celebrities2010.html

Beaufort Featured in Garden and Gun Magazine

Southern Dream Towns

By Mike Grudowski and Donovan Webster | Garden & Gun Magazine (April/May 10)

From lakeside retreats to coastal gems, our guide to the best small-town hideaways

Beaufort, South Carolina
Discover this riverside Lowcountry jewel
Population: 11,755

To read the full article, please click on the link below:
http://gardenandgun.com/article/southern-dream-towns-0

Beaufort's 55th Annual Water Festival July 16th - 25th

This year’s festival is sure to be a "Summertime Spectacular" with all the water, air, sporting and entertainment events planned. Feel free to follow the link below to see all the exciting activities planned for the Festival.

http://www.bftwaterfestival.com/index.php?page=schedule

Mah Johgg

Mah Johgg

Monday afternoons 3:00 pm
Gathering Room

Play is open to all.

Bluebirds on Spring Island

birdwatchers

It's that time of year when we start thinking of bluebirds. As you know we monitor the bluebird boxes each week during the nesting season. The Island is divided into 8 trails of approximately 30 boxes per trail.

If you are willing to help monitor this year please let me know shortly so I can organize the schedule. Last year we had over 35 families volunteer to participate. It doesn't matter if you are not here the entire time as we can work around open dates. I do need to know when you are not available.

For those who are not familiar with the program, it takes about 2-3 hours per trail, depending on how long conversations take place on our friendly Island. I estimate each monitor will be called upon 5-6 times to monitor the trail they are assigned. It is a great experience and especially rewarding if you have the opportunity to have grandchildren to take along. There is nothing like holding a 1 week old bluebird chick in the palm of your hand.
We are looking forward to another great year, last year we had record fledglings.

Let me hear from you, Paul Kinsey

Carnivorous Plants

I realize I am more of an animal guy but I figure Venus flytraps and pitcher plants are about as close as a plant can get to being a creature, so I thought it would be fun to write about them.

We all know that green plants make their own food, right? Why would any self-respecting plant want to eat bugs? The answer can be found in the wetland habitats they live in. Pitcher plants and other carnivorous varieties are often found in acidic, nutrient-poor wetlands. Although the soil is often moist, it does not contain sufficient quantities of important nutrients (such as nitrogen) that plants need for growth and physiological well-being. These plants have developed specialized methods for supplementing their diets.

The famous Venus Fly trap has specially modified leaves with interlocking hairs on the edge of each leaf. These leaves have sensitive trigger hairs that cause the pod to snap shut quickly when an insect lands on them. The action is initiated by changes in pressure within the leaf very much like hydraulics. Once the prey is trapped inside the closed pod, the plant begins the digestive process by excreting enzymes designed to breakdown the insect body into much-needed nutrients the plant can use.

Pitcher plants have modified leaves in the shape of large upright vessels (sometimes two to three feet tall). These structures have spout-like openings that lure insects inside with sweet-smelling nectar. The insects fly or fall in and are unable to escape because of a slick waxy coating and downward-pointing hairs on the inner walls of the “pitcher.” Eventually the bug or other invertebrate dies and is digested by enzymes secreted by the plant. The plant is able to absorb and use the vitamins and minerals from the insect’s body. Dissection and examination of the contents of old leaves (vessels) will often reveal the chitinous residue of insect exoskeletons.

Another common species of carnivorous plant, the bladderwort, is frequently found in many shallow wetlands. The bright yellow flowers of this tiny species can be seen throughout the summer on stalks supported by underwater leaves and a fine root structure. The delicate leaves and roots contain bladders equipped with trapdoor mechanisms. When a small aquatic creature comes close, the trapdoor swings open and changes in water pressure suck in the surrounding water as well as the prey into the bladder. Bacteria and enzymes within the bladder digest and absorb the prey.

I am always amazed with the diversity of life that can be found right within the lowcountry. Our native plant and animal species are as unique as those found in the remote corners of the earth. We really don’t have to visit other countries or watch TV shows from other continents to witness exciting flora and fauna. We have some pretty neat stuff right here in coastal South Carolina.

Gather round the TV and learn about Lowcountry nature, thanks to county show

NWS_COASTALKINGDOMshow_0123_standalone_prod_affiliate_9

By LAURA NAHMIAS

lnahmias@islandpacket.com
843-706-8169

Published Friday, January 22, 2010

Tony Mills stomps through the tall, wet grass toward a salt marsh on Spring Island, looking for mullet and other fish.

He hears a loud chirping call from a distance and says it's the cry of an eagle. Just then, a pair of eagles emerge from the canopy of a tree across the marsh chasing one another. "Wow!" he says, before pointing out their ages from the color of their feathers.

"Most people don't realize that when they hear an eagle cry on television, that's actually the call of the red-tailed hawk, which is less chirpy" he said, still standing ankle deep in water.

"It's not fair to the eagles," said Mills, "but I guess their call doesn't seem very eagle-like."

Mills is a naturalist at the Lowcountry Institute on Spring Island and recently became the host of his own Wild Kingdom-style public access show on the County Channel called "Coastal Kingdom." The first episode featured reptiles and amphibians, his specialty. The second episode, to air Feb. 1 at a still undetermined time, is about local mammals. On Thursday, Mills and cinematographer Rob Lewis trundled through the rain to film bats --and their guano -- that had taken up residence in an empty structure.

"People turn on the TV and watch Animal Planet," Mills said as he walked briskly through the marsh, "but they don't need to do that in Beaufort County. The animals are right here."

The show is a collaboration between Beaufort County government and the Lowcountry Institute. There are four more episodes planned around local themes; salt marsh, nocturnal animals, birds and sharks.

Sharks?

Yes, sharks.

When Mills arrived on Spring Island almost three years ago after 20 years as a researcher in the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, he was looking for some "new excitement." One of the most amazing things he says he discovered was many different shark species in the Port Royal Sound.

"How many places can you live where there are 15-foot tiger sharks swimming around?" he asked, animated. "Things like that absolutely blow my mind."

Mills delights in pointing out the wildlife hiding in plain sight, like resurrection ferns on live oaks blossoming after the rain and squareback crabs scuttling around in the mud.

He says that the amount of biodiversity in Beaufort County is an indicator of the relative health of the environment. And while he could talk forever about the amount of wildlife, he knows that most county residents are unlikely to encounter the animals he sees every day at any point in their lifetimes. That's the rationale behind developing a TV show, which he hopes to place in public schools. He doesn't think he could possibly run out of ideas for episodes, given the county's ecological and biological diversity.

"The idea is to show people and remind people what they have."

http://www.islandpacket.com/1482/story/1111152.html

Bridge on Spring Island

Playing bridge is a common pastime here, both the party game and the competitive, duplicate game. During with winter season, there are usually 3 or 4 tables on Tuesday afternoons (mixed) or Wednesday nights (Men only). The opportunity to play in the region is great, from neighboring Callawassie Island to Hilton Head. Hilton Head Island has a dedicated bridge facility with professional players who teach or play for hire at major tournaments. Many Spring Islanders who put aside the game for years, use the bridge classes to restore their proficiency and play better that they ever did before. It's a wonderful game, and it brings neighbors together that you don't often see in other island activities.

-Warren Williamson

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