The Kiawah Island Natural Habitat

The organization conducts numerous research studies to educate the residents of Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, and Johns Island, South Carolina, as well as to further its mission.Bird Banding and Understory PreservationThe Kiawah Island Banding Station (KIBS) is supported by the Kiawah Conservancy and operated by the Town of Kiawah Island. Annual banding and monitoring efforts include:Fall Migration MonitoringFall migration monitoring began in 2009 at the west end of Kiawah Island at the KIBS. In 2015, an additional station was created at the East End of Kiawah Island. Mist nets are operated by the Town Wildlife Biologist and seasonal interns supported by the Kiawah Conservancy. The nets are operated daily from mid-August through November. They are opened 30 minutes before sunrise and closed approximately six hours later. Groundwater Table StudyThis long-term study was initiated in 2019 to monitor groundwater conditions on Kiawah Island. A series of 24 groundwater monitoring wells were installed and will be monitored overtime, with data being compared alongside other non-invasive subsurface monitoring devices to create a map of the groundwater table and develop annual water budgets. The study is being conducted by the Kiawah Conservancy in collaboration with the Town of Kiawah Island, the College of Charleston, and the Kiawah Island Community Association. Marsh Vulnerability StudyProject which initiated efforts to monitor the tidal marsh wetlands surrounding Kiawah Island by mapping the historical changes of the vegetated shorelines, built structures, and various plant communities within the marsh. This project is coordinated by the Kiawah Conservancy in collaboration with the Town of Kiawah Island and the College of Charleston. The Kiawah Conservancy continues to monitor tidal marsh wetlands by building upon the data initially collected. This data is provided to municipal governments in the region at no cost to assist in marsh management planning. Resilience ProjectA project to investigate the use of nature-based solutions to benefit human and wildlife communities on Kiawah Island by engaging with stakeholders to identify potential practices and address barriers to coastal resilience. The project received federal funding from the Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund 2019 through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Nature-Based Solutions Manual for Kiawah Island was produced through this project to illustrate the use of stormwater mitigation and marsh restoration practices. Ongoing monitoring and research efforts are conducted to identify and inform on prospective resilience projects. This includes the implementation of restoration and enhancement projects within the watershed area which provide public benefits. Ecological Health InitiativeAn effort to identify indicators for each habitat present on Kiawah Island to research and monitor to provide a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem health. The framework developed through this initiative serves to guide the Conservancy's research, monitoring, and restoration efforts. The Conservancy will release a report and provide a presentation to the community each year to provide an assessment of ecological health through comparisons to assessments in previous years.