BOTANY BAY ECOTOURS
By MEG HOYLE
By MEG HOYLE
Botany Bay Plantation opened to the public in July 2008. The 4,000 + acre property has been in private ownership since before the War Between the States. More than a decade ago, owner John Meyer willed the property to the state with a lifetime estate left to his wife. In deference to her wishes, the state delayed assuming management of the property until January 2008 when it became part of the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Management system.
The property consists of salt and fresh water wetlands, upland and bottomland hardwoods, and pine forests. It is managed as a wildlife management area and is open at certain times of the year for public hunts.
A unique part of the property is the roughly three miles of undeveloped beach.
Along with the beach on Botany Island, this area hosts South Carolina's second
largest nesting aggregation of loggerhead sea turtles. The sea turtle project is
managed by a local non-profit, Learning through Loggerheads.
www.ltlonline.org <http://www.ltlonline.org>.
Self guided exploration of the property is available one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, unless the area is closed for a hunt. The area hosts a wide variety of local flora and fauna that changes with the seasons. But to really experience what the property has to offer in terms of ecological magnificence, a tour with Botany Bay Ecotours
is a must. Local resident and avid bird watcher Henry Woodhead has been
on several tours with Meg. When asked what it is about the tours that makes
it worthwhile, Henry said "Meg is a deep well of information, and she can tell
you not only about Botany Bay, but also about the geology of the land, the kinds
of plants and animals and shells you'll see, the medicinal qualities of the plants,
the lore about the people and history of Edisto, current issues about the
environment that are showing up here, and all with clarity, intelligence and humor.
If you want to give your kids and yourself a little "education vacation," bring them to Meg.
You won't regret it. She is a tremendous resource. Look, if you were going to Washington DC, and you knew all the museums were free, would you turn down an opportunity to have the Wright Brothers guide you through the Air and Space Museum? You get my meaning?"
Botany Bay Ecotours offers low impact walking and kayak tours that explore the different habitats on the property and their connections to the cultural history of the area. "Since humans have lived on Botany, they have used the natural resources for building materials, food and medicine. Our tours focus not only on the variety of systems and their inhabitants, but also on these uses from the early times of the Native Americans, through the colonial and slave periods, and up until today," Botany Bay Ecotour owner, Meg Hoyle states. Meg is a local biologist who has worked with the sea turtle project on Botany since 1999. Her tours help support the sea turtle program and are a must for people who are interested in more than just scratching the surface of this property on a self guided tour.
Botany's proximity to Edisto Beach makes it a wonderful asset for tourists and locals. An ecotour gift certificate is a great holiday gift for those who love Edisto.
To find out more about Botany Bay Ecotours, visit them online at www.botanybayplantation.com. To check when the area is open to the public, visit the SC Department of Natural Resources website at www.dnr.sc.gov <http://www.dnr.sc.gov>.
A unique part of the property is the roughly three miles of undeveloped beach.
Along with the beach on Botany Island, this area hosts South Carolina's second
largest nesting aggregation of loggerhead sea turtles. The sea turtle project is
managed by a local non-profit, Learning through Loggerheads.
www.ltlonline.org <http://www.ltlonline.org>.
Self guided exploration of the property is available one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, unless the area is closed for a hunt. The area hosts a wide variety of local flora and fauna that changes with the seasons. But to really experience what the property has to offer in terms of ecological magnificence, a tour with Botany Bay Ecotours
is a must. Local resident and avid bird watcher Henry Woodhead has been
on several tours with Meg. When asked what it is about the tours that makes
it worthwhile, Henry said "Meg is a deep well of information, and she can tell
you not only about Botany Bay, but also about the geology of the land, the kinds
of plants and animals and shells you'll see, the medicinal qualities of the plants,
the lore about the people and history of Edisto, current issues about the
environment that are showing up here, and all with clarity, intelligence and humor.
If you want to give your kids and yourself a little "education vacation," bring them to Meg.
You won't regret it. She is a tremendous resource. Look, if you were going to Washington DC, and you knew all the museums were free, would you turn down an opportunity to have the Wright Brothers guide you through the Air and Space Museum? You get my meaning?"
Botany Bay Ecotours offers low impact walking and kayak tours that explore the different habitats on the property and their connections to the cultural history of the area. "Since humans have lived on Botany, they have used the natural resources for building materials, food and medicine. Our tours focus not only on the variety of systems and their inhabitants, but also on these uses from the early times of the Native Americans, through the colonial and slave periods, and up until today," Botany Bay Ecotour owner, Meg Hoyle states. Meg is a local biologist who has worked with the sea turtle project on Botany since 1999. Her tours help support the sea turtle program and are a must for people who are interested in more than just scratching the surface of this property on a self guided tour.
Botany's proximity to Edisto Beach makes it a wonderful asset for tourists and locals. An ecotour gift certificate is a great holiday gift for those who love Edisto.
To find out more about Botany Bay Ecotours, visit them online at www.botanybayplantation.com. To check when the area is open to the public, visit the SC Department of Natural Resources website at www.dnr.sc.gov <http://www.dnr.sc.gov>.
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