sandy island

This trip was part of the weeklong celebrations for the three-year anniversary of River Reader Kayaking and the recent publication of The Winyah Bay Watershed: A Literary Field Guide. I was joined by eight friends, colleagues, fellow Master Naturalists, artists, writers, and local nature enthusiasts on a gorgeous June day that felt like fall in the mountains. We paddled upriver among the lilies, took the side creeks where obedience flowers bloomed, and then onto the island for the walk through the longleaf pine forest. In total, we noted 12 out of the 41 species represented in the field guide. They were: Atlantic Sturgeon, Anhinga, Osprey, Bald Cypress, Swamp Tupelo, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow Pitcher Plant, Longleaf Pine, Pickerelweed, Pond Slider, Northern Cardinal, and Southern Live Oak. We read aloud from the field guide and celebrated the watershed. Every single one of the paddlers today was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, interested, and interesting. What more could you ask for? Oh, this New York Times piece was published today, too.