A Piece of Paradise

8/29/11



the beach at Kiawah Island

    
     I spent the last week vacationing with family at the beach.  We were on a barrier island called Kiawah off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.  To us it is a little piece of heaven on earth which we have been visiting every summer for many years.  Its ten-mile length is swathed in native trees, plants and wildlife.




shorebirds on the beach

      It is one of the few islands or east coast beach areas with actual dunes that are covered with native plants instead of high rises or condos.  The dunes are covered with live oaks, wax myrtle thickets, sea oats, prickly pear (yes!), beach evening primrose, and seaside goldenrod.



dunes



path through the dunes


The sand on the beach is silky soft and remains that way far into the water.



boardwalk over the dunes


In the maritime forest that covers the island, you can find laurel oak, loblolly pine, sweet gum, magnolia, hickory, and palmetto, with red cedar, wax myrtle and sassafras growing below the tree line.




path through the woods


Spanish moss hangs from many trees.  Other plants I saw were witch hazel, beautyberry, lantana, and ferns.




Spanish moss on tree





palmetto palms



If you walk or bike through the forest paths, you can regularly see deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and lizards.  Alligators can be seen in the swamps, bays and creeks.




deer feeding on the dunes


There are many birds on the island, including:  pelicans, sanderlings, skimmers, herons, gulls, and terns.  The beach is also a loggerhead turtle nesting area.  There are signs along the beach just where the dunes begin to rise warning of nesting areas.




loggerhead  nesting area


Ghost crabs and horseshoe crabs live on the beach.  Scattered along the beach are numerous shells:  bay scallops, cockles, whelks, coquina clams, moon shells, and sundials.




tidal marsh


Tidal marshes cover the west side of the island with spartina grass as the dominant plant.  Many fish, including croaker, flounder, menhaden, mullet and spot, spend the early parts of their lives in these marshes.

The island inspires calm and repose, restfulness and reflection.  Captivated by the rhythms of the sea and wind, enchanted by the animals and plants, overwhelmed by its beauty, I left the island rejuvenated and refreshed.




high tide at sunset