Message from the President ~ Allyssa Zebrowski

Hello Fellow Naturalists and Happy (late) Summer Solstice!

It has been a busy spring and early summer all around the Lowcountry! Personally, my travels have taken me to some beautiful places throughout the States, each new landscape showing off its seasonal palette of colors and sounds. Cicadas and dense forest greens of the Appalachian Mountains, fields of wheat-colored grasses swooshing quietly in the breezes of the Great Plains, and dusty reds and Magpie songs of the Rocky Mountain foothills.

And my favorite landscape of all brings me back to South Carolina, ocean waves crashing and wet sand revealing fossils from a time long forgotten.

Among our CMNA events of the season, myself and fellow naturalists celebrated Beidler Forest's 50th Anniversary, where Prothonotary Warblers warbled loudly, Ebony Jewelwings fluttered among the leaves...

and all sorts of snake friends did their best to stay camouflaged from our curious eyes.

We got to see a Hooded Warbler sneakily incubating her nest right next to the boardwalk, hiding in plain sight with her disapproving face.

As the sun set, fireflies slowly blink themselves into existence.

We've gathered at different restaurants and breweries around town to indulge in some of what Charleston has to offer (see our last axe-throwing gathering!)

CMNA volunteers have been working hard to spruce up the gardens around Caw Caw and clean up nurdles on a few of our beaches where the tiny threats can be a huge issue for wildlife. And for those outings that I was unable to attend, I've gotten to see some incredible images from our skilled cohort of photographers!

Our Think and Drink/ Walk and Talk events continue to teach us about the variety of efforts ongoing in the Lowcountry, like updating the SC Wildlife Action Plan with SCDNR, Lowcountry Land Trust efforts in land preservation and a deep dive of Purple Martins with Audubon SC. Don't forget to share your experiences with our Facebook page or write up a short blog for the website (a shameless reminder for all of us!)

As we get into the heat of the summer, I want to remind everyone to drink plenty of water while we are exploring!! It's going to be a hot one this year, but I hope to see you all out on adventures covered in sunscreen and bug spray.

Happy summer y'all!