Few industries have been impacted more negatively during the pandemic than the hospitality industry. Between having to shutter their businesses during the darkest days of the lockdown or provide take-out meals and services only, to dealing with supply chain issues, rising food costs, and lack of staff, local restaurants and hotels have paid heavily over the last two years. And yet there they were on January 22nd at the Land Trust’s Oyster Roast, more generous than ever with their time, creativity, and resources.

Chef Dave from Certified Burgers and Beverage arrived at 8:30 that morning, when there was still threat of rain, to set up his booth. It was he who was stoking the fire and doing the cooking and staying until the evening was finished.

Charlie Williams from Crabdaddy’s was there as he is every year, cooking thousands of pounds of oysters and, with the help of his crew, spilling the steaming shells out across shucking tables. Chefs from Sea Island and King & Prince, Sea Salt, Stripplings, The Westin, Halyard's, and Nazzaro's were all there. So were more than a hundred bundled up volunteers who started early and stayed until Gascoigne Bluff was cleared once again of tables, chairs, a stage, and food booths.

The food was delicious, the music first-rate, and the setting as stunning as ever. But it was the community coming together in such a large way after such a long hiatus that made the night magical. It was coastal Georgia at its finest, grateful for its bounty and thankful that there is such a uniquely beautiful place as this to live, work, and play.

Thank you for being part of a long awaited gathering of friends and neighbors.

Emily Ellison

Executive Director

The 2022 Oyster Roast was bigger and better than ever before, with:

Taking in the stats above, it's clear the cold temperatures on January 22 didn't stop this community from gathering outdoors to celebrate coastal conservation, coastal cuisine, and and take advantage of an opportunity to finally be together!

Under the glistening lights (provided once again by Malone Electric) woven among the branches of Gascoigne's ancient live oaks, guests enjoyed oysters perfectly steamed by the teams from Crabdaddy's Seafood Grill and Bennie's Red Barn. For those who preferred the fire-roasted variety, Sea Island Forge was there to answer the call.

For hours, guests made rounds to more than 10 restaurant booths as well as enjoying a buffet piled high with local favorites and entrees created especially for the Oyster Roast. That included crab cakes from Barbara Jean's, gumbo from Certified Burgers & Beverage, smoked sausage chili and fois gras crostini from ECHO, caramelized sweet potatoes from Ember, the famous Bananas Foster from Halyard Restaurant Group, and other specialty items from the chefs at Nazzaro's, Striplings General Store, Sea Island, Sea Salt, The Westin, and more! And if that wasn't enough, there was the much loved and better than every low country boil from Bob Thompson and his team at Creative Printing.

To top it off, guests sang and danced to platinum-selling music by award-winning singer/songwriter Dallas Davidson. A Georgia native who now lives on St. Simons with his wife and children, Dallas brought in his band from Nashville to keep the night rocking!

Thank you, Dallas, and a special thanks to volunteers Mary Ellen Long, Justus Davis, and Charlie Williams for their leadership and for working harder than ever to make this year's event a success.

View all event photos by Chris Moncus Photography HERE.

View our Thank You ad in The Brunswick News HERE.

We hope that you will consider joining in this community-wide investment to conserve some of the last remaining large tracts of undeveloped land

on St. Simons.

To learn more about the campaign, its purpose and goals, and how you can participate, please click HERE or contact Emily Ellison at 912-638-9109 or emellison@sslt.org.

Cannon's Point Preserve Advisory Committee member and lifelong educator and conservation advocate Wendy Paulson has been named the recipient of the 2021 Dorothy Gilbert Award, the St. Simons Land Trust's highest honor.

The award is a public expression of the Trust's appreciation of Wendy's unprecedented contributions to land conservation in the Golden Isles. That includes ALL the ways that she has supported the St. Simons Land Trust and so many other organizations and conservation projects in coastal Georgia for decades. Wendy chairs the Bobolink Foundation which focuses on advancing the conservation and stewardship of biodiversity through the protection of natural areas, education, and building local constituencies for nature. She and her husband, Hank, are owners of Little Saint Simons Island and are active in a wide array of coastal conservation initiatives. 

This award is named for the late conservationist and philanthropist Dorothy Gilbert, who made a gift of a 40-acre marsh-front property to the Land Trust in 2006. Now known as the John Gilbert Nature Trail on Frederica Road, this is one of the most visited properties on the island. The award recognizes outstanding commitment, service, and leadership to the Land Trust, qualities so evident in Dorothy Gilbert and Wendy Paulson!

See a list of all recipients HERE.

On January 4, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count was conducted locally. This count is the nation's longest-running community science bird project that fuels Audubon's work throughout the year.

One of the locations the Audubon count occurs at is Cannon's Point Preserve, an eBird hotspot for birding. When the survey was completed earlier this month, a total of 345 birds were counted, representing 41 identified species. Some of those winter avian species included the hooded merganser, northern harrier hawk, yellow-bellied sapsucker, peregrine falcon, blue-headed vireo, and more.

Shortly after this annual count was conducted, the Cannon's Point Preserve Manager, Stephanie Knox, and volunteer Bob Sattelmeyer saw other overwintering and year-round species such as chipping sparrows and a female painted bunting (pictured above), and juvenile bald eagles.

You don't have to participate in an official count to spot the myriad migratory and resident birds on St. Simons. We hope you can take advantage of a prime birding season during these winter months and enjoy a little birding at Land Trust properties. If you do, please be sure to share with us the different species you locate.

We are excited to launch our new feature series – “A Penny for Your Thoughts” – conversations with our dedicated Pennies for Preservation business partners.

Barbara Jean's is a family run restaurant best known for its Crab Cakes, She Crab Soup, and the mysterious Chocolate Stuff. What most people don’t know is that the Chocolate Stuff recipe was made out of necessity.

Owner Jim Barta said that “the heart of Barbara Jean’s is the very real Barbara Jean. She is the creative force behind the recipes we serve every day.” Jim explained how “Barbara is not a chocolate eater.” So, when they opened the restaurant they “broke a restaurant industries cardinal rule—having one chocolate dessert on the menu.”

Jim and a local customer encouraged Barbara to add a cholate offering. Jim recalls “one morning, without fanfare, Barbara went back into the kitchen and less than an hour later announced that in about thirty minutes we would have a chocolate dessert to try. I tried it and so did some of the other folks who were working that day and it was killer, and that’s how ‘The Chocolate Stuff’ came about. I am almost positive though that Barbara has still never even tried it.”

Every time you devour The Chocolate Stuff you are also helping preserve St. Simons Island.

and the Land Trust's dedicated Pennies for Preservation partners.

Pennies for Preservation businesses raise funds to preserve and protect St. Simons Island.

1) Collecting a voluntary 1% or specific dollar amount donation from their

customers' receipts/invoices.

2) Donating 1% of their companies' proceeds or services.

Thank you to all participating Pennies for Preservation businesses,

their teams, and their patrons!

February 1: One Hundred Miles Virtual Choosing to Lead Conference begins. 7-8pm. Every Tuesday in February.

February 20: Keep Golden Isles Beautiful Community Jubilee Fundraiser, The Tree Bar at Bennie's Red Barn.

February 26: Fort Frederica's Annual African American History Festival.