Whenever the world seemed too much with us, when the daily news was filled with another nightmarish scenario, when one of us felt like a living coil of stress or worry, my father would always reach out with one of his earth-worn hands and say, "It's going to be alright."

Guileless, humble, and grateful, Dad was someone who chanted a constant mantra of thanksgiving. When he walked down the dirt road in front of his and Mom's mountain cabin, he held his arms out as wide as a bird in full wingspan, filled with awe by the Appalachian beauty that surrounded him. He loved every rock he added to his many stone walls and footpaths, he cherished the bounty of asparagus and corn, squash, plums, pears, and every imaginable berry that grew in his garden. He shared with his children and grandchildren an emphatic love of the natural world, and he stayed calm and steady during every tempest, every season, until the very end.

I have been wishing I had just a few more minutes with Dad, a chance to ask him what he thinks about this mess of a world we seem to be living in, to commiserate with me about the anguish of my lifelong friend Susan, whose brother-in-law is one of the hostages being held by Hamas. To talk with him about the horrors in Gaza and Ukraine, to ask for his prayers and assurances that the world might become less mad and brutal.

Dad hasn't miraculously appeared as I have hoped he would. But a long-necked, low-flying anhinga came in his place. This week that large black bird was hit by a speeding driver on Sea Island Road, in front of the car our daughter was driving. The speeder kept flying, but our daughter and the woman in the car behind her, jumped out, put a towel over the shaking bird's head and carefully moved him to the side of the road. She drove out of the flow of traffic and honking vehicles, circled back around Kings Way and parked near the marsh to make sure the bird was alright. He spread his wings wide in a gesture she was much familiar with, shook off his terror, and calmly, gratefully dried his feathers in the afternoon sun.

As we head into the holiday season, when it feels that this last counterclockwise orbit around the sun went by way too fast, when memories and emotions are particularly acute, it can be easy to get caught by the snares of sadness and uncertainty. And yet here we are, I'm certain that Dad would remind me, living and working in a place of such exquisite beauty, such deep and complicated history, such unique and important culture. He would remind me that our daughter and her cousins grew up under an umbrella of love and inherited our passion for nature. He would say, look around you, a third of the total marshlands of the entire eastern seaboard are within your viewshed. There are more recorded sightings of native and migratory birds in Glynn County than anywhere else in the state. You are surrounded by green and light and by good and caring people who share their wisdom, expertise, and resources with you every day.

For your generosity throughout the year, for your loyal partnerships and support, for purchasing 2024 Oyster Roast tickets faster than we could process them, for believing in the importance of land conservation, I share with you the words of the American poet and former national Poet Laureate, Billy Collins. At the end of this newsletter, you will find his his poem, "As If to Demonstrate an Eclipse." He, far better than I, expresses what it is like when we pivot our view of the world and allow fear, envy, ego, and worry to be eclipsed by gratitude.

Emily Ellison

Executive Director

Additional thanks for the outpouring of generosity you shared with us last month in support of Giving Tuesday. Your 100+ gifts and pledges we received totaled more than $100,000!

All funds will be used for land preservation and long-term land management of the nearly 1,200 acres in our Trust, as well as providing support for community outreach and environmental education in the Golden Isles. THANK YOU.

To our surprise, tickets to the 2024 Oyster Roast sold out in less than three days.

Thank you all for supporting this annual event so well!

If you were unable to purchase tickets and want to be placed on a wait list, please email kimbrough@sslt.org with your name, phone number, email address, and the number of tickets you are hoping to receive. We will do our best to put you in touch with anyone who may be interested in selling/donating their tickets,

We look forward to seeing you on January 20!

Thirteen members of Golden Isles College and Career Academy (GICCA) Future Farmers of America (FFA) recently worked with the Land Trust to plant 81 live oak saplings at Cannon’s Point Preserve. The acorns were collected at Cannon's Point and from a large live oak at the GICCA facilities. 

Using instruction from Dr. Owen Burney (New Mexico State University) and Dr. Douglass Jacobs (Purdue University), who are leading the maritime forest restoration research at the Preserve, the students germinated the acorns and grew the plants in their horticulture greenhouse at GICCA. Brianne Innusa, Purdue University graduate student, and Emily Thyroff, post-doctorate researcher from Purdue, helped pick out the locations to plant the live oak saplings. The shelters shown below were then positioned around the oaks to protect them from herbivory.

The FFA entered this project at the 96th annual FFA National Convention in Indianapolis Indiana in early November and placed in the top ten projects across the country (0.1% of FFA clubs receive that distinction in that competition). Well done!

Conservation Biology students Elizabeth McGovern and Kat Breitenbach recently presented the work they have completed in partnership with the Land Trust through the College of Coastal Georgia’s Service-Learning program. The students worked closely with Land Steward Technician Rebecca to survey and manage invasive plants found across several Land Trust properties. By sharing this information with volunteers and visitors, the students were able to promote awareness of the threat of invasive species and the importance of protecting native ecosystems.

Representatives of the Trustees' Garden Club from Savannah hosted the Garden Club of America's Conservation Study Conference last month on Jekyll Island. One of their field trip sites was Cannon's Point Preserve. While on-site, fifty women from nearly 40 different states, including Hawaii, joined Land Trust board members Scott Coleman and Susan Shipman for an educational presentation and tour of the Preserve.

Throughout the morning, club members learned about the ecological importance of our coastal region, including the important work being done at Cannon's Point Preserve. They learned about its management, research projects, prehistoric history, and more.

From the blazing orange leaves of winged sumac to the striking yellow marks on the shell of an eastern box turtle to the bright red berries of dahoon holly, Land Trust properties have been showing off some beautiful fall colors recently!

If you find interesting plants or wildlife while visiting Land Trust properties, please share your photos with us! Photos can be emailed to Raleigh Kitchen at rkitchen@sslt.org.

Be sure to purchase our 2024 calendar! With stunning images of Land Trust properties and save-the-dates of important events throughout the year in Coastal Georgia, our 2024 calendars will provide reminders of why it's so great to live, visit, and work on St. Simons Island every month of the year. It's the perfect present for everyone on your holiday gift list!

Calendars may be purchased by clicking below or by visiting the Land Trust's office at 1810 Frederica Road.

In early November, the Land Trust hosted nearly 60 William Bartram enthusiasts for a "William Bartram in the Golden Isles" presentation by Land Trust board member Bob Sattelmeyer. Attendees learned details about Bartram's travels throughout our area, including many of the plants, animals, and people he encountered.

Thank you, Bob, for this outstanding sold-out presentation!

The 'A Penny for Your Thoughts' conversation series with our Pennies for Preservation partners is winding down! This Q&A initiative has been such a fun way for the community to get to know our partners and their businesses better.

Please see below the partner featured on social media in NOVEMBER.

Calling all yogis! Traci Lee, owner of East Beach Yoga and a dedicated Pennies for Preservation partner, is excited to offer all P4P partners two very special offerings this holiday season.

From now until December 31, 2023, all P4P partners can receive:

The East Beach Yoga studio schedule can be found on their website HERE. Studio space is limited and requires a reservation within 24 hours. Please call or text (912) 771-9021 to make a reservation for a class or private lesson.

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.

In the past several weeks, Land Trust hats were seen fly fishing in New Mexico,

meeting ancient tortoises in the Galapagos, and hiking the Bartram Trail to the second highest peak in Georgia! What adventures await your Land Trust hat?

All four versions of SSLT hats can be purchased in-office or on our website below.

December 16: Fort Frederica National Monument Holiday Open House in celebration of General James Oglethorpe's 327th birthday. 10am-3pm.

December 16: Glynn Visual Arts Empty Bowl Pottery Sale for America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia. 10am-5pm at Glynn Visual Arts.

December 26 - January 7, 2024: Keep Golden Isles Beautiful Christmas Tree Recycling. Click HERE to see dropoff locations.

2024 - 100th Year Anniversary of the Historic Harrington Schoolhouse. More details about events to come!

January 1, 2024: Gaule Preserve Endurance Run with Quintanar Running Co. Register HERE.

January 1, 2024: Keep Golden Isles Beautiful New Years Day Beach Sweep. Coast Guard Station. 8:30am.

January 8-12: Keep Golden Isles Beautiful Holiday Lights Recycling. Old City Hall Lobby. 9am-5pm.

January 18, 2024: One Hundred Miles NATURALIST 101: Our 2024 Legislative Priorities. OHM Office. 7pm.

January 20, 2024: St. Simons Land Trust SOLD OUT OYSTER ROAST, Gascoigne Bluff Park, SSI.

February 17, 2024: The Bridge Run by Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation

March 9, 2024: Land Trust Property Walk with Bike Walk Golden Isles. 8:30-10am. More info to come!

I pick an orange from a wicker basket

and place it on the table

to represent the sun.

Then down at the other end

a blue and white marble becomes the earth

and nearby I lay the little moon of an aspirin...

and I begin to sing

a homemade canticle of thanks

for this perfect little arrangement,

for not making the earth too hot or too cold

not making it spin too fast or slow

so that the grove of orange trees

and the owl become possible,

not to mention the rolling wave,

the play of clouds, geese in flight,

and the Z of lightning on a dark lake.

Then I fill my glass again

and give thanks for the trout,

the oak, and the yellow feather,

singing the room full of shadows,

as sun and earth and moon

circle one another in their impeccable orbits

and I get more and more cockeyed with

gratitude.