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Dear Friends,
In her book Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier writes about two untrained fossil hunters on England’s Dorset Coast who revolutionized scientific thinking in the mid-1800s. "Extinction" was not a term often spoken of in the 19th Century, even in learned circles. Yet Mary Anning, an impoverished teenager, and her upper-middleclass friend “Miss” Elizabeth Philpot, worked to dig pre-historic marine mammal fossils from the blue clay cliffs at Lyme Regis, unfathomable discoveries that had gone undetected for millennia.
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Sometimes what’s right under our noses hardly makes us take notice until some fragment rises to the surface and, suddenly, we recognize something remarkable. That is true of so much in Coastal Georgia.
What appears as merely a mound of hot summer sand on a tourist-covered beach becomes this time of year something mysterious, ancient, imbued with magnetic properties. It is here that sea turtles drop their eggs deep into dunes where, thirty years earlier, they crawled from their broken shells to the Atlantic Ocean. The feather of a migrating bird, looked at closely, is a piece of equipment from an aerodynamic machine that carried that bird a thousand miles. Acorns, ubiquitous and common, have within them the strength of a ship's hull, the beams and rafters of a cathedral.
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Loggerhead sea turtle tracks on St. Simons Island | | |
Dr. Robert Sattelmeyer, a great friend, SSLT board member, and retired literature professor penned the introduction to Henry David Thoreau’s The Natural History Essays. In his intro, Bob writes that naturalists like Thoreau were sometimes cast as "comic" or "suspicious" figures in America. “In a pragmatic, expanding society whose major enterprises were clearing, settling, farming, and building, the destruction of habitat and the displacement if not the extinction of native species was inevitable,” he writes. “In this environment the naturalist was doubly suspect because he was concerned about wild plants and animals . . . . His studies necessitated the kind of patient observation of often minute phenomena which could only seem trivial to the mass of his contemporaries.”
This month we have seen patience pay remarkable dividends as philanthropists, scientists, and advocates succeeded in halting a major mining project adjacent to the Okefenokee Swamp. We caught a glimpse of patience on a smaller scale as Eamonn Leonard, Plant Biologist at the Georgia DNR, made a presentation at the Land Trust office this week about the benefits of gardening with native plants. The commitment to protect the Okefenokee from irreparable harm took years of people's lives, most of whom will remain unheralded. Eamonn Leonard's work is like holding back a tsunami of exotics and invasives that have taken over local landscapes, but he keeps patiently promoting the conservation and use of rare, native species.
Geomatic landmarks hidden in our beaches. Feathers light as air and strong as steel. Host plants that create optimum ecosystems in which flora, fauna, and humans can thrive. Individuals and organizations playing the long game to protect what is often ignored or trivialized but which is essential.
It was just such patience that Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot were ridiculed for until the fossilized rib of a Plesiosaurus was what they saw sticking out of the Dorset sand.
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Emily Ellison
Executive Director
Photo by Raleigh Kitchen
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GUALE PRESERVE
The long-awaited Family Fishing Platform at the Guale Preserve waterfront
will be open to the public next month!
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This feature will offer recreational opportunities for families and friends to gather, fostering a love for the outdoors and the joy of fishing and crabbing along the tidal, saltwater Musgrove Creek.
Click below for more details about the Guale Preserve waterfront, including parking, fishing license requirements, small boat reservations, hiking, and more.
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From now through July 28, as the summer heat and accompanying insects blanket the island, access to Cannon's Point Preserve's north-end trails will be limited to Mondays only. This is based on attendance records over the past years indicating fewer people make the five-mile roundtrip hike to the north end and fewer docents are available to assist visitors. The hours of operation will remain the same during this time.
SATURDAY - MONDAY, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday: LIMITED ACESS (Southern area ONLY)
Sunday: LIMITED ACESS (Southern area ONLY)
Monday: Entire Preserve OPEN
| Please be sure to visit the many other hiking trails available on Land Trust properties, including Correll Trail at Oatland, Guale Preserve, John Gilbert Nature Trail, Gateway Property, and of course the stunning southern section of CPP (pictured above) at the location of the former Taylor's Fish Camp and where there is a floating dock, fishing platform, and observation tower. Happy Hiking! | | | | |
Nightjar Hike at CPP
Birds Georgia took over Cannon's Point Preserve earlier this month for a Nightjar hike - and what a success it was! Nine participants observed 114 individual birds, including the 9 species below. We are grateful for the continued partnership with Birds Georgia and for the ability to use the Preserve as a platform for education.
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Black-crowned night heron
Chimney swift
Chuck-will's-widow
Great crested flycatcher
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Great egret
Great horned owl
Green heron
Snowy egret
Tricolored heron
| | SUMMER EDUCATIONAL SERIES | | |
What a delight it was to welcome nearly 60 people to our office this week for plant biologist Eamonn Leonard's presentation, Benefits of Utilizing Native Plants. Eamonn inspired us all with his insights into the profound benefits of incorporating native plants into our home and office gardens. Not only do these coastal Georgia natives enhance our landscapes, they also play a critical role in supporting pollinators and local wildlife and in fostering ecological health in our island community.
Don't miss these upcoming presentations!
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Dr. Abby Sterling
Tuesday, July 29
5:30 - 7:00 PM
SSLT Office
(1810 Frederica Road)
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Benjamin Galland
Tuesday, August 19
5:30 - 7:00 PM
SSLT Office
(1810 Frederica Road)
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We are excited to share the winners of the 20” x 30” Ben Galland custom fine art print and copy of Following the Tabby Trail by Jingle Davis. Join us in congratulating our members
TIM & BETSY MITCHELL!
Thank you to all 180+ supporters who renewed their membership or became new members of the Land Trust last month! Each membership contribution plays a crucial role in our mission to safeguard the island’s natural beauty, and your support empowers us to continue our vital conservation work. Thanks again!
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Please join us in welcoming our newest Pennies for Preservation partner, Quick Dumps Junk Removal!
Owned by SSI native Josh Hickman, Quick Dumps has been serving the Golden Isles for three years. Josh and his team offer a variety of services that are centered around, well, JUNK. Whether your family is growing or moving, whether you're remodeling your home or office, or simply throwing a big party, Quick Dumps handles the excess junk that "just needs gone." And they are just that - QUICK! The local business offers same-day or next-day service from McIntosh County all the way to Fernandina Beach, Florida.
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Call them today! (912) 289-7678
Thank you, Josh and the entire team at Quick Dumps Junk Removal, for helping preserve St. Simons!
| | | Please continue supporting our local Pennies for Preservation business partners below by purchasing gifts, going out to eat, or grabbing a gift card. Your support of these businesses helps preserve St. Simons' beauty and charm. Thank you! | | | | We are thrilled to announce an exciting upgrade to the Land Trust's online store! With an expanded variety of merchandise now available, you can effortlessly support our conservation efforts while enjoying a seamless shopping experience that allows you to create a cart and purchase multiple items at once. We invite you to explore the new store soon, as every purchase you make directly contributes to preserving our island's charm for future generations. | | |
Throughout the next few months, we will feature several of our Lead Sponsors.
Thank you all for your tremendous support!
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Frontline Capital Partners understand the value of preserving St. Simons Island as it continues to grow. The generations before have set a foundation for a strong legacy that the generations to come will appreciate. Just as the St. Simons Land Trust is thinking forward for the island's future, so is the team at Frontline Capital Partners. Thank you for your partnership!
"Frontline Capital Partners is proud to support the St. Simons Land Trust and all its good work," says Jim Bryja, Managing Partner at Fontline Capital Partners. "As part of the local business community, the firm believes it has a responsibility to help preserve our environment and the unique character of the place we call home. We know of no better way to do this than to continue our commitment to the Land Trust as a Lead Sponsor. Frontline Capital Partners shares the values, mission, and goals of the Land Trust. Keep up the good work!"
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Thank you to Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford & Martin, P.C. for their continued support as Lead Sponsors to the St. Simons Land Trust! Their commitment to this community dates back 150+ years and, just like the Land Trust, they strongly believe in preserving the history and natural beauty of this area for our children and generations to come.
"Our law firm has been a part of the community for more than 150 years," says Hillary Stringfellow. "Working with the St. Simons Land Trust since its inception has been a privilege and we are proud of the acres conserved and the good work accomplished. The future of the island - its cultural heritage and natural and scenic character - owe much to the efforts of the Land Trust."
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Brad and Lizzie Piazza, owners or Port City Partners, put in the work for action, change and growth- all for the good of the community. From fundraising to mentoring, they show up as true team players ready to make a difference. We thank them for their mindful development projects and their dedicated partnership. Thank you, Port City Partners!
"We are thrilled to support the St. Simons Land Trust, an incredible organization that has dedicated itself to protecting the unique beauty and ecological integrity of our beloved island," says Brad Piazza, Founder of Port City Partners. "As developers who value nature and sustainability, we understand the importance of preserving our natural landscapes while fostering responsible growth. Their remarkable work serves as a beacon of community commitment, bringing together residents, local businesses, and environmental advocates who share a vision for a sustainable and thriving future."
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THANK YOU TO ALL OUR
2025 12-MONTH SPONSORS
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“I think that each town should have a park, or rather a primitive forest,
of five hundred or a thousand acres, either in one body or several – where a stick should never be cut for fuel – nor for the navy, nor to make wagons,
but stand and decay for higher uses – a common possession forever,
for instruction and recreation."
Henry David Thoreau
The Natural History Essays
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