ESTC News

Photo: South Carolina National Heritage Corridor

Great Swamp Sanctuary

Located within the ACE Basin (one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast), the Great Swamp Sanctuary, Walterboro, South Carolina, is a nature based conservation area that combines history, culture, recreation, and education in a singularly southern lowlands setting. The more than 600 acre sanctuary, which may be the only "braided creek" swamp accessible to the public, is centrally located about an hour from Hilton Head Island, Savannah, Columbia, and Charleston, and is one of the East Coast’s largest estuarine preserves. The Sanctuary’s Washington Street entrance is located only steps from the City of Walterboro's main historic district.

Waddell Mariculture Center

The Waddell Mariculture Center (WMC) is a field experiment station of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The Center was constructed in 1983-84 to develop propagation and farming techniques for marine and brackish water species of finfish, mollusks, crustaceans and plants. In addition to developing techniques for commercial aquaculture, the center produces juvenile fish for use in fishery management and stock evaluation by the Marine Resources Division. The Center is one of the country's largest and most sophisticated facilities for mariculture research, which focuses on the farming of plants and animals in saltwater, seeks to develop propagation and farming techniques for marine and brackish water species of finfish, mollusks, crustaceans and plants.

Beaufort Kayak Tours: More Than Just a Paddle!

"Each day on the water is different and unique, and brings its own set of surprises," says David and Kim, owners of Beaufort Kayak Tours. "A dolphin breaking the water's surface for a breath, a skimmer parting the creek with its bill, an osprey catching a fish, millions of fiddler crabs waving their claws at each other; all of this and more awaits them on each tour." Three things that are key to Beaufort Kayak Tours are:

Join the ESTC to Jump Start Your Career in Tourism!

Leading ecotourism and sustainable tourism professionals from across the industry will gather at the ESTC this September to network, build alliances, and share ideas on sustainability as a market driver of tourism. As a current student, you have the opportunity to be part of the ESTC at the special student rate.

Don't miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to network with industry leaders working at the forefront of the fast-growing sustainable tourism field. Register Now!  

*Limited spaces left for student registration.  

Ecotourism Destination Planning Guidelines (Eagles and Agyeman, 2011)

Ecotourism, with its potential merits as an economic device and conservation tool, has often been adopted for achieving economic, social and ecological sustainability of many systems. It also provides visitors with phenomenal experience with nature and create sustainable livelihoods for local communities to support conservation. However, within some contexts, ecotourism fails to provide equitable distribution of benefits to all stakeholders.

This observed limitation has been attributed to poor planning process and in some cases disenfranchised relevant stakeholders with adverse consequences for the natural resources which form the bases of ecotourism. This supports the argument that ecotourism sometimes carries the seeds of its own problems unless well planned and managed.

Enjoy the unique view of the island’s salt marsh land on a leisurely boardwalk stroll

There are over 80 miles of tree-covered public and private pathways along the Island’s interior that
weave through various scenic routes, providing peaceful marsh and lagoon views

Gullah Traditions and Legacies

Gullah is the West African traditions, customs, beliefs, art forms and family life that have been retained among African Americans in the South Carolina and Georgia Sea Islands. The culture has survived centuries of slavery and more than a century of free lifestyle. Modern resort development began influencing the culture in the 1950's. (Source: Gullah Heritage Consulting Services)

Loggerhead returning to sea (Photo courtesy of Cory Tressler)

Hilton Head Island Celebrates Record-Breaking Year for Sea Turtle Nests

Last week, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources reported that as of Tuesday, July 5th, 240 nests have been found on Hilton Head Island, already beating last year's record of 239 nests, with more than a month remaining in the region's sea-turtle nesting season. Statewide and throughout Beaufort County, volunteers have supported programs such as Hilton Head's Sea Turtle Protection Program by Coastal Discovery Museum, and logged thousands of hours and tens of thousands of miles of hard work making possible the local wildlife conservation organizations' critical efforts to protect sea turtles habitats and to raise awareness among locals and visitors of the threats facing sea turtles, such as commercial fishing, pollution, and beachfront development.