Transforming the Scale and Equity of Living Shorelines in South Carolina is sponsored by The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina (funded by NOAA's Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant). This program aims to increase the scale and accessibility of living shorelines and nature-based solutions across coastal South Carolina.

It offers opportunities for private landowners and communities to protect properties from shoreline erosion.

Strengthening South Carolina’s Coastal Communities Match expires at midnight GIVE NOW interstitialRedirectModalTitle interstitialRedirectModalMessage interstitialRedirectModalRedirectCTA interstitialRedirectModalDismissCTA Stories in South Carolina Strengthening South Carolina’s Lowcountry Land acquisitions and living shorelines boost resilience in our communities.

South Carolina’s Salt Marshes Today, climate change throws life-threatening, non-stop challenges at us. But the situation isn’t hopeless, and we’re not helpless. In fact, when we grow our connections with the people and nature around us, we become more resilient than ever.

By protecting and restoring natural habitats, communities can adapt to and mitigate the impacts of coastal hazards, all the while supporting important plants and wildlife. How can nature protect our communities from climate change? TNC in South Carolina is taking a multi-faceted approach to strengthening our communities in the face of rising seas and stronger storms.

This includes both protecting remaining Lowcountry properties from development and harnessing the power of nature to strengthen shorelines. As we’ve witnessed through community activism and volunteerism, South Carolinians are coming together to defend and protect land and water. Together, through partnerships, grass roots mobilization and good old-fashioned teamwork, we are strengthening our communities.

TNC is studying the use of Oyster Castles as building blocks for reefs in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina. Wetlands of the Chechessee Lands conserved within the Chelsea Plantation property protect the water quality in Port Royal Sound. Protecting coastal properties Aerial view of the Gregorie Neck homesite on the Tulifinny River.

Fishing in South Carolina is a beloved pastime, offering abundant opportunities to catch a variety of fish in its scenic lakes, rivers and coastal waters. Quote : Dale Threatt-Taylor Chelsea’s fate was one of this region’s major tipping points for the future of its wildlife habitat, historical character and water quality... We weren’t willing to leave it to chance.

Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina A map features the 2,700-acre Chelsea Plantation property, one of the largest undeveloped waterfront properties in coastal South Carolina. Saving Chelsea Plantation Jasper County, SC, is the third fastest growing county in the nation. With this growth comes rapid development.

But as nearby residents experienced the loss of their stunning salt marshes and wild lands, they mobilized to save them. Protecting the recent Chelsea Plantation property was a true community effort. With the threat of development looming, the community banded together, including residents of the small communities that dot the area and nearby Beaufort County.

Groups like Keep Chelsea Rural went door-to-door with flyers against developing the property and even put up billboards saying folks wanted to preserve their rural community. Then, TNC’s incredible donors stepped up to help fund this acquisition. This 2,700-acre property secures more than seven miles of frontage along Hazzard Creek, which drains into the Broad River and is part of Port Royal Sound watershed.

TNC in South Carolina has prioritized protection in the Port Royal Sound, including other recent acquisitions like the 7,300-acre Buckfield Plantation (now part of the new Coosawhatchie Wildlife Management Area) and the 4,409-acre Gregorie Neck property . Twisting streams on Otter Island, a coastal wetland area, supporting many fish species and helping shelter coastal communities from storms.

TNC in South Carolina is working with partners to expand an existing corridor between the Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto River Basin (ACE Basin) and protected properties along the Savannah River on the Georgia border. The protection of the Chelsea, Gregorie Neck and Buckfield properties is part of a yearslong partner effort to protect remaining Lowcountry lands and equip communities for future ecosystem changes.

Gregorie Neck and Buckfield properties A map of the 4,400-acre Gregorie Neck property, which represents one of the largest undeveloped waterfront properties in coastal South Carolina. The 4,400-acre Gregorie Neck property is flanked by deep water access on the Coosawhatchie and Tulifiny Rivers and bisected by Interstate 95, making it a highly sought out site for development.

But, to preserve the region’s nature and wildlife, TNC purchased the property and will be permanently protecting it with a conservation easement through the Open Space Trust. The property was divided into several parcels and available for sale to conservation buyers--and forever protected with perpetual conservation easements. Gregorie Neck is home to massive pines and hardwoods that have not been harvested in many decades.

Impoundments along the rivers’ edges provide critical habitat for wading birds and migratory waterfowl. Open agricultural fields support livestock and songbirds. Buckfield protects more than 7,300 acres in coastal South Carolina’s Hampton and Jasper counties.

The property links ecologically significant landscapes to create a 12,000-acre stretch of protected land in this fast-growing region. TNC acquired 3,654 acres, marking a bold first step in the permanent protection of Buckfield, while Open Space Institute acquired the remaining 3,672 acres to join its previously secured 5,000-acre Slater property.

These lands were purchased by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and became the Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area . In 2025, The Nature Conservancy found a creative solution to save what is referred to as a "donut hole" -- a private inholding surrounded by conserved land.

The 625 acres had been used as private hunting land, but the landowner was willing to trade it for land with similar opportunities. TNC's creative solution: trade him the last remaining piece of the conserved Gregorie Neck property. This property was close by, had ample hunting opportunities and was already under a conservation easement.

This deal represents a win-win for both TNC and the landowner, and is just another example of creative conservation solutions. Lowcountry Land Acquisitions The creek winds through salt marshes as it flows to the Port Royal Sound. This longleaf pine stand is an ideal example of a forest that has been treated with controlled burning.

A new sign for the Coosawatchie Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area at the September 2024 opening. TNC protected 2,737 acres in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Live oaks at Gregorie Neck in Jasper County, South Carolina.

Oyster Castles® are interlocking, concrete blocks that are installed along a shoreline with bags of clam and oyster shells. These hard structures can withstand wave energy while also giving baby oysters—called spat—a place to land, grow and spawn. Over time, the castles create a foundation for oyster shells to populate and thus restore their reef.

Living Shorelines Volunteers Strengthen South Carolina Shores The same natural features that give us great fishing and recreation can also stabilize our shores. Oyster reefs not only play a part in keeping water at bay, but also keep sand in. In addition to reducing or reversing erosion by trapping sediment, oyster reefs have many benefits: Keep Water Clean— One grown oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day.

Provide Wildlife Habitat— You’ll notice that the best fishing is around healthy oyster reefs and marshes. Absorb Wave Energy— Living shorelines absorb wave energy, slowing waves down as they crash into natural materials, oyster shells and marsh grasses. TNC South Carolina is restoring oyster reefs as a barrier against rising sea levels and stronger storms.

Known as living shorelines, green infrastructure projects like restoring oyster reefs give coastal communities a chance to heal themselves—naturally. Quote : Dale Threatt-Taylor Volunteers, conservation organizations and government entities have worked for 20 years building living shorelines one bag and one block at a time.

Those efforts are making a real difference, but we need to significantly scale up our work to keep pace with more intense storms and rising sea levels. Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina Get impact in your inbox: Please provide a valid email address You’ve already signed up with this email address. To review your email preferences, please visit nature.

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Hardening Shorelines Near Military Housing The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort recognizes the close interconnectivity of their resilience and adaptive capacity within this tri-command area.

TNC has partnered with the base to boost resilience, as well as to promote activities outside their direct vicinity to reduce vulnerabilities to climate change, protect critical infrastructure and help Completed oyster restoration: A completed living shoreline, comprised of Oyster Castle pieces, along coast of Laurel Bay at Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort SC.

Oyster castles, Beaufort SC: Oyster Castles® are interlocking, concrete blocks that are installed along a shoreline with bags of clam and oyster shells. Living shoreline build, SC: 2025 Volunteers help restore an oyster reef at Marine Corp Airforce Base, Beaufort County, SC Volunteers help restore an oyster reef at Marine Corp Airforce Base, Beaufort County, SC.

Living shoreline build, SC: 2025 Volunteers help restore an oyster reef at Marine Corp Airforce Base, Beaufort County, SC TNC Is Scaling Up Impact to Create Healthy Coasts In July 2023, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina was awarded $6. 8 million from NOAA’s Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant .

The funds will support a four-year project to implement a program titled Transforming the Scale and Equity of Living Shorelines in South Carolina . The program consists of three tasks: Install a 2,000-foot Oyster Castle® living shoreline reef with the Department of Defense (DoD) along the Broad River adjacent to the Laurel Bay housing community for the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Beaufort, SC.

Conduct a stakeholder-driven process known as the Community Assistance Program to install and monitor one acre of living shoreline projects in underserved communities in South Carolina. Develop a Nature-Based Coastal Resilience Implementation Plan through a stakeholder process that identifies multi-acre projects that TNC and partners can implement over the next 10 years.

Goldbug Island Living Shoreline The Nature Conservancy transformed Goldbug Island from an area that was eroding from heavy wave and boat activity to a stabilized shoreline that supports healthy marsh grass and multiple size classes of thriving oysters.

South Carolina Resilience and Adaptation Scale and Equity of Living Shorelines Volunteers Strengthen Shorelines Volunteers work together along an assembly line, passing heavy concrete Oyster Castle® pieces to the living shoreline site. Living Shoreline volunteers A volunteer helps stack Oyster Castles® while other teammates pass more pieces to add to the living shoreline build.

Volunteers work together along an assembly line, passing heavy concrete Oyster Castle® pieces to the living shoreline site. TNC staff and volunteers pose on their completed living shoreline build in Laural Bay, South Carolina. A volunteer measures oysters at a reef built on Goldbug Island.

Collaboration Promotes Nature-Based Solutions The Nature-Based Exchange aims to foster the widespread and practical application of natural and nature-based solutions (NNBS) throughout South Carolina to address climate change, biodiversity loss, water management and social inequalities.

A collaborative effort led by The Nature Conservancy, the initiative focuses on promoting equity, community engagement and environmental resilience to increase NNBS awareness, access and development. Collaborating for Resilience TNC in South Carolina relies on partnership to strengthen our communities.

In land acquisition, we work closely with partners like the Open Space Institute , Open Land Trust and Sustain South Carolina , as well as the South Carolina Conservation Trust and SC Dept. of Natural Resources . These partnerships extend to TNC in South Carolina’s living shoreline and education work too.

As a partner in the Nature-Based Exchange , TNC’s Liz Fly hosts the Conversing with Nature podcast .

We invite partners to chat with us about their projects and opportunities to collaborate, including related episodes: Making the Case for Oysters with Andy Hollis (SCDNR) The Nature-Based Roots of the Gullah Geechee with Marilyn Hemingway Building Resilient Ecosystems and Communities Through Education and Exploration with Jonathan Zucker These connections make land protection possible.

Together, we go much farther, faster than we could alone. As we work to strengthen South Carolina in the face of climate change—including saving lands from development and stabilizing eroding coasts— we must work as a community, for our communities. Resilience in South Carolina and Beyond Climate Strong Communities Amid the challenges of a warming planet, we can find strength in nature—and in each other.

Coastal Nature Fights Climate Change Protecting and restoring natural habitats can help communities adapt to rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms. The Boyd Living Shoreline in South Carolina will help reduce erosion at Morgan Park while creating new habitat for crabs, oysters and shrimp.

Leveraging the Power of Nature Nature provides a cost-effective solution to protecting communities and economies from the impacts of climate change like urban heat, extreme flooding, catastrophic storms and stormwater runoff.