The still, scenic wetland waters of the Waccamaw River National Wildlife Refuge have long been a favorite of paddlers, and a haven for the threatened and endangered species that call this area of South Carolina home. Now, OSI and its partners are demonstrating how this quiet place and others like it can also be critical tools in the long-term battle against climate change.
OSI’s Maria Whitehead first came to know the refuge in 1999, as a Masters candidate in ornithology studying swallow-tailed kites. Soon, she returned to the refuge, working with its manager Craig Sasser and other conservationists, to monitor rising salinity levels that threatened the freshwater forested wetlands; and to make modifications to the refuge’s boundaries, to protect its important kite nesting habitat.