Waterfront Home in Colleton River Inspires Local Artist

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by Erika Maston

Listening to Cynthia Knott describe the beauty of Colleton River would spurn anyone to visit, or perhaps even want to move to the community.Cynthia Knott Paintings

Cynthia was commissioned last year by members Jim and Pam Porter to paint pieces reflecting the view from their new home. They were introduced by Dallas based designer Deborah Lloyd Forrest, whose company, ForrestPerkins, is known for designing distinctive luxury hotels. After meeting Cynthia and falling in love with her work, the Porters wanted to share the beautiful horizons of Colleton River to inspire the artist. They took her to the Dye Clubhouse for a glass of wine, and then to the tip of the 13th hole to take photos and enjoy the view. While not a golfer herself, Cynthia has family who enjoy the game, and she commented she had never seen such a beautiful golf course. She loved all the unique lights and colors – very different from the Hamptons in New York. Before beginning the project for the Porters, Cynthia did her preliminary studies on the 13th hole of the Pete Dye Course, and says it is “the most beautiful spot (she’s) ever seen.”

Cynthia has been painting for about 30 years and describes her work as very “atmospheric.” The paintings are not site specific, but capture many evolving moments of light, weather and time. She is an en plein aire artist, painting in the space outside. Since the canvases for the project were too large for her own studio, she painted for over a year from the Porter’s “tree house” while their home was under construction. The paintings evolved as the house also evolved around her, and now hang on either side of the great room fireplace. They reflect the view from the Porter’s home as seen early in the morning and late in the afternoon. She also painted two canvases that will be applied to the wall on the great foyer window.

Knott & the PortersCynthia says “the experience of being in Colleton River was magnificent, and the light and weather changes on the river were quite inspiring and peaceful to witness.” While she is known as a seascape artist and has never included land in her paintings, the changes in the horizon and tides were so beautiful that glimpses of land appeared in her work. She loves the changes in light and the combination of the view of river, land and ocean. She describes the project as lovely, fun and enchanting, crafted through getting to know the Porters, and says “it was such a gift to be at Colleton.”

Cynthia recently relocated to the area and now resides in Hilton Head Island with her daughter, Holly, who is also quite talented and will attend the SCAD architectural program next year. Although she has not gotten involved in the art world much since moving to the Lowcountry, she is considering teaching and would certainly entertain another commission on location in the area. Cynthia is represented by Heidi Lange of  DC Moore Gallery in New York. The Gallery, now located in Chelsea, shows a mix of more than twenty contemporary artists and also offers the finest in twentieth-century American painting, sculpture and works on paper.

Cynthia Knott Paintings

A showing of Cynthia’s work will be held in the Dye Clubhouse on June 7th from 5 to 7pm along with those of West Fraser.

West Fraser ArtWest Fraser is a native of the Lowcountry whose work depicts richly painted vistas of cities, coasts and landscapes. Like Knott, Fraser captures the particular atmospheric conditions and nuances of light he finds very important to the poetry of painting, and the activity and energy of the surroundings charge the story with authenticity. Since childhood, his passion has been to capture a portrait of his homeland, drawing inspiration from the marshes and landscape of the Georgia and South Carolina Coast. He has strived to save in paint the natural places that are threatened by development throughout his 35 year career. West Fraser’s work can be found in countless private collections internationally, and in ten permanent museum collections in Bermuda and across the United States, including the White House, Washington, DC.

 

Find Your Own Tour Tempo

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by David La Pour

As a PGA Golf Professional and coach for the last 25 years, I have witnessed a lot of innovation in teaching styles. The most useful methods that I use include my video systems (JC & Casio), golf fitness programs (TPI), technology (TrackMan), and now Tour Tempo. Since rhythm is the common denominator and the type of shot the numerator, it’s no surprise that rhythm is such a big factor in the golf swing. This is why I’ve been teaching with the Tour Tempo program at the Colleton River Golf Academy.

Based on the international best selling golf book, Tour Tempo, this program discovered the fact that our backswing is three times slower than our down swing. Tour Tempo explains the discovery of a specific mathematical ratio regarding the elapsed time of the backswing and the elapsed time of the downswing of the golf pros. The Tour Tempo System is simple and easy to learn. You react to three scientifically spaced musical notes which alert you to start your takeaway, start your downswing, and then the third note lines you up with impact.

Colleton River member Jim Hooker and I set off on this journey to better rhythm in April, and we have both benefited from it a great deal. Personally my ball striking is more consistent, and Jim is playing some of his best golf ever. Most of the students that I have taught this program to have also become more consistent.

David La Pour & Jim Hooker

 

If you have ever wondered how
you can have the rhythm of a
tour player, and some of their
consistency, send me a note at
davidl@colletonriverclub.com
and we will find your own tour
tempo!

 

“David introduced me to Tour Tempo and the first time I played using it I was about 6 shots better than my handicap. I’ve hovered in the low teens for the last couple years but never broke 80. Last week I shot a 78 for the first time – that was a break through. It reminds me of a concept I learned many years ago and forgot called the Inner Game of Golf by Timothy Gallwey. I still am capable of having a bad round, but I find I hit my irons better using Tour Tempo. I hope you find it useful. David’s a great teacher.” – Jim Hooker

 

Colleton Cares: Working to End Homelessness in our Community

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by member David Fulcher

When my wife, Bettygail, and I purchased our first lot in Colleton River 13 years ago, we, like most members, were awed by the property, golf courses, original clubhouse and overall ambiance. Shortly after moving in as full time residents, it was obvious the environmental assets of Colleton River were exceeded by the members themselves.

Among the many characteristics of the membership we admire is their individual and collective generosity toward people and causes in our community. Local organizations and projects such as the Bluffton Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity and Operation Santa Claus are examples of the many important charities the Club’s members support. The Colleton River membership is much, much more than land, views, golf courses and clubhouses. It is a sense of community and involvement that makes Colleton (dare I say?) “Simply…exceptional.”

Family Promise Day CenterAfter living in the area for a while, I was introduced to Family Promise of Beaufort County, one of the several charities that are supported by Colleton River’s Operation Santa Claus program each year. Are you aware that surrounding the beauty and lifestyle of Colleton River, more than 250 children in our own Beaufort County are homeless!?

Families with children represent nearly half of the homeless people in Beaufort County. The notion of family homelessness is becoming more familiar as families continue to lose their jobs, medical coverage and homes as a result of the recession. However, when people hear the word “homeless,” most still think of the more visible examples – people standing at highway on-ramps, or those who sleep under bridges or on park benches. Many still have a hard time picturing what homeless families look like or are unaware of the problem in our own community.

The effects of homelessness have a profound impact on a child’s health and education, as well as a parent’s ability to find or keep a job. The constant movement and disruption associated with homelessness means that too many children are forced to move from school to school, while others bring emotional and health issues into the classroom. Did you know that homeless children have twice the rate of learning disabilities and three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems of non-homeless children, or that half of school-age homeless children experience anxiety, depression or withdrawal?

David Fulcher and Chris GuentherThese unbelievable facts are what led Chris Guenther and me to get involved and join the Board of Directors of Family Promise. Family Promise provides temporary shelter, family stability and permanent housing solutions for homeless families with children by mobilizing resources from interfaith and secular communities. It offers stability, continuity and  life-enhancing services and support. Ending homelessness in our community is not a fantasy – it is a reachable goal and it’s working. I am honored to serve such an important organization and proud to be a member of a Club like Colleton River with such a caring, philanthropic membership.

*The Family Promise Gala and Fundraiser is May 16th from 6-9pm. This is the fourth year of this special event and will include food, wine, live entertainment and a silent/live auction.

Keeping Colleton River’s Golf Courses Beautiful

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by Member Dick Anderson

Spring has arrived and now is the time the golf courses begin to move into their top condition. We have spectacular golf courses, but they do require ongoing maintenance to keep them that way and improve them over time. Our Director of Agronomy, Bill Hirchert, and his team have been working hard over the winter to put the courses in their usual outstanding condition. They have also completed a number of projects which will provide improved conditions both this spring and in the future. I thought you might like to look for some of them as you play these great courses as well as take a sneak peek into what will be accomplished during 2013.Jack Nicklaus Golf Course at Colleton River

Nicklaus Fairway Project:  Two years ago, we began experimenting with different grasses to see which ones would provide the best turf throughout the year. The challenge is to find a grass that will provide an outstanding surface but also manage the over-seed that we feel provides the best spring and fall conditions for the Nicklaus. The decision will not be finalized until we see this year’s transition, but unless there is some unforeseen change, it looks like we will be heading to a full installation of Celebration. Over the last three years, significant areas of different fairways have been sodded with Celebration. Last year, the driving range was sprigged and grew in very nicely. This was important to know because a sprigging option can save us nearly $200,000 when we transition the rest of the fairways to Celebration.

Nicklaus Sand Bunkers:   The Nicklaus course has had sand which is very round and when fully dry produced a soft and often inconsistent lie. We have begun a transition to a new, more angular sand that will pack better and provide more consistent lies. The most critical traps have been changed out (on holes 1, 3 green side, 7, 13 and 14), and as we need new sand, we are only installing the better sand. This has already produced great results.

Nicklaus Course at Colleton RiverNicklaus Ponds:  The ponds on number 8 are fixed! Many of the ponds were installed with liners that prevent leaking in our sandy soil. After 20 years, leaks have developed which can require huge amounts of water to keep them filled, or they look bad at low levels. It was a real challenge to find the leak in the ponds on #8. It turns out that the edges of the ponds were leaking because the liner had been exposed to light and sun over the years. Each pond was lined around the edges with sod laid on top. The results are terrific!

Dye Irrigation System:   Over the winter, the Dye irrigation system was changed to provide individual sprinkler head control to the fairways. This allows much more precision in controlling how much water each section of the course gets. If one area is too wet, its sprinkler can be individually adjusted. This will provide more consistent and better turf over time. Additional improvements are that sprinkler heads are being raised throughout the course and will continue to be raised until completed, hopefully by about this time next year. This not only looks better, it provides more consistent water distribution. Fast couplers have been installed, usually around greens, to enable hand watering.

Pete Dye Course Bunkers at Colleton RiverDye Bunkers:    Did you know there are 297 bunkers on the Dye? I know, most of us have been in them all. Over time, these bunkers can shrink from the original size. Some of Pete Dye’s bunkers are small enough without getting smaller! This winter, most of the front nine was restored to their original size.

Dye Sodding Around Oak Trees:    The Dye Course has spectacular oaks that provide challenges. Historically, we have kept it bare under the trees, however, over time this creates a problem of soil runoff and exposes the roots of the trees. We have begun a program of sodding under selected areas. For example, under the large oak on 15, on the right on 18, and right of the landing area on the 16 fairway now have sod rather than only dirt.
This program will continue over the next few years.

In addition to these projects, some future ones to look for are:

  • Completion of the Nicklaus fairway project — probably the summer of 2014
  • Dye fairway management of encroachment — this will be an ongoing challenge but half the fairways will be addressed this summer and half next summer
  • Improvements to the Dye Course recommended by Pete Dye
  • Completion of the Nicklaus ponds — ponds 2 and 11 will be done next year
  • Root pruning to prevent encroachment on bunkers, cart paths, and roads

To read more about the continued maintenance and improvements of our courses, visit the Agronomy team’s blog.

Food & Wine Pairing to Enhance your Culinary Enjoyment

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By Chris Yarrison, Food & Beverage Service Manager

Wine Pairings

The first rule for everyone when pairing wine and food is to drink what you like. What you like to drink always takes precedence over any recommendation that someone might make. Start by thinking about the dish or meal as a whole. What are its dominant characteristics? Is it mild or flavorful? Is it fatty or lean? Is it rich or acidic? With these characteristics in mind, select a wine that will keep flavors in balance.

Next, match mild foods with mild wines. Match big, flavorful foods with big, flavorful wines. For example, pair a bold-flavored pepper steak with a spicy, bold red Zinfandel. Generally, you want to match the richness of the food and the richness of the wine. For example, pair a rich chicken in cream sauce with a rich Chardonnay.Pork Osso Bucco

 

Cleanse the palate with tannins or acids. If you’re eating a relatively rich, ‘fatty’ dish, such as beef steak, you want to drink a red wine with nice high tannins to help cleanse the palate. On the other hand, if you are eating fried chicken, which is also a rich and ‘fatty’ dish, than you want something like a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to contrast the meal.

Match acids with acids. If you’re eating a dish with a strong acidic content, such as shrimp with lemon or pasta with tomato sauce, pair it with an acidic wine that can keep up with the acids in the food. Acidic wines and cream don’t mix: rich cream sauces will usually clash with an acidic wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc. Think about it this way…If you squeezed lemon juice into a cup of milk, would it taste good?Citrus, Bacon, Poached Egg Salad

Strong spices, such as the hot chili peppers in some Chinese or Indian food, can clash and destroy the flavors in a wine. In most cases, wine is not the ideal beverage to drink. However, if wine is what you must have, consider something spicy and sweet, such as an off-dry Gewurztraminer or Riesling.

When in doubt, remember that foods generally go best with the wines they grew up with. So if you’re eating Italian food, think about having an Italian wine. This isn’t a requirement, but often helps simplify the decision.

Visit our Facebook page for photos from our last wine dinner featuring the Far Niente winery.

 

My Legend of Bagger Vance Experience

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By Member Terry McLoud

Legend of Bagger Vance at Colleton River

My wife Julia and I purchased our homesite at Colleton River in 1999 and began building our home that same year. We saw an ad about trying out for an extra role in the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance.” I had actually read the book by Steven Pressfield several years earlier and had a great personal interest in how they would adapt it into a movie as the Bagger Vance character was quite mystical in the book. So my wife and I went to one of the local schools to pursue our one chance for fame. As I recall my interview was a simple one asking about my background and my availability for the shootings, which were to be predominately at Colleton River with scenes at Jekyll Island, Savannah and Kiawah Island. One of the most important questions was whether I was a golfer and had ever been a marshal at a golfing event, which I was and had been. At the end of the process I was selected to be an extra as a marshal. My wife attributes her rejection over my selection to her being an Italian lady from California vs. a blue eyed guy with a southern background.

Next was the wardrobe appointment. I use the term ‘appointment’ loosely since it was an all day waiting experience for a 30 minute fitting. I will say that I was quite impressed with the wardrobe. To be as authentic as possible, all of the clothes were from private collections of the era of the film. So I was donned in a blue double-breasted pin striped suit, linen shirt, silk tie, leather shoes and the best of all, a properly fitting straw hat. I found out later the wardrobe crew was the same company that did the movie “Titanic.”

The movie location on the Pete Dye course was where we were building our home, so it was very convenient for me to participate. Because the film takes place in the 1920’s, the primary reason for selecting the Dye course, other than its close proximity to Savannah and its beauty, was that it was new with little active home development and all of the cart paths were gravel. The movie was filmed October and November of 1999, with a few retakes in the spring of 2000. The holes where most of the action occurred were #2, #4, #8, #10 and #17.

The first day was an experience. We were told to arrive at 5 am, and to park our cars at the fish hatchery located on Sawmill Creek Road near Colleton’s back gate. From there, trolly buses transported us to the staging area adjacent to the Dye course at the end of Double Eagle Drive. The first order of each day was to go to makeup. Women were required to have their hair done and men were required to receive a haircut all in the style of the period. Next we picked up our costume and proceeded to change in tents that were set up as changing areas. Then it was off to have a buffet breakfast.

My first impression of the process was there were many moving parts to the making of a film of this caliber. In this case you had a highly skilled director in Robert Redford, an award winning film director in Michael Ballhaus, and an experienced crew of actors in Matt Damon, Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Bruce McGill. The extra crew at the Dye course numbered about 200. We stood around quite a bit wondering if we were going to get our chance for stardom. A partial list of the Colleton residents participating as extras were Randy Randazzo, Matt Gates, Dr. Burt Must and Bob Stahl.

There were many memorable moments for me in the making of Bagger Vance. I was fortunate to be a marshal and was often next to the stars. In particular I had some significant “face time” when Walter Hagen made his appearance in his Stutz Bearcat, and I received direction from Redford to try to stop some boys who broke away from the gallery to pursue Hagen. Another time I was standing next to Charlize Theron when they were going to do a close-up, and the makeup people actually came out to do a touch-up on me! Unfortunately, the closeup was only of her and my face ended up on the cutting room floor. One rather tragic moment occurred when filming on hole #10 for the Junuh shot that landed in the water. Word came of the crash of Payne Stewart’s plane with six on board including Bruce Borland, designer of the Colleton 9-hole Par 3 course; very sad. As I said, earlier filming occurred places other than Colleton, but the World War I scenes were filmed in the wooded area adjacent to the 8th hole where they supplemented the area with fake trees. Other things of note were the use of a helicopter drone to film some of the golf shots, a prank on Matt Damon using an exploding golf ball, and seeing Damon, Smith and Redford toss around a football (quite well I might add) during down time.

The experience of participating in this film was terrific. It took place in my community and I still recall all of the scenes that were staged there when playing golf on the Dye course. It was my pleasure to be a small part of such a warm, family-friendly story which told of a mythical match of style, grace and honor.

NFL Season Wrap-Up: Minnesota Vikings

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by Member Leslie Frazier, Head Coach

Photo of Leslie Frazier - MN Vikings Head Coach

This NFL season has been one of the most exciting years in recent memory, and with so much parity in the league it has become tougher each year to predict who will be in the playoffs. The New York Giants won the Super Bowl a year ago after going 9-7. This year, with the same record they don’t even make the playoffs. On the other hand no one gave our team, the Minnesota Vikings, much of a chance to finish above .500. Our players ignored the experts and put together the greatest single season turnaround in team history, going from 3 wins in 2011 to 10 wins in 2012 which led to a playoff berth. I have been asked many times how we were able to do it. My answer has remained the same: hard work by our coaches and players along with a strong belief in one another. We got off to a fast start.

Vikings - 49ers Game PhotoWe opened our season against Jacksonville at home in front of our great fans. We won the game on a last second field goal by our rookie kicker Blair Walsh, a sign of things to come from Blair. At the end of the first quarter of the season, we were 3-1 with one of those wins coming against the San Francisco 49ers. We were determined to show everyone that our team could beat one of the best teams in the league. It seemed as if our entire team picked this day to have their best game.

Early on, a lot of the conversation surrounding our team centered on whether Adrian Peterson, our great running back, would be ready for our season, and how effective he would be after suffering a severe knee injury at the end of our 2011 season. Adrian worked hard throughout the offseason rehabbing his knee. Whenever I would talk with him about his goals for the 2012 season, he would often say I am going to come back and be better than I ever was. Of course when I would hear this, my response was how could he be better after an anterior cruciate ligament surgery, one of the most difficult injuries to come back from. During the beginning of the season we put Adrian on a pitch count. Our goal was to limit his carries to about 15 a game, hoping he would be stronger at the end of the season. There were times, as you can imagine, that this was frustrating for Adrian, but to his credit he trusted our judgment. He is that rare superstar that understands it’s about the team. I have been around a lot of great players and successful business people who think it’s all about them. We finished the first half of our season with a 5-3 record, which was two more wins than all of last season.

Adrian Peterson PhotoIn Week 9, we went on the road to face Seattle and played a close game we ended up losing. It was our 2nd straight loss and the team was frustrated. After the game as I spoke to the players, I challenged them to be 100 percent committed to winning and doing the work every day it takes to win on Sunday. We found ourselves at a crossroads with a 5-4 record after a pair of tough losses. Our next game was at home against Detroit, a big game against a divisional foe which we we won, moving us to 6-4 heading into our bye week. We felt at that time we controlled our own destiny, and we could still achieve the preseason goals we had set. We opened after the bye at Chicago and lost a hard-fought game before going to Lambeau Field to face our arch rivals, the Packers, and dropped a tough game. We were now 6-6 and had won as many games as some experts had forecast us to win in the season. It would have been easy for players to coast out the year and pat themselves on the back for being “OK,” improving over last season. But the makeup of our team and coaches wanted to be more than that – they wanted to be special. With four games left we knew we had to win them all to be a playoff team.

Adrian Peterson Game PhotoWe went on a 4-0 run to finish the season, beating the Bears at home, winning back-to-back road games against St. Louis and a playoff-bound Houston team, before coming home against our border rivals, Green Bay. The Packers game was football at its finest, a rivalry game with high stakes. If we won, we made the playoffs. If they won, they got the all-important 1st round bye in the playoffs. Along with that, Adrian was closing in on the NFL record for rushing yards in a season held by Eric Dickerson. The game lived up to its billing, and the lead changed hands throughout. We got the ball last and drove down the field. On our last offensive play, we ran Adrian and he got us into field goal range for Blair Walsh to kick the game winner, snapping a 5-game losing streak to the Packers and sending us to the playoffs with a 10-6 record. Adrian ended 9 yards short of the NFL record, but as he would say every time, he set us up for the win, which means more to him than record.

This sums up our team in 2012: a strong-willed group who counted on each other to get through the tough times and loved winning as a team.

As we approach Super Bowl 47, we couldn’t ask for more as the Harbaugh brothers bring their teams to face each other for the title – it captures how special the entire 2012 season has been. It’s hard for me to pick a winner because I’m close with both coaches, and have the utmost respect for each one. We can expect a great game and to put the finishing touches on a special season.

*Join us for a Super Bowl Party in the Nicklaus Clubhouse starting at 6pm this Sunday.

Building Kayaks for Bluffton Boys & Girls Club

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by Jim GroveKayak for Boys & Girls Club

Well I guess it all started back in 1993 when my wife and I met the Hickmans at the Wendy 3-Tour Tournament here at Colleton River. Like many other acquaintances you have during your working career, this one has almost developed into a new profession. In 2009, Steve Hickman and I started building kayaks and paddleboards to raise money for the Bluffton Boys & Girls Club. Steve had experience working with both the Boys & Girls Club in Adrian, Michigan and here in Bluffton, where his wife Sallie is an active member of the local chapter. Building kayaks to raise money for the Bluffton organization was an obvious decision, and so began “Strongback Boat Works.”

The project has been quite successful as we are in our fifth year, and have built three kayaks and two paddleboards to date. The kayak and paddleboard project last year took 200 man hours. While we have not kept track of this year’s time, we know it takes an average of 100 man hours to build one kayak. So far, the contributions to the Boys & Girls Club generated from our efforts have exceeded $12,000. Last year in Michigan, Steve’s summer kayak project was sold for $5,000, and someone matched this with a donation of another $5,000!

This year’s project started on October 27, 2012, and we actually finished the first week in January with the final coat of varnish and buffing. The project starts with a basic kit with the necessary pieces to assemble. The kit this year has a maple deck which we call the “Black Widow.” The kit costs in the area of $900 which is usually donated by Colleton members contributing $300 each.

2012 Kayak Project for Boys & Girls Club

The first step of the process is assembling the hull around provided ribs. It is then held together with copper wire on four inch centers, and the shape begins to form. You then place fiberglass over the outside of the hull which is covered with several coats of epoxy, dried and cured. The wire and ribs are removed after the first coating of epoxy. The kayak takes shape and the deck is assembled one strip at a time. The rest of the assembling is just a series of many clamps to help shape the cowling around the cockpit, glue, more fiberglass in areas that you need strength such as where you might sit on the deck, “goubyshmut” which is our favorite material for filling, forming where ever we may need it. After all of the assembling is complete, the finishing process begins.

The first kayak we made here we tried to build at the Boys & Girls Club in Bluffton. They actually gave us a key to the front door since we spent so much time there. Our thought was we could get young members to help us in the process. Surprisingly, the only volunteers we got were from the female members, but we could not get the dust to settle enough in the building to get a dust free surface on the boat. Once you have the surface you would like, the next step is rolling on varnish and brushing it out; one person rolls, the other brushes. After about the fifth coat of varnish you should have the final finish you want.

Strongback Boat Works LogoThe kayak project has been an adventure which we have really enjoyed. One of Steve’s daughters developed a Strongback Boat Works logo and had t-shirts made for us, our uniform of the day. The logo now appears on all of the boats we build. We do not know what it means, but Steve thinks it is an “old Indian motif,” whatever that may be. Interestingly, only one of the boats that we have built has ever entered the water, however all of the paddleboards have been used for water recreation. The kayaks have provided beautiful wall decorations though!

This year’s kayak will once again be auctioned off at the Boys & Girls Club Gala in March. We will have the kayak on display in one of Colleton’s clubhouses before the event. We are not planning to build another this year, but would certainly do so for a $5,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton.

Kayak for Boys & Girls Club

Colleton’s Marshes Abound with Fascinating Creatures

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By Karen AndersonColleton River Nicklaus Course Hole #4 and Beverly Jennings

Next time you stand on the No. 4 tee box of Colleton’s Nicklaus Course, look around the island into the marsh. you’ll see an estuary, which is the transition zone where freshwater from the uplands meets saltwater from the ocean. Estuaries can be further divided into upper, middle and lower depending on water types – fresh, brackish & saline. Who lives there and why?

Marshes and estuaries are home to plants of varying heights, colors and textures. When you walk across the bridge toward the green, look around, smell and enjoy the marsh habitat. Black needlerush provides the dark color contrast among the grasses. Spartina is a unique vascular plant that thrives in waters with high salinity. Both types of spartina (smooth and alterniflora) provide the “energy” in the marshes. Tides wash the plants twice a day with nutrient-rich waters, and the slaty soil conditions prevent competition from other plants. The roots of this perennial grass must be exposed to the air several hours per day in order to obtain oxygen.

The grasses die during the winter and, broken off by wind and waves, the dead stalks form large floating masses called “wrack.” In time, this wrack becomes water-logged, sinks and becomes covered with marine bacteria and fungi. The decomposition process takes two years and adds another layer of “pluff mudd.”

Spartina grasses are the basis of the coastal food web and the pluff mud, in which Spartina grows, is a wonderful source of decaying plant matter, algae, bacteria and microscopic organisms that hide in the sand. At the bottom, microscopic one-celled algae, or phytoplankton, are suspended in the water to create a nutrient soup called detritus (mother’s milk). Phytoplankton contain chlorophyll, produce food, release oxygen and are responsible for the green tint in summer and blue in the winter. They are carried by the currents and provide food for mud-eaters, such as Periwinkle snails, fiddler crabs, mud snails and insects, and filter feeders, such oysters, shrimp, mullet and nematodes. fiddler crabs and Periwinkle snails are common to Colleton.

Photo of Marsh Life in Colleton River

Fiddler crabs are omnivorous (eat both plants and animals) crustaceans and one acre is home to approximately one million crabs. They shed their shells as they grow and generally move sideways – the fiddle movement of the smaller feeding claw gives the crab its name. The male fiddler has one large claw (cheeped), which it uses to attract the females (by waving and gesturing), find food and to protect itself. If the fiddler loses its large claw, it will grow another one on the other side the next time it molts. Female fiddlers have two smaller claws. After molting, fiddlers generally hide because their temporarily soft shells make them very vulnerable. They pick up mud with their claws, put it in their mouth, remove anything useful for food and then spit out and ball up the remains. The sediment balls are visible outside the burrow. This aeration is vital to marsh health and cleaning.

Common Periwinkle (littorina irrorata) is an omnivorous, grazing intertidal Gastropod that attaches itself to Spartina grasses to pick up algae scum on the stalks. Through this activity, they also remove some of the tissue from the stalk itself, damaging the plant’s survival. Periwinkle is considered a delicacy in Scotland, Ireland, Africa and Asia, and is used as bait for catching small fish. This small marine gastropod mollusk has gills and an operculum (lid or flap covering) and uses its radula, or mouth, to scrape algae from rocks, grass and mud. If Periwinkle is not controlled by the blue crabs, they will overgraze the Spartina grasses. These mud-eater animals are food for the next level up the food chain, which includes fish, horseshoe crabs and birds. That will be another chapter!

A Letter from Santa

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Operation_Santa_Logo_2012December 18, 2012

To:  Colleton River Community
From:  Santa Claus, The North Pole
Subject:  Operation Santa Claus

A quick note before I get real busy up here at The North Pole to tell you what a great job you all did on Operation Santa Claus this year. I have to say for the 13th year in a row your ornament tree continues to grow with donations topping $34,000 this year. I can only say incredible and thank you one and all.

My lead elf tells me a record number of CRP shoppers bought beautiful clothes and toys for 284 of their neighbors in need. Mrs. Claus appreciates the gift of a fine piece of Children’s Literature to each of the children. I sure appreciate all the teenagers you sponsored this year. I know you couldn’t have done that job without the expert help of Colleton teens Abby and Russell Freed, Kate Cram and Hunter Boyd. I’ll be sure to put them at the top of my “nice list.”

Operation SantaMy elves are envious of the wrapping record that was set again this year by over 75 CRP wrappers. Wow!!! Over 1,500 packages wrapped in 2 hours. I sure wish I could find such good help at the North Pole. I understand the delivery teams in their trucks, SUVs, and cars have already delivered these packages. That sure beats my run in the sleigh!! I’ve been keeping track, and it looks like there has been more than 1,400 elf hours volunteered with shopping, wrapping, delivery and behind the scenes organizing. Alvin assures me the Habitat guys will deliver BackPack Buddies one last time before the holidays so no child Boys & Girls Clubgoes hungry. The Colleton elves sure know how to band together for a worthwhile cause.

I’ve been getting glowing reports from the agencies you support. Family Promise is so happy that I’ll have a sack full of gifts to deliver on Christmas morning to the homeless families being housed in our area churches. Some children in need from our hard fighting Marines stationed at Parris Island are getting needed clothing, shoes and toys. At Bluffton Self Help, one little girl made you a thank you card and wanted me to be sure to deliver it to the folks who made her family’s Christmas a little better.

Some teens identified by the McCracken and Bluffton Middle School social workers are having a holiday that’s a little brighter. Mrs. Claus reports the teens at the Boys & Girls Club can use their gift of a hand held electronic dictionary not only for word searches but also as language translators, and to get a head start on their SAT lists. They also enjoyed the pizza and the home baked chocolate chip cookies. I hope they saved some for me!Santas_Visit

It warms my heart to see the clothes closets for children in need filled at MC Riley, McCracken and Bluffton Middle Schools with pants, shirts, sweaters, hoodies and socks to keep the children warm. I just love to see the kids at the Children’s Center squealing with delight as they explore the world of learning through educational books, toys and learning materials you provided. But not to worry, there are some funds remaining for BackPack Buddies, the local food pantries, shoes for kids in the spring (their little feet grow so fast) and school supplies in the fall.

Colleton River has once again done a wonderful job, and I know that all of you have enjoyed the opportunity to give and your time together sharing this CRP holiday tradition.

Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night!
-Santa

*For more photos and video of Operation Santa Claus, please visit Colleton River on Facebook