Sullivans Island MarshSweep Cleanup!

The Sullivan's Island causeway is a trashy sight, and because of the timing of this year's Beach/River Sweep, we were not able to get out into the marshy areas where a lot of the trash is located. However, the Sea Grant organizers tell us that it is not too late to do another cleanup and submit the data for this year's compilation...

So, if you like to skate on the marsh mud, or just love to get out and enjoy the glorious marsh landscape as weather cools, please join us in a low tide version of Marsh Sweep, at the SI Causeway, on Saturday, October 6. We will meet on the Sullivan's side of the bridge at 9:30, and work for a couple of hours.

Dress to get dirty, and wear old sneakers or some other type of footwear that won't come off in the mud (flip flops and boots don't work...). Gloves, bags, data sheets, water and snacks will be provided.

Please call the site coordinator listed below to sign up and reserve a spot for yourself and some friends!

Diane Lauritsen, Site Coordinator
843-822-0822
ddlauritsen@comcast.net

Annual SC Beach Sweep and River Sweep

Its that time of year again to show your respect for our beaches!

Help turn this:

Into this:

Charleston's beaches see a lot of visitors throughout the summer and they need your help.

On September 15th volunteers nationwide will be scouring the beaches and rivers of our country to clean up litter and debris left by visitors and deposited on our beaches by storms and boats.

Coastal Expeditions will be organizing a collective volunteer force to clean up Bull Island's six mile long beach. Even though the island is a part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, tons on marine debris wash up on Bull Island and over the course of the year it sure adds up. Take advantage of the opportunity for a free ferry ride out to Bull Island! Enjoy a great sense of fulfillment and well-being by cleaning up a national treasure.

You will need to reserve a spot for yourself and your friends as this trip has limited space available. Please call our headquarters at 843-884-7684 to make a reservation before all the spots are filled!

New! We have recently added an additional offering! Our Creeksweep will be taking place the morning of Saturday, September 15th at the Folly Beach public boat landing. Free kayaking for those adventurous souls willing to pick up trash out of the marshes along Folly River next to the bridge and landing. This event will take place from 9 to 12 and again, its FREE!

As boat availability is limited, please call our headquarters at 843.884.7684 to reserve your boats!

Beach Sweep/River Sweep is South Carolina's largest one-day volunteer cleanup event of its kind. Every 3rd Saturday in September, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., thousands of South Carolinians clear beaches, rivers, lakes, marshes, and swamps of aquatic debris. The cleanup, organized by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and S.C. Department of Natural Resources, has taken place annually since 1988 – when Sea Grant first started it.

The Sweep takes place in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy. Once the Sweep is over, The Ocean Conservancy tallies all of the debris data. This data helps us learn the sources of litter so we can stop pollution before it starts.

For further information on volunteering elsewhere in the Charleston area, please visit the SC Beach Sweep / River Sweep website.

Moonlighting on the water

We will be offering our next full moon paddle expedition in just a few weeks at the end of September, Thursday the 27th. Meeting at our Shem Creek location at 6:30 pm, we should have plenty of time to embark before the moon rise that evening.
This kayak tour will last approximately 2.5 hours with the initial hour or so enjoying the setting sun and the rising moon and the final hour paddling by the light of the full moon as we float our way back.
This promises to be an exceptional experience, so please call today to reserve some spots for yourself and your friends. 843.884.7684

Hope to see you on the water!

Morris Island Lighthouse Adventures

Come and explore Morris Island, South Carolina's newest protected barrier island. Located between the Charleston Harbor and Folly Beach, Morris Island provides miles of pristine beaches, civil war history, and a picturesque lighthouse being reclaimed by the sea. The island, previously slated for development, will soon be part of a state land trust, preserving its wonderful natural and historic treasures.

For further info check out Morris Island Coalition and Save the Light, Inc.
Save the Light is a grass roots non-profit organization that was formed to attempt to keep the Morris Island Lighthouse from being lost to the sea.

Better yet, come explore on our unique and exciting 3/4 day (4.5hr) kayak adventure. The trip will include a beach launch, inlet navigation by the lighthouse, shelling and exploration on Morris Island, and finally meandering through the salt marsh estuaries to arrive back at our private landing at Crosby's Seafood. This is one of our most adventurous trips so bring a snack and a sense of adventure. Being a tidally dependent trip, we only offer this at select times throughout the month.

Call Coastal Expeditions at 843-884-7684 to book your spot today.

East Branch of the Cooper River - Freshwater estuary

The dog days of summer are numbered, and now is the time to explore the upper reaches of the historic cooper river.

Once the center of a bustling rice culture, the now "ghost river" provides miles of pristine fresh water to explore with alligators, osprey, Mississippi kites, wood storks, and an array of other fresh water loving critters.

We will begin our adventure on one of the narrow side creeks, follow it out to the main eastern branch of the Cooper River, and paddle downriver to our lunch spot. For lunch, we will stop at the picturesque Pompion Hill Chapel.

Built in 1764, this treasure stands as one of the earliest and best preserved country parish chapels in the area. Originally built in 1703 from cypress wood, the current structure in a miniature brick Georgian masterpiece. The parish was constructed by the Huguenots for a place of worship for the plantation families separated from Charlestons famous Huguenot Church.

After lunch, we will explore some abandoned rice fields as we follow the tide back up river, eventually following a separate water course to our final takeout. This trip is a "full day", usually lasting around 6hrs from start to finish. The cost is $88 per person for everything needed except lunch.

This trip can be offered almost any day, so call us to book your adventure. 843-884-7684