The City of Isle of Palms is at it again, creating cool spaces, places and resources for locals and visitors alike, right here on our beloved island paradise.
As I blogged about last year, the City has opened a spacious new public dock and 16-foot wide pier on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It’s located at 50 41st Avenue, near the Isle of Palms Marina.
It’s already proven to be a popular spot for launching kayaks, canoes or stand-up paddleboards, gathering with friends, watching sunsets, relaxing on the wide swings, reading, eating a picnic lunch, fishing and watching bird and sea life.
The dock’s open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset and is completely free to use. And -- it’s just launched a cool new chapter.
A collaborative effort
Never one to rest on its laurels, the City has just made the IOP Public Dock even better. Now it’s a place where you can learn A LOT about the ecology and wildlife all around you - both in the air and underneath the water.
Officially known as the Isle of Palms Public Dock Eco-education Project, it’s the brainchild of former City Councilperson Susan Hill Smith. She collaborated with the City’s Environmental Advisory Committee, graphic designer Kaitlyn Hackathorn, local photographers and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Sponsors jumped on board to make it happen, including the Outpost at the Isle of Palms Marina, Barrier Island Eco Tours, and Islander 71 Fish House & Raw Bar. Funds also came from the accommodations tax funds… so if you’re here staying in one of EP’s Isle of Palms vacation rentals, we have you to thank, too! Give yourself a pat on the back.
All of this came together to produce something special.
It’s a sign! (actually, 14 of them)…
The end result is fourteen large signs chock full of cool info, eye catching graphics and great photos of what you see all around you, here on the Isle of Palms and the surrounding marshes and waterways.
They’re filled with fascinating facts, fit for all ages.
Like… Do you know the name for an adult male blue crab?
(Answer: A “Jimmy.” An adult female is called a “sook.”)
What are the three kinds of South Carolina shrimp people eat around here?
(Answer: Brown, white & pink).
The eco-educational signs stretch along the dock and walkways between the IOP Public Dock and Islander 71.
Seven of the signs tell all about “Salt Marsh Creatures” that live right nearby...
- productive marsh periwinkles
- salty seaside dragonlets
- feisty fiddler crabs
- multiplying marsh rabbits
- South Carolina shrimp
- unique diamondback terrapins
- snappy blue crabs.
As you’re reading the signs, just look up or down… and you may even see the very thing you’re reading about, right there in the wild!
The other seven signs tell about:
- Exploring the Inner Coast with its waterways and wetlands around the IOP;
- Fish life swimming underneath the dock and the importance of catch & release;
- Aquatic animals who may be swimming nearby (like bottlenose dolphins, Florida manatees and loggerhead sea turtles);
- Life in the salt marsh (cordgrass, salt, tides, phytoplankton, pluff mud and oysters);
- Sharing the Shore with the shorebirds of South Carolina;
- Fantastic birds who catch fish;
- Majestic wading birds.
For more info...
Check out the gallery below to see each sign. You can also read more about the project and see higher resolution images of the signs on the City’s website.
Next time you’re here staying in one of our IOP rental homes, be sure to head down to the IOP Public Dock and check out the signs you helped make possible. And reach out to us at EP to get on the books for your next stay in a Charleston beach house or one of our Isle of Palms oceanfront rentals.
All best,
Lowcountry Lisa
your Isle of Palms vacation blogger
