On the Cover and Beyond
This beautiful shot of Kiawah Island’s world famous beach was captured by Jamie Rood. The dunes that run
along Kiawah’s beaches and are also common at the Island’s ends contain 340 acres of unique habitat and are important
for many reasons. Our loggerhead turtles nest along the primary dunes. Shorebirds also nest in these areas and the dunes
provide an important buffer for the Island when storms come through. Visitors and residents are always encouraged to
keep off the dunes and to keep pets far from them as well. Any intrusion into the dune areas can disturb the wildlife that
counts on it for protection. Shorebird nests, in order to be less visible to predators, are often almost invisible because they
blend in with the vegetation in the dunes. Any intrusion into the area could mean the destruction of a nest.
The beach and the adjacent dunes comprise only eight percent of Kiawah’s habitat types and the Kiawah
Conservancy focuses on preserving and maintaining all of our important habitats.
Kiawah Island Habitats
(with percentage of total Kiawah Island area)
• Intertidal Beach: 354 acres (4%) – Nesting and foraging space for a variety of shorebirds.
• Dunes: 340 acres (4%) – Provide a natural buffer for the Island and are important for sea turtle nesting.
• Maritime Shrub Thicket: 158 acres (2%) – The most important daytime resting cover for bobcats.
• Maritime Forest: 685 acres (8%) – The most diverse habitat on Kiawah, supporting a host of wildlife.
• Salt Shrub Thicket: 476 acres (6%) – A key space for painted buntings and other migratory songbirds.
• Tidal Salt Marsh: 3,798 acres (44%) – One of the most productive habitat types