Join Us for a Conservation Matters & Our World Presentation...
Kiawah Island 1974-2014:
Celebrating 40 Years of Designing with Nature
On November 6, 2014, the Kiawah Conservancy and Our World series will co-sponsor a program, Kiawah
Island: 1974-2014 Celebrating 40 Years of Designing with Nature, to mark the 40th anniversary of “modern” Kiawah.
Its purpose is to inform residents about the state of the Island in 1974 and how the community has been developed to
preserve and maintain its legendary natural environment.
In 1974, the heirs of C.C. Royal sold Kiawah to the Kuwait Investment Corporation, and that group
commissioned an extensive environmental inventory of the Island as the basis for a master plan for development. This
inventory was published in 1975 and contains a wealth of information about the state of Kiawah Island in the latter part
of the 20th century. Mark Permar, an environmental architect, recently said that this report marked the beginning of the
development of the Island and observed that 2015 is “the 40th anniversary of the ‘modern’ era for Kiawah Island.” He
went on to say that “the foundation of a way of thinking set forth in the … environmental assessment … has always
been a significant differentiator when compared to other coastal new communities.”
The Environmental Science committee of the Kiawah Conservancy recently completed a review of much of the
1975 report. The committee focused on determining the effects of development on the environment and on identifying
topics that may need further study. The summary report, which brings together the committee’s work with information
from many other environmental studies on Kiawah, is available on the Kiawah Conservancy’s website (www.
kiawahconservancy.org).
The speakers at the symposium will include Professor John Mark Dean of the University of South Carolina, one
of the authors of the 1975 report, and Mark Permar, who has played a key role in planning Kiawah around its beautiful
natural environment. The program will also include a panel discussion involving representatives of every aspect of life
on Kiawah including the Town of Kiawah Island, the Kiawah Island Community Association, the Kiawah Island Golf
Resort and Kiawah Partners.
Reservations are required for this free program.
Please RSVP to the Sandcastle at 843-768-3875 or [email protected].
Wine and hors d’oeuvres are included as part of this complimentary public program.
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