January 2024 Keeper’s Report
Happy New Year and welcome to your January 2024 Keeper’s Report!
“We only protect what we love, we only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.”
― Jacques-Yves Cousteau
If you have had the pleasure of joining our teams, building oyster reefs, planting spartina grass, removing pollution from your waterways and testing water quality, you know that eventually, it is so much more than just action. It is the understanding and the impact. Collectively, with that understanding and love of the water, we drive real change and the data proves it!
The First Annual, Rally for Clean Water Trash Tournament was born from this notion that organizing a strong community of committed waterway stewards results in real and lasting change for cleaner, healthier waterways, critical marsh habitat, rivers, creeks, and harbor for the next generation.
We invite you to join us for this powerful and fulfilling weekend of celebrating your waterways. You will have the opportunity to:
- Give back and allow us to continue the fight to protect and restore your waterways for the next generation.
- Be an active part of the change and impact with your friends, family, and loved ones – we are expecting to break records!
- Foster a love of the water and a lifetime of stewardship.
- Celebrate your waterways through hustle, live music, good food, community, crabbing, fishing, boating, and swimming.
- Grow your network and get connected with your community!
Charleston Waterkeeper is a community supported organization and we are able to serve as a strong and united voice for your harbor, rivers, and creeks thanks to YOU.
Let’s rally together and break some records for clean water!
News
Startling findings
The highest Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) found globally in marine mammals have been observed in bottlenose dolphins from Charleston. Learn more about this issue and where we stand.
Post and Courier: Read more
Headed in the right direction
DHEC is moving away from the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy around PFAS and 1-4 dioxane pollutants and holding polluters accountable. Knowing the source is the first step to safeguarding your waterways.
Live5 News: Watch today
Let’s think big picture!
Excellent reporting and important insights from Andrew Wunderley, stating,“We need to be thinking about these events as pollution events, not just flooding events,”
Live5 News: Watch today
Member Spotlight
Finding the beauty in all things wild.
What do wildlife photography, fly fishing, artistic brilliance, and a love and deep appreciation for our marine habitat have in common? Bre Drake!
Bre is the soul behind all of the design work and inspiration for Rally for Clean Water. She lives it and creates it! 🌊 🦪
📣 Clean Water Updates 🌊
Seed collection success! 🌱
We held our final seed collection event for the season back in December. Our volunteers helped collect 2.1 million seeds in 2023! Join us as we start planting those seeds!
Let’s keep it up! 💪🏼
Our first Adopt-A-Park cleanup of the year was last Friday and we were joined by an awesome crew from Charleston Bilingual Academy! Join us and Beach Santa every month to clean Hendricks Park!
In the bag! 🦪
We had an awesome crew of volunteers join us and DNR SCORE for a shell bagging event. Volunteers worked hard and prepped 965 bags of shell that will go back to your waterways!
Year-end wrap on Oyster Shell Sorting! 🙌🏼
We wrapped up the 2023 Shell Sorting season in December with a total of 1,705 lbs of debris removed from recycled oyster shells. Thanks to everyone that helped!
#ChasWaterkeeper
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!📰
We’ve got you covered in the news department and proud of the 2023 press round up that allowed your waterways to have a voice. Read up on what we are doing to protect your rivers, creeks, marshes and harbor. 🌊🎣🙌
Let’s Get Social
Don’t miss any of the action for clean water: especially the weekly bacteria testing data! Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and now LinkedIn!
