The Ebb & Flow BLOG

The Ebb & Flow: March, 2021

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the first edition of The Ebb & Flow, a monthly newsletter that will take the place of our former weekly communication known as The President’s Log. We hope you enjoy this new format! March is Women’s History Month, and there are so many reasons for us to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions women have made, specifically, to conservation. 

As I reflect on my early conservation career, I had the great fortune to tag along with my boss on dozens of property visits. I learned very quickly the art and science of conservation easement monitoring, and the perks that go along with it—lunches at rural barbecue restaurants on remote country roads, gator rides through the swamp, learning about water control structures, what to plant for turkeys, and the list goes on.  The best part, though, was being around landowners—hearing stories about their families, their land management philosophy, their vision for the future, and occasionally some harmless gossip about the neighboring landowners. 🙂   

There was one female landowner who made a particularly significant impression on me. I always looked forward to visiting her and riding around her property. Year after year, I could clearly see the fruits of her investment in wildlife habitat—from planting longleaf pine to managing inland rice fields. She had a working farm operation on the property, and it was not unusual to ride up to her house just moments after she had literally birthed a farm animal, barely breaking a sweat. She struck me as fearless, formidable, and having absolutely zero time for foolishness, but loving her life on the land, and taking great care of the people and animals around her. She knew every square inch of the property for which she was responsible, and took her role very seriously. Her farm truck had a sticker on it with the well-known saying “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” The image of those words, and her truck, are emblazoned in my memory. She inspired me to be bold, embrace my calling to protect land, and to “misbehave” every once in a while. 

In honor of Women’s History Month, I celebrate this particular landowner and her many contributions to conservation in the Lowcountry, and I commend all women who live their lives in the care and keeping of land. You know who you are. Keep rocking it. 

Your biggest fan,

Ashley Demosthenes
President & CEO
Lowcountry Land Trust



THE EBB & FLOW: WOMAN IN CONSERVATION
an interview with Pam Porter

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are celebrating the women in our community who have taken a stand to protect the Lowcountry. We were delighted to speak with Lowcountry landowner, conservation easement donor, and sustainable forestry advocate, Pam Porter of Bailey Mill Plantation, to get her thoughts on why sustainable forestry and conservation are so important to her.

Pam holds a Masters of Healthcare Administration from Seton Hall University and a Masters of Industrial Psychology from Western MI University. She is currently on the Operating Committee of the American Forest Foundation, Women Forest Congress, Board of Port Royal Sound Foundation, SC Conservation Bank Board, and the SC Forestry Association Board. She is also working with others to develop a forestry app and is working with Clemson University to review the design of their log truck.

The land that Pam and her husband, Jim, own is located in Jasper County and includes two American Tree Farm Certified parcels. Additionally, the Porters have placed a portion of that property under a conservation easement held by Lowcountry Land Trust to ensure their land will forever remain forest land.


OTHER NEWS

Protecting Coastal Wetlands: $5 Million in grants awarded to SCDNR and SC Conservation Bank to protect coastal wetlands. Read more.

New Plan for Highway 41: Charleston county offers a new plan after Phillips Community threatened. Read more.

Workshop—Forestry Ethics: Join Clemson Extension and Dr. Patricia Layton on April 2 from 12:30 – 2:00 pm for a discussion of ethics in the forestry profession. Click to register.

Webinar—Conserving Berkeley County: Coastal Conservation League, Audubon South Carolina, and Lowcountry Land Trust are hosting a webinar on March 26 at 12:00 pm to discuss the history and ecology of Berkeley County and how a conservation fund will help preserve culture, heritage, landscape, and quality of life. Click to register.

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