Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2020

15 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.VOICEofMPpodcast.com A s we all navigate the murky waters of change, some have leaped into healthy, fun or unusual hobbies. With more time on our hands, locals have taken up new activities to make the best of the situation — and found their latest loves. More than 45 million people watch birds around their homes, making birding one of the fastest growing hobbies in the U.S. Kimber McFadden has labeled herself “a quintessential bird nerd.” Her backyard is adorned with feeders and nesting boxes. She even has a camera mounted in the nesting box and is thrilled to watch baby birds hatching, growing and eventually flying away. She also enjoys feeding hummingbirds right out of her hand. “I’ve had many traditional, hanging hummingbird feeders. But with more time on my hands, I learned about handheld hummingbird feeders. I burst into tears the first time that I felt their fluttering wings. It was like witnessing the miracle of life — beauty in the world, right in your hand,” she said. Another growing trend is gardening. Danielle Howley has long been an advocate of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She enjoys nurturing and eating fresh, clean produce right from her own garden, including citrus fruits, raspberries and blueberries, plus a vast amount of lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, squash and more. She recently discovered the joys of growing a variety of everyday foods in her flourishing hydroponics tower garden. “Hydroponics allows me to grow a wide variety of fresh produce in water, rather than soil. It takes little space, and you only need an electrical plug to power the recycling water. We have a long growing season here in Charleston, which makes this climate ideal for growing your own food.” Howley noted. “COVID-19 pushed me into overdrive to be more self-sufficient in producing healthy fruits and vegetables for my family,” she added. On a more serious note, another increasing trend is the purchase and use of firearms for hunting or protection. I spoke with Ted Mikkelsen, range master and range safety officer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. He shared his personal views, which are not necessarily the views of SCDNR. “Yesterday was a record number of 192 people coming out to use the firing range. It has been steadily increasing each weekend, even during the weekdays. Some had to wait an hour or less to use the range at Twin Ponds this weekend,” Mikkelsen pointed out. There are two main types of firearms that people are purchasing since the coronavirus outbreak. “Rifles are purchased so that people can hunt deer or wild boar to feed their families. Being self-sufficient and putting food on the table is on many people’s minds,” Mikkelsen explained. He added: ”Handguns are being purchased for self protection and the threat of someone entering your home. If someone is desperate for toilet paper, what else could they be desperate for? We are just looking at the world differently now. People are being cautious and wanting to be prepared. We just don’t know where we are headed right now, and people want to be ready.” On a lighter note, there is no greater joy than adding a pet or two — or five — to your family. Nico and Erika Sprotti had been toying with the idea of raising chickens in the backyard. They decided to buy four adult hens to supply them with fresh eggs each morning. In addition, the Sprotti family also fostered three puppies for Eunoia Rescue and decided to keep one. “When else would I have five months at home with my children? We wanted to make the most out of this opportunity to be together.” said Erika Sprotti. “And what other time could I help raise puppies and see such joy in my children?” When asked if they would do this all over again with so many animals in such a short time, the Sprottis replied in unison, “maybe in the next pandemic!” BY JULI KAPLAN Pandemic Pastimes Locals Embrace New Pursuits Photo by Juli Kaplan. feature Danielle Howley started a hydroponics tower garden.