Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2021

107 www.MountPl easantPodcas t . com | www. ReadMPM. com | www. I LoveMountPl easant . com feature acres of prime nesting habitat above the high tide line for coastal birds. Currently, about one half-acre of Crab Bank is visible at low tide and the erstwhile island turned sandbar is submerged during high tide. There is reason for optimism. At its peak, Crab Bank supported more than 5,000 nesting birds a season. One of only five South Carolina Department of Natural Resources-designated (SCDNR) seabird sanctuaries in the state, Audubon has also designated it a Globally Important Bird Area. Brown pelicans, royal terns, sandwich terns, black skimmers and American oystercatchers had historically nested here before storms and erosion washed it over. Within the last two decades, the maximum number of royal tern nests tallied at Crab Bank in a single breeding season peaked at a whopping 2,661, according to SCDNR Coastal Bird Project lead Felicia Sanders. One year’s breeding count recorded a high of 1,682 brown pelican nests. Black skimmers, whose state populations are declining, had just 500 nests in South Carolina in 2020. SCDNR once documented upward of 200 skimmers’ nests at Crab Bank. “We’re concerned about skimmers, and we’re excited to have another nesting area,” said Sanders. Besides helping birds, Crab Bank will benefit Mount Pleasant homeowners by serving as a buffer against wind and waves and providing protection against storms, explained Schillerstrom. The restoration has involved a broad public-private partnership that includes Audubon South Carolina, SCDNR, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Town of Mount Pleasant, Coastal Expeditions Foundation, the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, businesses and citizens. Sanders lauded the fundraising efforts of Audubon SC, Coastal Expeditions Foundation and the Coastal Conservation League that were instrumental in resurrecting Crab Bank, citing donations collected and a pivotal $700,000 grant Audubon SC obtained through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF). “Crab Bank brought together so many resources so we could expand our scope and do a better job of protecting birds,” said Sanders. More significantly, the collaboration established the South Carolina Coastal Bird Conservation Program (CBCP), a SCDNR- Photo by Tanya Da l es Des i gn & Photography. Get the Best Solution for Your Home and Budget. Reliable, upfront service for your home’s A/C, heating, plumbing & gas Make Us Your 1st Choice! BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT 843-518-1479 1stChoiceforAC.com Photo by Stan Foxworthy