Berkeley Journal Volume 3

The Legend of The Longleaf

Discoveries at Historic Fort Fair Larn

The Diversity of Scotswood Plantation

vol. 3

berkeley journal

A River Runs Through It The Ashley River carries with it the very essence of who we are: from the ancient swamps and forests to fields and farmlands, to the marled soil of the tributaries that create South Carolina’s Black Pearl.Â

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WELCO ME

It’s often said that the land is not ours, but rather something we borrow from our children. Since joining Lord Berkeley in June, I’ve been humbled by the work that has brought this organization to the place it is today, a professionally staffed organization with a rapidly expanding conservation footprint of over 40,000 acres. “Thank you to all our members, supporters, funders, partners, board members, staff and landowners who have made this 26-year success story possible!”

An Upstate native, Chris moved to the Lowcountry in 1996 to join Westvaco as a District Forester.

Over the next 20 years, he worked for some of the most recognizable names in conservation: Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and Lowcountry Land Trust; and gained valuable experience in real estate, philanthropy, and land management. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science from Lander College and a Master of Science from Clemson University. Chris also volunteers with the Land Trust Alliance and the Costal Community Foundation. He and his wife, Kathryn, have two children, William and Emma.

I also respect the fact that the work we are doing today is on loan from those who will follow me. It is indeed an awesome privilege to step into this role at this particular point in time. My own connection to the land and our mission is deeply personal. Early in life, I spent most of my time in the woods enjoying a property our family owned in Anderson County and canoeing the Saluda River, a river that eventually makes its way to the Santee! Those experiences hunting, fishing and enjoying the outdoors led me to a degree in forestry from Clemson University, a career with Westvaco, a life in the Lowcountry and ultimately my passion – conserving land.

The critical need for our work is not hard to articulate. The Charleston Region is experiencing unprecedented growth in terms of people and infrastructure. While economic prosperity is good, we must also conserve what matters most – the place we love. Our scenic waterways, wetlands, forests, fields and coastal marshes are something we should not take for granted. They produce clean water and air, store flood waters, support wildlife populations and healthy fisheries, enhance biological diversity and allow for a strong tourism-based economy.

Please consider how you might help support our work by visiting the giving-back section.

In this issue of the Journal, we’re highlighting one of our focal landscapes, the Ashley River Headwaters. The Ashley River is a special place steeped in history, culture and natural splendor. Some are unaware that the Ashley begins its journey deep in Berkeley County. You will also find project highlights from this past year as well as a landowner segment about the longleaf pine ecosystem. Please know that we are glad to point you to additional resources should you so desire. Our hope is that this issue will be interesting, enlightening and prompt you to connect with us soon!

Chris

Chris Vaughn Executive Director P.S. Note that we have a new office in downtown Moncks Corner – come see us!

Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust Board of Directors Al Kennedy Andrew Dennis Ronnie Givens Parker Hill

Alice Helmly Barry Jurs Joe Kelley Jeff Lord

Mac McQuillin Rick Quagliaroli Ryan Bowles Will Umphlett

Ryan Wenzel Sarah Windham

Cover photo by Edistor River Adventures. Inside cover photo by Jacquie Connors lordberkeley.org 2019

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Frequent fire created an understory of grasses and other plants that would further define what is now known as the longleaf pine ecosystem. With more than 300 plant species and nearly 200 reptile, amphibian, bird and mammal species, some researchers believe the longleaf pine ecosystem rivals rainforest diversity on a small scale.

Unfortunately, over the course of just a few decades in the late 1800s and early 1900s, frequent fires were extinguished and the longleaf was replaced with faster growing species that could fuel the continued growth of the South. This majestic landscape which once covered an estimated 8 million acres in South Carolina, now occupies less than 500,000 acres of its original range in our state.

Legend of the Longleaf “We f ind ourselves on the entrance of a vast plain which extends west sixty or seventy miles…. This plain is mostly a forest of the great long-leaved pine, the earth covered with grass, interspersed with an inf inite variety of herbaceous plants, and embellished with extensive savannas, always green, sparkling with ponds of water….”

William Bartram, 1791, Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia,…​ When European settlers first arrived in the Southeast, they found vast expanses of seemingly endless longleaf pine timber, a resource that would support the needs of their families and launch a robust timber industry and ship building industry.

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Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust is honored to hold easements on properties like Oakland, Scottswood, and Grimke where longleaf pine management is a priority.

Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust is honored to hold easements on properties like Oakland, Scottswood, and Grimke where longleaf pine management is a priority. And we’re equally committed to supporting landowners who have a desire to learn more and secure resources to promote longleaf on their own property.

Federal, state, and non-profit organizations provide not only technical assistance, but also offer financial support to help plant longleaf and native plants, plow firebreaks, burn, and control invasive species.

If you have an interest in restoring or enhancing longleaf pine on your property, we would like to hear from you. There’s an abundance of avenues and options that can help you achieve your objectives. We would be glad to have that conversation and help you find the resources you need.

Silver Plate Button, 71st Regiment of Foot

Silver Plate Button, 71st Regiment of Foot

Iron Skeleton Key

Fort Fair Lawn: Uncovered

by Doug Bostick, Executive Director, South Carolina Battleground Trust

In historic interpretation, archaeology is a valuable tool in understanding the past – letting the land tell the stories. This is certainly true at Fort Fair Lawn.

The fort itself was used for defensive purposes. The British garrison camped outside the fort, but where?

The archaeology survey, recently completed, yielded some of those answers.

There was not one camp associated with Fort Fair Lawn but several camps. As one regiment replaced another, they set up their own camp outside the redoubt. Recovered buttons identify some of the troops that served there. Recovered lead balls yield the identity of the types of weapons used by the troops. Other artifacts tell us how some troops passed time dealing with the monotony of camp life.

One artifact recovered was a Spanish 8 Reale coin – “pieces of eight.”

Together with the archival research, the Lord

Berkeley Conservation Trust and the South Carolina Battleground Trust can start interpreting the stories of Fort Fair Lawn … the stories of the Revolutionary War. The Fort Fair Lawn project is more than simple land conservation. It’s an opportunity to interpret the founding of our country. The first trail for visitors is being prepared. We’ll soon be ready to share the stories of this fascinating part of our history.

In September 2016, the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust secured $2 Million needed to purchase the historic Fort Fair Lawn site along with eighty surrounding acres. Over the last 3 years a thorough archeological review of the site was completed, and a masterplan was developed for the property to eventually be used as a public park. The site is permanently protected with a conservation easement held by the SC Battleground Trust in order to uphold its archeological, historical and natural integrity.

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A

RIVER

RUNS

TH

R

HROUGH

The Ashley River carries with it the very essence of who we are: from the ancient swamps and forests to fields and farmlands, to the marled soil of the tributaries that create South Carolina’s Black Pearl. by SUSAN FRAMPTON

IT

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Photo by Virgil Bunao.

Opposite photo by Coastal Expeditions

A River Runs Through It

photo by Robert Rawlings

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” Norman McClean wrote the words about a beloved river that helped to define his life - much in the way that the Ashley River has that of the people and places it has touched for centuries on its journey to the sea.

His words speak an indisputable truth that resonates with many, for the river carries with it the very essence of who we are: from the ancient swamps and forests to fields and farmlands, to the marled soil of the tributaries that create South Carolina’s Black Pearl.

The unique culture of the Lowcountry has long revolved around the life of this river. Its waters delivered to the shoreline those who claimed it as their own and would fight to keep it for their children and their children’s children. From the fertile soil along its banks, mighty oaks rose to shade both those who rested and those who labored. On its rising tide, the world sailed to our doorstep, and on its ebb tide, the goods proudly produced were launched out into the world.

Many do not realize that the broad, saltwater river that leads to Charleston and the ocean beyond begins its journey to the sea some 60 miles upstream. An age-old question asks of us, “How will our children know who they are if they don’t know where they come from?” The same might be asked of the Ashley River. To truly know it – to fully appreciate its contributions to our past, present, and future, we must understand where it comes from, and the significance of each mile of its journey.

It begins in the shelter of ancient live oaks, amidst the knobby knees of cypress trees in Berkeley and Dorchester Counties, far upriver from the plantations that draw thousands of visitors to Charleston. Outside Ridgeville, the rough-hewn cabins of Cypress Methodist Campground form a rectangle facing an open-sided shelter lined with wooden pews.

It is a community built around Cypress Swamp. The primitive wooden “tents” have a front-row seat, perched on the ridge that is the highest point in the headwaters area of the Ashley River.

“This has long-been holy ground for this community,” says Lynn Hoover, 8

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photo by Jacquie Connors

photo by Coastal Expeditions

who grew up just down the road. “Each October for over 200 years, worshippers have returned to the site for a week of revival and rejuvenation. The earliest records of Camp Meeting being held here date back to a 1794 entry in the journal of Methodist circuit rider Francis Asbury, but we know it goes back much farther.”

The Cypress Swamp, over thirty miles upstream from the plantations of navigable water, was essential to early life in this region. Settlers here employed inland swamp rice-growing technology, a method largely overlooked in contrast to tidewater rice production. Remnants of dikes built to facilitate the grain’s growth are still evident in many areas. Centuries after pioneers first recognized the importance of the beauty and resources, the community’s concern for its well-being is ingrained in the DNA of its citizens.

From these swamps, the Ashley River sets out as a blackwater stream, stained to the deep, rich color of tea by decaying vegetation. As it travels through the diverse landscape, tributaries join to increase its volume.

With each addition, the river transforms from fresh and blackwater to brackish, to saltwater and tidal, and each creates a distinctly different ecosystem. As they have throughout history, the vast range of plants, animals, and other resources supported by the river add ever-changing color to the portrait of the Ashley painted by time.

Through the centuries, when asked, the river has answered and served its people well. Once, rice was the primary crop for prosperous plantations built along the waterway, and the Ashley River provided access for barges and other vessels to connect the plantations to world markets. But in the years following the Civil War, the needs of the region changed. As rice production declined, the Ashley once again answered, offering up the resources of its watershed.

Large tracts along the river were consolidated for commercial timber production. As vast deposits of phosphate-laden marl were discovered, docks began to dot the shoreline to accommodate barges carrying phos-

photo by Jacquie Connors

phate mined from the adjacent land. By 1885, the region produced onehalf of the world’s phosphates, but production began to decline when new sources were discovered elsewhere. By 1938, the phosphate boom was over. Mining brought much-needed prosperity, but in its wake, a dramatic environmental bill was left to be paid.

By mid-century, rather than surrender to the high phosphorus residue of phosphate mining, those who would see the river restored and revered for its historical, natural, and cultural contributions took note. More importantly, they began to take action. In 1976, under the South Carolina Scenic Rivers Act of 1974, the portion of the Ashley River from Summerville’s Bacon’s Bridge downstream to Bull’s Creek was declared eligible for designation as a State Scenic River. Still, it was imperative that those who had taken the river for granted for decades recognize that the river that had given us our identity was in danger of losing its own.

In the years just before the new millennium, the tide began to turn.

Through the establishment of the Ashley Scenic River Council, and implementation of the Ashley River Management Plan, the generosity of the Ashley River began to be recognized and reciprocated. In 2014, the Ashley River Blue Trail was created to help communities to explore the river through fishing, boating and wildlife watching. In turn, the Blue Trail helps efforts to improve recreation and tourism, benefit local businesses and the economy, and protect river health and wildlife.

Today, due to the efforts of individuals, landowners, communities, local governments, and conservation organizations, tremendous strides have been made. The Lowcountry’s unique resources and quality of life have led to its ranking as one of the most rapidly growing regions in the country. Since its inception, Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust (LBCT) has worked with landowners, industry, regional planners, and other conservation partners. Its goal is to find a balance between growth and development, and to help preserve the sustainability of traditional land uses, water quality, farming and wildlife habitats, and outdoor recreation. Recently, along with like-minded organizations, LBCT was a participant in

photo by Robert Rawlings

photo by Jacquie Connors

a project to conserve some of the last undeveloped waterfront along the Ashley River and to restore wetlands in the King’s Grant development for a public park, walking trail and canoe and kayak launch owned and operated by the City of North Charleston.

But upstream, where the majority of the land along the headwaters is forested, farmed or serves as wildlife habitat, it is not protected, leaving it particularly vulnerable. “Of all the areas LBCT works, the Ashley River Headwaters is perhaps the most threatened of all due to its proximity to I-26 and associated development pressures,” says Chris Vaughn, newly appointed LBCT Executive Director. “Land use in the headwaters impacts every community downstream. Urban growth in this region is unavoidable, but that is precisely why we need to protect the full-length of the Ashely River corridor while we still have the opportunity.”

This year, along with Weyerhaeuser, LBCT announced the permanent protection and restoration of Big Run. Made up of 2,485 acres and six miles of braided streams in Berkeley County, Big Run contains critical wetlands within the Ashley River’s headwaters, and it is part of a larger conservation initiative to create a greenbelt around the Charleston Metro area.

The Big Run parcel includes parts of a braided stream system near the southern edge of Lake Moultrie. The easement serves as an anchor, and hopefully a catalyst that will lead to land protection along the headwaters.

“These types of cooperative efforts are the key to preserving a positive future for the Ashley River and others like it,” says Vaughn. “The cost of doing nothing is simply unacceptable.”

If we are wise, the very essence of South Carolina will continue to be carried into the future on the clear waters of an outgoing tide to tell the world who we are, and what we value. For the words are as true for the Lowcountry today as they have been since we first saw the sunlight on the water: “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” lordberkeley.org 2019

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PROJECTS

Scotswood Plantation “Scotswood is sacred ground for our family. My wife’s father hunted bobwhite quail at Scotswood with his close friend Wilbur Smith for many years before we acquired the property. Our family wants the flatwoods that compose Scotswood to be preserved in perpetuity. The easement granted to Lord Berkeley makes that possible” Barclay McFadden, Landowner, Scotswood Plantation. This strong conservation ethic and the remarkable diversity of the property led Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust (the “Trust”) to accept the donation of a conservation easement on Scotswood Plantation in June of this year.

Scotswood, a 3,600-acre property in Williamsburg County possesses exceptional stands of mature longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) where frequent prescribed fires promote native grasses and a diverse understory featuring plant species such as American chaffseed (Schwalbea americana), hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor) and toothache grass (Ctenium aromaticum). “Scotswood is simply one of those iconic ‘quail woods’ plantations that stuns me from an

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aesthetic and wildlife management viewpoint every time I visit. With an overstory of mature longleaf pine and an incredible diversity of native grasses and plants, it’s an ecosystem not often seen,” commented Chris Vaughn, Executive Director for the Trust.

Fire is natural to the longleaf pine ecosystem and an essential management tool for the foresters and managers of Scotswood. In addition to reducing understory competition that promotes growth for longleaf, fire opens up room for a rich seed bank that is often times suppressed by the absence of fire or infrequent burning. “This property is so well managed with fire, and the understory so well intact, that a rare, federally endangered plant, American chaffseed, occurs in several locations across the property. There are also several groups of the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Red-cockaded woodpeckers require mature, fire-maintained pine forests for their survival,” commented Jason Ayers, Coastal Program Coordinator, US Fish and Wildlife Service. Like many southern pines, longleaf has

adapted for frequent burning. The bark insulates its vulnerable inner cambium from the heat of the flames, allowing managers to burn without harming the overstory trees.

Big Run

foremost, the company owns one of the largest timberland holdings in rural Berkeley County which through legacy companies it has owned since the 1930s. This stable platform of land ownership based on timber production is a model for conservation in and of itself. As a forester, I have always had a sense of pride in providing for the needs of society, such as timber, but also for other essential ecosystem services such as clean drinking water, flood control, and healthy rivers and streams. That’s why I care about projects like this and the reason I believe the good people at Weyerhaeuser care as well.”

Weyerhaeuser Company’s 2385-acre Big Run property in rural Berkeley County has the potential to become as much of an anchor to the headwaters of the Ashley River as the historic plantations are to the river’s downstream sections near Charleston Harbor. In March 2019, the Trust accepted a conservation easement on this key property. “Our partnership with Weyerhaeuser is significant on many levels,” commented Chris Vaughn. “First and

In the coming months and even years, Weyerhaeuser will be diligently working to restore wetland species on the site and enhance hydrologic and wetland function. “Weyerhaeuser has always been a company with a strong stewardship ethic toward the land and our work across the nation reflects those values,” commented Doug Hughes, Weyerhaeuser Company’s. Hopefully the trust’s focus on this geography will excite additional interest in its long-term conservation.

Scotswood also contains nearly 700 acres of wetlands, the majority of which are headwaters of Ox Swamp with some inclusions of Spring Valley Swamp, tributaries of the Black River.

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GIVING

Learn more about donating by contacting Chris Vaughn at chris@lordberkeley.org, or Adair Roark at adair@lordberkeley.org.

“Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust approaches land protection with an eye towards biodiversity while remaining probusiness. It’s this balance that first attracted me to their organization nearly 30 years and why I continue to support through board involvement and personal giving.”

Ronnie Givens Retired CPA Dixon Hughes Goodman

24%

31%

GIVING 2019

5%

40%

Our work depends on the support of individuals, foundations, businesses and community organizations collaborating to conserve the special places in our community. Whether you choose to give money, land, or stock, we promise to steward your gift as careful ly as we steward our land and water.

Membership benefits invitations to exclusive member -only events, periodic newsletters, project announcements; and, unless you would prefer to remain anonymous, we will list your name as a donor in our newsletter.

We invite you to become a supporter and join us in conserving these important lands and waters that make this place we all call home special.

Learn more at lordberkeley.org/giving

Foundations

Government

WAYS TO GI VE • Simply Give • Give from your IRA • Give Through Your Workplace • Donate Stock • Donate Land • Wills, Trusts, & Other Gifts • Corporate Opportunities

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Business

Individual

“We support the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust because we believe in the work they are doing. The work the Trust does affects the entire community. Industry is good for the community, and family farms are too.

We want our farm to be a place for the community to be able to come to relax, learn and, of course, enjoy our berries!”

Walter Earley Hickory Bluff Farm

OUR DONORS

Businesses Audubon Berkeley County Soil & Water Conservation Barony Financial Group Berkeley County Cainhoy Plantation Capital Concrete Charleston Appraisal Services Contract Construction Davis & Floyd Design Works, LLC Dial-Murray Funeral Home Dupont Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP Gramling Brothers Real Estate Development, Inc. Guggenheim Partners Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd Hickory Bluff Berry Farm Home Telecom Land Trust Alliance Nucor Steel Berkeley Pacolet Milliken Enterprises Palustrine Group.

Pet Rest Cemetery & Cremation Service R.N. Shepard Investments Russell Funeral Chapel SC Conservation Bank South State Bank Thomas & Associates Thomas & Hutton The Avery Company, Inc. The Williams Company Thomas & Hutton U.S. Fish & Wildlife Williams & Hulst Foundations Ceres Foundation Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Henry M. Blackmer Foundation Mills Bee Lane Memorial Foundation Pathfinder Foundation The Ceara Donnelley & Nathan Berry Fund

Weyerhaeuser Foundation Lords Proprietor Giving Circle Anonymous Terry & Susan Blackwell Todd Crosby Sylleste Davis Andrew Dennis Markley & Jan Dennis Ronnie & Nancy Givens Jonas Glenn Ben Gramling Guggenheim Family Will & Alice Helmly Al & Dana Kennedy Bobby M. Mead John & Ellen Morgan Linda Morse Robbie Morse Glenn McConnell Rick Quagliaroli Diane Rozier Kathy Rozier Robert & Greg Royall Richard & Linda Slack Gray Soapes John Tiencken J. Raleigh & Hall West, III Larry & Sarah Windham Individuals Kevin Alford Luke Allen Charles Altman Jim & Brenda Barry Scott Barnes Bill Baughman David Baumann Carlyle Blakeney Rick & Ann Burnette Elliott W. Bishop George B. Bishop Doug & Marie Bowles Arthur & Adah Brewer Norman Brunswig Don & Kelly Brown Paul G. Campbell Calvitt Clarke Dorothy C. Clarke Jackie Clarke Joseph & Mary Cross Todd Crosby

Dana & Deana Cumbie Tom Curtis Michael & Elli Daly Ashley Demosthenes Rupert Markley Dennis, III Wayne & Amelia Dewitt Sandy & Pradensia Drayton Bethel & Deannie DuRant Ann Edwards Dave & Dee Dee Evans Heidi Finniff Beezie Fleming Ben & Patty Fleming Tom Finnegan Ken & Barbara Ford John & Anne Girault Charlie E. Glover James Goodrich Keith Gourdin Steve & PA Gramling Emilie Hagan Ron Hanna Ron Harvey Jim & Bobbi Hill Todd & Marietta Hicks Parker Hill Russell & Beth Hilton Rick Holstein Debby Dial - Holtsclaw William & Jennifer Howard Matt Hoover Dustin Hockman Edward E. Ingram Susan Jackson Martha Johnson Barry H. Jurs Kappa Kappa Iota Beverly Stoney Johnson Joe & Melinda Kelley Henry Knight Charles G. Lane Randy Lowell Sam & Suzi Parker Jr. John M Kadlecik Michael Kirby Caroline Laggis Jeffery Lord Valerie Lowndes Kristin Martin Kristin & Ben McCollum Robert & Barbara McElfresh Bill McKenzie

Stafford & Debbie McQuillin James Meadors Ben & Dorothy Miller JD & Penny Metts Julie Metts Elise Merritt Howell Morrison Gazie Nagle Duncan Newkirk Ron & Kim Nolte Eugene Oliver Harold C. Padgett Bob & Patricia Perry David Perry Elizabeth Pinnell George & Sonya Pitt Christina Press Mike & Virginia Prevost David & Sara Ramage Anne Rector & Timothy Allen Lt. Col. Hubert M. Rentz Charles & Mary Rudloff Byron C. Rodgers Jr. Margie Roberts Phil & Adair Roark Willis Sanders Zelle Sims James Simons RM & Michele Singletary Matt & Lisa Sloan Susan Smythe Hugh & Mickey Smith Jean Solomon Mark & Kate Stewart Theodore D. Stoney, Jr. Tom Suitt Maxine Tanner Russell & Sweetheart Tyler Robert & Maxine Tanner Carolyn Umphlett William D. Umphlett Chris Vaughn Norman Walsh Jon K. Wagle Gene & Babs Warner James Weaver Ryan Wenzel Joseph R. West, Jr. Miller & Barbara White Gene & Jane Williams Elizabeth Young John & Jill Zlogar

In Memoriam

In Memory of James H. “Jim” Rozier; Thayer & Mary Ellen Arthur, Roseann Bishop, Jim & Brenda Barry, Berkeley County Kids Who Care Board, Customer Coastal Plans, Tom & Meri DuPre’, Eddie Dangerfield, Ken & Barbara Ford, Charlie E. Glover, James Goodrich, HDR, William & Jennifer Howard, Jimmy & Beth Huggins, Christiane Jones, Joe & Melinda Kelley, Gene Kodama, Robert & Carol Linville, Janet Marshall, Susan Kraybill & Richard A. Pruet, Ann Best Rector & Timothy Allen, Marge and Keith Rich, Lynda Scarborough, RM & Michele Singletary, Spartanburg Day School Charles Stamey, The Book Club, Russell & Sweetheart Tyler, Butch & Chris Volf, Mason Ward, John O. and Melissa Williams.

In Memory of Richard Fry: Laurens Livings We apologize if we inadvertently omitted your name or incorrectly listed your name in our list. Please call us at 843.899.5228 so we can make the correction for publication in our next newsletter.

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IN MEMORIAM

Remembering Jim Rozier The Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust lost a champion with the passing of Jim Rozier earlier this year. Jim grew up hunting, fishing, and playing in the woods and rivers of Berkeley County. Through these experiences, he generated a great respect and appreciation for natural resources. One of his favorite pastimes was sharing the history and beauty of the Cooper River with family, friends, and strangers who often quickly became friends. Over the years, Jim focused on the protection of natural resources through his tenure as Berkeley County Supervisor and his involvement with the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust. In his heart, he knew protecting the water and land enhanced residents’ quality of life and attracted sustainable economic development.

The Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust provided the perfect outlet for Jim’s passions: Berkeley County and conservation. Over the years, he was proud to be involved in numerous successful projects and celebrated the protection of Berkeley County so future generations could enjoy the same natural resources he did growing up. During his tenure as Board-chair, Jim lead the Trust through the transition from a volunteer-led organization to a full-time staffed organization. The organization quadrupled its membership, tripled its budget, and ended each year in the black. Jim believed in the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust and he was honored to be part of their team and their mission to conserve resources while preserving community.

“I learned more about business from being around Jim than just about any other experience I have ever had and, in the process, a lot about life, too. Like our community and our Trust, he left an indelible imprint on my life.” – Raleigh West, Executive Director, South Carolina Conservation Bank.

Because of his dedication, he was honored posthumously with the Order of Lord Berkeley. His wife, Kathy, accepted the honor in his memory.

The Order of Lord Berkeley is given for exemplary leadership, service, devotion and dedication to the conservation of the natural, cultural and historical resources in Berkeley County and the State of South Carolina.

We are grateful for Jim’s leadership and service; and for selecting Lord Berkeley as one of the beneficiaries of his memorials.

Jim’s top 10 business tips.

Special thanks to Bratton Riley and Raleigh West

1. Always answer your wife’s phone call, especially in the middle of a negotiation. If the other guy is more important than her, you’ve already lost.

2. Don’t be afraid of an argument but never hold a grudge; your opponent today will very likely be your ally tomorrow.

3. Ego and political leanings should never get in the way of a common sense solution, but you need to have a little of both before you can get to that point.

4. The goal of the first meeting is to laugh; either by sharing a good story and developing a friendship with a future partner or by making the other person so mad that you get a good chuckle out of it.

5. But the general end game should be clear by the second meeting; otherwise, don’t waste your time.

6. Be available. If you return phone calls within 24 hours, you’ll beat 90 percent of the competition; if you return them within the hour, you’ll beat 99 percent.

7. If somebody doesn’t like you, either they’ll eventually change their mind or they won’t, but it shouldn’t have a bearing on what you eat for dinner tonight.

8. Default to saying “yes” to a request, particularly if a stranger asks, at least until you can articulate a good reason to say “no.”

9. Income is more important than net assets, but you’ll need the latter to have the former.

10. If you don’t genuinely and wholeheartedly believe in yourself and what you’re doing, don’t expect other people to either.

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SOCIAL

Second Annual Woods & Waters Event: Hosted at beautiful Cainhoy Plantation, guests enjoyed Lowcountry

fare, open bar, and a live auction­—all while listening to the Shem Creek Boogie Band.

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