Southern Tides September 2019

all about the water

September 2019

Marina: (912) 897-2896

Boatyard: (912) 897-1914

606 Wilmington Island Road

Savannah, GA 31410

www.sailharbormarina.com

CREW

Publisher/Editor

Amy Thurman amy@southerntidesmagazine.com

Around the Reef Columnist

Michelle Riley michelle.riley@noaa.gov

Ebb & Flow Columnist

Trey Leggett info@southerntidesmagazine.com

The Bitter End Columnist

Captain Daniel Foulds dan@southerntidesmagazine.com

Consulting Naturalist

John "Crawfish" Crawford crawfish@uga.edu

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Moments

We get so busy in our daily lives that it’s sometimes hard to remember to stop and pay attention to those subtle moments going on simultaneously around us. I was reminded of that a couple weeks ago when I stood on deck of the ferry waiting to depart for Sapelo Island. It was hot even at that early hour and the only way to endure it was to stand absolutely still so you could feel the faint hint of a breeze coming off the water. I contemplated going into the air-conditioned passenger cabin, but in spite of the heat, the sun on my face and that whisper of a breeze just felt too good.

So there I stood, leaning on the rail and inhaling the scent that’s so uniquely “boat.” That oddly pleasing combination of diesel fuel, mildew, old wood, fiberglass, and sea water. Well, I find it oddly pleasing, but I’ve been told that’s a symptom of an incurable sickness that only people who love boats seem to contract.

The tide was fully in and the water was like glass, reflecting sunlight, marsh grass and one wispy little cloud floating by overhead, until a fin broke the surface sending out a ripple. Then a dolphin leaped in a little half-twist, before splashing back below the surface. Its antics seemed like a signal to others and I watched as what appeared to be a large pod frolicked right there in front of me.

I worked on eco-tours for years so this wasn’t exactly a new experience, but I never get tired of watching these amazing mammals as they hunt, feed, mate and play. How lucky to see them so active! How lucky to live here where it’s a frequent occurrence!

But if I’d given in to the heat and gone into the cabin, I’d have missed it. It made me wonder how many things I do miss, each day, in my efforts to avoid discomfort or, even more frequently, because I’m too busy to pay attention. Would it really make a huge difference in what I accomplished each day if I took 10 minutes for myself? Would it put me that far behind to walk down to the dock and cast a line or just dangle my feet in the water for a little while?

Later that same afternoon, in the heat of the day, I sat on the porch with Maurice and his friend Netia, doing absolutely nothing. Except we were doing something – we were making new friends, shooting the breeze, and avoiding heat stroke! But porchsitting in the middle of a weekday just seemed so decadent and I loved every moment of it. And as a bonus, Maurice now knows how to fold towels and sheets, thanks to Netia and I.

What kind of moments have you had lately? If you can’t think of any, it might be time to make some happen. So find a little time to get out there on the water, to explore new places, make new friends, listen to stories, watch dolphins at play, or just have a little fun. Enjoy the moment.

See you out there!

Chief

Top: Dolphins leaping in Hudson Creek alongside the Sapelo Ferry.

Photo by Amy Thurman

Above: My gracious host on Sapelo Island, Maurice Bailey. Thank you, my friend!

Photo by Tony Coppage (Nature Guide Extraordinaire)

When the Magic Happens

By Trey Leggett

Many of you who are from the Southern U.S. or live in the South know that September brings a welcome change in the season for outdoorsmen. Of course we tend to dodge tropical cyclone systems from time to time, and we bathe in Deet or some other concoction that supposedly keeps the dreaded sand gnats at bay. And that welcome change doesn’t come with a bit less humidity, nor do the scorching temperatures subside – it goes way beyond any silly inconveniences or frills such as those. September is when the magic happens because of the awesome speckled trout bite and because deer hunting begins.

September in our region typically signifies slightly cooler temperatures, cooling water temperatures, the return of sand gnats and butterflies, and the improved action fishing for speckled trout.

I really enjoy throwing topwater lures early in the morning and get as excited as a six-year-old at Christmas when that trout knocks my lure in the air or dive-bombs on it with reckless abandon. After the sun comes up I’ll usually switch to a popping cork setup, with an artificial or live shrimp attached to a 2½- or 3-foot leader. If live shrimp aren’t available, I’ll slap on a mud minnow or finger mullet. The trout don’t mind, they love them too. As usual, fish the creek mouths, oyster mounds or other types of structures to find these speckled beauties.

Due to mild air temperatures, bugs will more than likely be plentiful. Bug sprays, long pants and long-sleeved shirts, coupled with a hat and face shield will help. A ThermaCell repellant device will be a life saver and keep you on the water on those days when the wind is calm.

Many true-blue white tail deer hunters have been clearing, cutting, planting, and planning for the start of deer season all summer long, if not since the last deer season ended. September brings in archery season for deer hunters. Bows and crossbows can be used to hunt deer starting September 14th, Muzzleloader season starts October 12th, and modern firearms (rifle) season starts October 19th. Be sure to check Georgia hunting regulations for your specific area due to various start dates and when sex or antlered dates are.

Hunting in the early season can be hot and buggy. Wear light clothing and use concealment (blind material/camouflage), and

utilize some type of natural cover scent or odor eliminator. 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange is mandatory unless you are hunting a Wildlife Management Area designated archery only. A firearm may not be carried during archery season unless the person has a valid weapons carry license (pursuant to OCGA §§1611-126(f) or 16-11-129), subject to limitations (OCGA §§ 16-11-126 and 16-11-127). Be sure to read your hunting regulations and watch out for each other’s safety. For those who aren’t participating in archery season, this is a great time to sight in your muzzleloader or centerfire rifle for the October start date.

I know many others love the month of September as much as I do. Follow mandated regulations for your area, practice safety, have a float plan or hunt plan so someone else knows where and when you’ll return. This September is the start of a wonderful fall fishing and hunting season, so get out there and enjoy it!

Stay safe and tight lines.

Trey Leggett is an outdoorsman sponsored by Engel Coolers and Hobie Polarized sunglasses.

Austin Leggett with an early-season white tail (last year).

Photo by Trey Leggett

A round the Reef

By Ashley Misiaszek Grotewold Communications Intern

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

There is always that point when the seasons begin to shift, and you can feel change coming. Nothing beats that hopeful feeling of new beginnings and altering your focus. When that next season starts, you feel renewed. This is how Gray’s Reef felt as we transitioned into an unexplored season by welcoming Stan Rogers as our superintendent this past August. The sanctuary has been without a permanent superintendent for a few years now, making Rogers’ addition an exciting leap into uncharted waters that Gray’s Reef has eagerly embraced.

His new role also serves as a sort of homecoming for Rogers. He was born and raised in the Lowcountry of South Carolina in Hampton County, where he grew up the son of a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources biologist. He spent his childhood living on the Webb Wildlife Center with thousands of acres of longleaf pine flatwoods and swamps to explore. He was also introduced to the beauty and power of the Pacific Ocean at an early age from many visits with his mother’s family in Chile, South America.

Rogers attended Clemson University in the upstate of South Carolina where he obtained a degree in Aquaculture, Wildlife, and Fisheries Biology while working with the university and SCDNR on the black bear project. Not long after, he began his career as a “terrestrial” wildlife biologist, but quickly shifted to coastal and ocean policy and conservation. He has held positions that allowed him to gain experience in matters in most coastal states, Alaska, Hawai’i, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and overseas locations including Greenland.

Rogers’ career within NOAA began in 2011 when he took a position with Headquarters NOAA Fisheries in Silver Spring, MD. There he worked as an Endangered Species Act consultation biologist, working primarily with the U.S. Navy on training and testing activities worldwide. From there he joined the Office of Habitat in NOAA Fisheries to supervise policy, strategic planning, and communications functions for the NOAA Restoration Center. Now, he has transitioned to becoming the Superintendent of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, which is part of NOAA’s Ocean Service.

I wanted to know more about the man who will be overseeing the sanctuary that I’ve grown to know and love. In an interview, I asked Rogers a little about himself, what one must do to become the superintendent of one of NOAA’s national marine sanctuaries, and what his presence will bring to Gray’s Reef.

“My career to date has been primarily focused on the applied natural resource conservation, and regulatory compliance side of federal land management. It follows NOAA’s mission of serving and recovering threatened and endangered species, managing fisheries, and the habitats upon which they rely. My experience in conservation, management and policy directly aligns with the resource protection arm of Sanctuaries and compliments the research and monitoring component.”

Of course, every new job comes with its own challenges. Like any organization, transition in leadership is a critical time. Rogers’ goal is to build on successes of the incredible staff and previous leadership, while setting a course together along with our partners for the future.

This plan involves ensuring protection of sanctuary resources while providing recreation and creating research opportunities.

So, what does it take to reach these goals?

The daily life of a superintendent varies depending on the topic at hand. Rogers explains that one day might focus on communicating research needs within NOAA and with partners, issuing a permit to conduct an activity that affects sanctuary resources, or budget development and resource allocation decisions. With his position, some days are also focused on facilities and equipment such as our small boats the R/V Sam Gray and the R/V Joe Ferguson. Rogers says the best days, of course, are when he is able to join the team and partners on the water in Gray’s Reef for research and dive operations.

As far as what Rogers is looking forward to as Gray’s Reef’s new superintendent, there are a few things. He is excited about being a steward of this national treasure and increasing awareness of Gray’s Reef well beyond coastal communities, explaining that this can only be done effectively by working closely with partners and local communities. Rogers has plans to strengthen existing partnerships with federal, state, and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and the community. He’s ready for Gray’s Reef to engage with interested stakeholders to potentially forge new partnerships and garner greater support of resource protection, research needs and opportunities at Gray’s Reef.

When asked if he could give advice on pursuing a career similar to his, Rogers’ response was filled with realistic guidance.

“Pursue a career in something you love. You will stay inspired throughout your career and make the biggest impact doing something you’re passionate about. If you’re interested in leadership, be well rounded in policy, conservation principles, program management, and scientific research. We need it all. Science informs management and policy decisions.”

Outside of his career, Rogers spends his days with his wife and two daughters. He loves to travel and enjoys many outdoor activities including kayaking, boating, fishing, hiking, camping, and the beach. He also dabbles in nature photography and plays guitar.

Along with this new career change, Rogers is glad to be back near the coastal communities he grew up with.

“Every time I return home to the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia, I am reminded of the treasures of the coast. The live oaks adorned with Spanish moss, bottomland swamps and rivers, coastal marshes and estuaries, unspoiled barrier islands and beaches, the colorful sunrise and sunsets along the coast, and of course, the amazing people and food. These are all things I am enjoying and exposing my family to now that we are here.”

For more information, email: michelle.riley@noaa.gov or call (912) 598-2345

New Superintendent Stan Rogers. Photo provided by NOAA

Roast for a Reason

UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant will host its fourth annual Oyster Roast for a Reason fundraising event supporting the UGA Oyster Hatchery on Nov. 17, from 2-6 p.m., on the bluff next to the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island.

The event will feature live music provided by Chameleon Brotherhood and guests will have the opportunity to enjoy locally harvested Georgia oysters.

The event is designed to raise awareness of the hatchery, which was launched at the UGA Shellfish Research Lab on Skidaway Island in 2015. There they spawn baby oysters, or spat, which are given to local shellfish growers who cultivate the singles on state-approved leases along the Georgia coast. At full capacity, the hatchery could produce 15 million spat, with an estimated harvest value of $3.75 million to $5.2 million.

Tickets are $75 and include beer, wine and all you can eat oysters. They are available to purchase at gacoast.uga.edu/ oysterroast/.

Photos provided by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant

Southern Tides Magazine Celebrates Four Years

The first issue of Southern Tides Magazine launched in September 2015. After four years and 48 issues (with this issue being the 49th) we're still here, bringing you information and stories about the water and life in the lowcounty and Coastal Empire. Please take a moment to review the names on this page as we offer our thanks and appreciation!

Thank you, Tides Crew!

Columnists

Captain Dan Foulds - The Bitter End Columnist (new!)

Captain J. Gary "Gator" Hill - The Bitter End Columnist (previously)

Trey Leggett - Ebb & Flow Columnist

Michelle Riley - Around the Reef Columnist

Consulting Naturalist

John "Crawfish" Crawford

Thank

Altamaha Riverkeeper

The Burger Boat

Captain Tripp Lang Charters

Coldwell Banker - Lyn McCuen

Dark Arc Marine

Dunbar Yacht Sales

G & W Excursions

Goodbread House Inn

Hale Marine

Hogans' Marina

Isle of Hope Marina

Jekyll Harbor Marina

Maricom Navigation

Okefenokee Adventures

Prop Doctors

River Supply & River Services

Safe Harbor Rigging

Sail Harbor Marina & Boatyard

Satilla Marine

Sea Kayak Georgia

Thank

Abilities Unlimited

Altamaha Riverkeeper

American Red Cross SE Chapter

Chatham County Marine Patrol

Chatham Sailing Club

Clean Coast

Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)

Coastal Wildscapes

Fishin' For Jamie

GADNR CRD & WRD

Geechee Sailing Club

Georgia Marine Business Association (GAMBA)

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Glynn Environmental

Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (& Foundation)

Islands Farmers Market

Jekyll Island Authority

Lowcountry Institute

Lowcountry Annie Oakleys

NOAA

Southern Wood Paddle Company

St. Marys Boat Services

Thunderbolt Bait

Thunderbolt Boat & Motor

Top Angler Apparell

Tortuga's Island Grill

Towboat Savannah

Waterline Up

Zachry's Riverhouse

Zulu Marine Services

Ogeechee Riverkeeper

One Hundred Miles

Ossabaw Island Foundation

Port Royal Sound Foundation

Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA)

Satilla Riverkeeper

Savannah Riverkeeper

SC Sea Grant

SCDNR

SCDNR Marine Resources Research Institute

Ships of the Sea Museum

Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

St. Marys Riverkeeper

The Dolphin Project

Tybee Clean Beach Volunteers

Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Tybee Island Maritime Academy

U.S. Coast Guard Station Tybee

UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant

Waddell Mariculture Center

Our first cover, September 2015

Cover image by Kelley Luikey, Nature Muse Imagery

Sapelo Island Series

Part III

In previous articles about Sapelo Island we explored the South End, with the Reynolds Mansion and the wealthy planters who previously occupied the island. In Part I of the Sapelo Series we explored the North End, and in Part II we took a look at the UGA Marine Institute and the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve. All of which are important aspects of this unique place. But as I said in Part I, the heart of the place beats in her people, which are the focus of Part III.

Article and Photos By Amy Thurman

Opposite Page, Delving into the past.

Top: A huge old oak near an area called Hanging Bull. There are two theories as to how this area got its name. One story is that a cow was found in a tree after a hurricane. The other story, much more grim, is that a young black man was hanged there.

Bottom: Raccoon Bluff Baptist Church. The congregation was established in 1866, the church was built in 1900 and was restored in 2000. Services are still held here. During services, the congregation faces east, toward Africa.

This Page, Above: This annex of the First African Baptist Church was moved from Raccoon Bluff where it was originally a school house.

Itook the first morning ferry from Meridian over to Sapelo, grateful for the breeze on the crossing as it was already hot as blazes at 8:30. Maurice Bailey, my host this visit, picked me up at the ferry dock and thankfully, had the AC cranked all the way up in his truck. It was Wednesday, therefore a workday for him, so my role was to ride shotgun while he got things done and intersperse his chores with our conversation. Ride around, take photos, ask questions and hear stories? I’m good with that!

Our first stop was the post office where he had some documents to fax. While he did that, I wandered the grounds and looked at the native species garden, the ruins of the former sugar mill, and the tidal creek that runs beside the property.

Back in the truck, Maurice and I talked first about his family. His mother, the late Cornelia Walker Bailey, was the sometimes official, sometimes unofficial spokesperson for the African community on Sapelo. Born and raised on the island, she published a book about growing up on Sapelo in the Geechee culture, God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man. I read it last fall and loved it and told Maurice how much I dearly wished I could have met his mama. If you get a chance, pick up a copy. Mrs. Bailey was a gifted storyteller, drawing you in and making you feel as if she were sitting right beside you.

We also talked about Maurice’s cousin, Allen Bailey, the NFL defensive tackle who was formerly with the Kansas City Chiefs and has now come home to the South to play for the Atlanta Falcons. He’s a tremendous source of pride to Sapelo residents!

From there we moved on to the community and its people. To understand Sapelo today, we need to look first to the past. During the 1850s, 385 slaves worked Thomas Spalding’s plantation. After the Civil War, a group of three freedmen formed the William Hillary Company and purchased large plots of land in and around Raccoon Bluff. Their intent was to finance the land themselves, making it easier for others on the island to purchase and finance plots without fear. Original settlements on Sapelo in the years

after Emancipation also included Belle Marsh, Hogg Hammock, Shell Hammock and Lumber Landing. The First African Baptist Church, established in 1866 at Hanging Bull, then moved to Raccoon Bluff, where there was also a school for the island’s children.

Much of the original Spalding Plantation was later sold to Howard Coffin, who then sold it to R. J. Reynolds in the 1930s. Reynolds set about “consolidating” the landholdings of the island’s black population (In her book, Mrs. Bailey goes into a bit of detail on the less-than-ethical methods Reynolds used to accomplish his goals), until eventually all of the original families and their descendants lived in the community of Hogg Hammock. The church and school at Raccoon Bluff still stand, but today, Hogg Hammock is the only settlement remaining.

When the Civil War ended, there were thought to be about 44 families throughout the Sapelo Island settlements. Only seven families remain today, with less than 30 full-time residents still on the island, and those numbers continue to decline.

This is a devastating issue. There are few remaining Geechee/ Gullah communities in the Southeast, with Sapelo being the only one on Georgia’s barrier islands, and this unique culture is disappearing. But for the descendants, its deeply personal. Regardless of your nationality or race, imagine the sense of loss of seeing your people and your way of life disappear with each passing year.

The reasons this is occurring are simple. The residents have to leave the island to find jobs, and to marry and have children. While commuting to and from the mainland for a job is possible, though challenging, asking your spouse to leave the comforts and conveniences of the mainland for life on an undeveloped island is another thing entirely. And so, most young adults leave, and as the population ages and passes on, their property is often sold by heirs who no longer have lives on, or ties to, Sapelo.

The solutions to this crisis are as complex as the reasons behind

it are simple. In an effort to find solutions, SICARS was founded. The Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society, of which Maurice is currently the president, was founded in 1993 by Hogg Hammock resident and non-resident descendants with the hope of keeping the community and the culture alive and even seeing it flourish.

So what is this way of life SICARS is intent on preserving? As Maurice drove around the island he shared stories of his youth and I began to see and understand more clearly.

Being so isolated, the descendants weren’t as heavily influenced by the outside world, so their day-to-day lives didn’t change much through the generations. With the exception of indoor plumbing and electricity, Maurice and the other descendants who grew up on Sapelo lived much like their ancestors.

When Maurice was a boy, life was still simple. He and his siblings and cousins learned to navigate around the island using landmarks. “Past the magnolia tree,” or “over near the pile of bricks on the ground.” On Sundays, his parents would drive the kids around and show them old home sites, where various ancestors had lived, and tell stories about the people and the island. The houses at former settlements like Belle Marsh, where Mrs. Bailey grew up, are gone, houses were taken apart and the materials reused at the new homesites in Hogg Hamock. But the geography remains, as do the memories.

Boys growing up on the island often went hunting at night, even on school nights. “We’d go hunting after school and might be out all night, then go home in time to go back to school in the morning,” Maurice recalls.

“We'd look for mashbarrels,” he said, chuckling. My first thought, this being the South, was a group of teenage boys out looking for the product of someone’s still. Maurice and I are about the same age and that’s sure what the boys I grew up around would have been doing out at night!

But no. A mashbarrel, or marsh barrel because of the way it

Opposite Page: This building, constructed in the 1920s, was originally the Farmer's Alliance. Since then it has served as home to the Eastern Stars, as a Mason Lodge, a school, and even a juke joint! The site is now where the Culture Day festival is held.

Above: Sapelo Island Geechee Red Peas are planted, grown and harvested as a means of preserving the Geechee culture, as well as raising funds for SICARS. Delicious!

Below: The sugar cane crop has been slightly controversial but is anticipated to be a profitable fundraiser for the community.

SICARS - Saving a Culture

How do you jumpstart an economy on an undeveloped island, especially when most of the land is owned by the state? How do you entice descendants to stay, or in the case of those who’ve left, to return? How do you persuade heirs in distant locations not to sell property they inherit when they can get top dollar for it? All of those things present their own set of challenges. But the community is trying.

One step has been to grow Sapelo Island Geechee Red Peas from heirloom seeds and sell them, with some of the proceeds then being used to expand the crop. Each year the crop has grown larger, with the 2019 crop being the largest to date. The peas come with a recipe to prepare them and an information card that reads, “Brought from West Africa, these Geechee Red Peas are planted by hand on Sapelo Island. They are then harvested, shelled and packaged for you by hand. Part of their deep flavor comes from their genetic heritage; part of their deep flavor comes from all the hard work that has gone into growing them for you.”

Some proceeds from the sale of the peas also went to begin planting sugar cane. It takes a few growing seasons for the crop to be large enough to harvest and when it is, the production of cane syrup will begin. Bottles of the syrup will be available for purchase and proceeds will go back into the community.

Growing sugar cane could be seen as reminiscent of slavery, given that the islander’s ancestors were forced to grow the cane and process it. But it is part of the descendant’s history and to take it as their own and make it benefit the community now, turns something negative into something beneficial.

As the red pea and sugar cane crops grow and prosper, SICARS leadership plans to also plant okra, garlic and indigo, hopefully as soon as next year. The planting, growing and harvesting of these crops could provide two full-time jobs and three seasonal jobs for island residents, thereby providing that small jumpstart to a local economy.

“We’ll be showing future supporters that we’re helping ourselves,” Maurice said. “Keeping these projects going helps keep our community and our culture alive.”

Another project SICARS is planning to undertake is bringing back the annual Culture Day festival, celebrating Geechee/ Gullah culture through songs, stories, dance, traditional food, arts and crafts, church services and children’s activities. The event draws hundreds of people and helps raise awareness and funds while also being educational and entertaining. The event has been cancelled in recent years due to weather, but plans are underway to host it again in 2020.

Other goals, include a museum to preserve artifacts and other physical pieces of Geechee history, which requires archival quality display cases that are costly, and a project to sponsor an island resident to get training and serve as a mechanic in the community – a much-needed trade.

looks in the water, is a gator. Also called a landeau.

In addition to wild game, hogs were raised for meat. Maurice fondly recalled “Smokin’ time.” The men in the community would go from home to home butchering hogs while the women and older kids took care of processing. The meat would be put in homemade salt boxes to cure for several days, then moved to a smokehouse, where it would remain until it was eaten, with pieces cut off as needed for meals throughout the winter. It was a big event in the small community, turning a chore into a festive atmosphere as families talked and laughed and cooked together.

Making use of what could be found in the waters surrounding and running through the island was a source of food as well. Fish, shrimp and oysters were staples. “We’d push our bateaus in the water and head out to the Big Hole to fish. The anchor might be anything. A brick, a piece of metal, anything would work.”

In some ways life on the island was what’s now referred to as subsistence living, but if you look more closely you’ll see that it was resourceful and thrifty. Maurice recalls straightening old nails to reuse, rather than throwing them away and buying new. I suppose that like most things in life, the difference between thrifty and poor depends on your perspective.

“My grandfather always said, ‘All you got in life is God, your word and a piece of land. You got that, you got all you need,’” Maurice said. There is no simpler truth.

The Geechee culture is a unique and beautiful combination of old stories and songs, a spoken language, family, food, worship and history. I sincerely hope SICARS and the Hogg Hammock community are successful in their efforts to protect and preserve it. For more information about the Geechee community on Sapelo Island and SICARS, visit: www.sapeloislandga.org

Behavior Cemetary was established around 1805. The area was originally Behavior Community and the ruins of slave quarters have been discovered nearby. Loved ones are buried with their feet toward the east, toward the motherland, and often with a favorite possession so they won't be lost or lonely in the afterlife. Although many markers have been lost over the centuries, the cemetary is now maintained by volunteers in the community.

The school house in Hogg Hammock where Maurice's mother, Mrs. Cornelia Walker Bailey, and many other descendants, attended school.

The Wallow, a guest lodge in Hogg Hammock built by Maurice's father, Mr. Julius Bailey. Other establishments in the Hammock include the Pig Pen a store and gift shop, and the Trough the island's only bar!

Saturday, October 5, 2019 10 am - 4 pm Mary Ross Waterfront Park, Brunswick Interactive learning and fun activities for the whole family!

Art Contest Winner: 7th grader Wynne Lee, of Jane Macon Middle School, Brunswick.

Meet Captain Dan

An Interview

Southern Tides Magazine is pleased to welcome Captain Daniel Foulds to the crew! He’ll be taking over The Bitter End column (with Captain Gator’s blessing) as well as taking on an administrative role with the magazine. You’ll be seeing more of Dan, both in these pages and out and about in the coastal area, so we thought we’d give y’all a chance to get to know him. Welcome, Captain Dan!

Southern Tides: Please tell our readers a little about your background. How did a former Army guy get around to being a tour boat captain?

Dan Foulds: Yes, I’m a retired Army Aviator and former EMS helicopter pilot. I came to Savannah in 1989 as an instructor pilot and flight lead for 3rd Battalion 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. During that time I spent many great days on the river. I grew up on the water in Florida, on rivers, in the Keys and in several springs. I’ve been a water boy forever – had my first boat at five.

After retiring from the Army in 1998, I began a 17-year second career as a medevac pilot, and flew the LifeStar helicopter from Savannah’s Memorial Hospital for three of those years. I was also a traveling relief pilot all over America. About a dozen years ago, while sitting standby on 12-hour shifts, I started writing a blog at HelicopterEMS.com. It was initially for something to do, but after a friend and his team were killed in a HEMS crash due to pilot error, the focus of the blog became more about preventing that from happening. My blog post Hoisted On My Own Petard caught the eye of Elan Head, editor of Vertical911, and she invited me to write for them.

Four years ago, and after 30 years of flying, I decided to change gears and stop living out of a suitcase. I resigned my flying position and came home for good. I still needed something to get me off the couch so I asked Mike Neal, owner of Bull River Cruises, if I could crew on his boats. After a year he told me to get my master’s credential from Sea School, so I did. I’ve been captaining his boats for a couple of years now, and love taking people (especially kids) out on our creeks, rivers, and sounds. I’ve run a boat for Captain Gator, taking bands to and from Daufuskie, and I teach ladies boating basics for the BoatUS Women Making Waves program. I do that with Tommy McCarthy at Freedom Boat Club, to which I belong and love.

I’m also president of the local chapter of the auxiliary support arm of my Army regiment, The Night Stalker Association; we conduct events to demonstrate support for, and pride in, the service of soldiers in that unit. Night Stalkers Don’t Quit … So, I write, I teach, I support, and I drink too much. But that helps me think of things to write! I still have the HEMS blog, a boat blog, and a bar blog.

ST: A multi-tasker! How long have you been writing your SavannahBoating.com blog? What gave you the idea to start it?

DF: I’ve been doing that for a couple years. I figured eventually someone would see it and ask me to write for them. Boom! And thanks, Robert Hale, for making the connection to Southern Tides for me!

ST: Yes! Thank you, Robert! You’ve been very active in the community, raising funds for Randy and Sherri Davis of Davis Produce to help with Randy’s health crisis, and now working with Danny Merritt (Nine Line founder) on his bid for office. How does Southern Tides fit with your view of staying involved with the coastal community?

DF: Southern Tides fits in perfectly with where I want to be at this stage of my life, and what I want to be doing. It’s all about the water, and so am I. I also believe every citizen has an obligation to serve his or her community. I live what I preach.

Danny’s a personal friend, and I’m proud of what he did with Nine Line. He’s helped with two fundraiser events I put together. When he asked for my help, I said, “You know Buddy Carter is doing a good job, right?” His answer made sense. “Every seat in congress should be contested. Competition is good.”

I also believe turnover in congress is good. We don’t need career

Then and now. Top, Dan in the early days, in uniform. Above, at the helm of the Island Explorer on a sunset cruise. Photos provided by Captain Daniel Foulds

politicians who become like royalty. That’s the Senate. Congress is supposed to be the “working class” arm of government. Regular folk. I think folks should go, do a term or two, work their butts off for America, then go back home and resume their careers and lives. The current system is BROKEN. Also, after being at war since 2002, I feel that the majority of our elected representatives should have military backgrounds. They send our kids to risk death – they should have had a walk in those shoes.

ST: Spoken like a patriot! Maybe you should run for office! But I’m going to be selfish and ask you to stay with Southern Tides. We’ve talked about future goals for the magazine – a marine expo, some stand-alone publications, a website, more distribution coverage. How do you see yourself fitting in to the Southern Tides family?

DF: I have to admit I’m somewhat stunned at the complexity and depth of the project you’ve undertaken with this magazine. I'm not sure I can do half of what you do. Kudos to you! I also know that every single step I take is one you don’t have to. I’ll see how many steps I can take!

ST: From the sound of it, you're used to juggling as many plates as I am, so I'm sure you're going to do just fine!

After nearly four years of Captain Gator writing The Bitter End column, we were sorry to see him step back. But the timing seems almost serendipitous that you landed on my radar at almost exactly the same time. What types of stories do you see yourself telling in The Bitter End?

DF: I’m looking forward to writing stories about my trips on the river with families and friends – both commercial and personal. Stories about the history and connections of this place. Stories about how we got to where we are today in the most beautiful place on earth. And of course, bits about safety, human factors, and staying alive.

ST: Sounds like you’re going to be a great fit, Dan, and we’re thrilled to have you join us.

DF: I'm looking forward to it!

Dan (front row, fourth from left) with his unit in Sierra Leone, staging rescue operations from Liberia.

Photo provided by Daniel Foulds

Dan (right) with friend Danny Hovater, sharing info about the Night Stalker Association.

Photo provided by Daniel Foulds

Dan worked at various locations around South Carolina, including Walterboro with Lifenet 4.

Photo provided by Daniel Foulds

Dan and his lovely wife Jeanne. They met on the job at LifeStar where she was a flight nurse and he was a medevac pilot.

Photo by Jeanne Foulds

News from The Lodge on LSSI

Here’s some news from one of our favorite places on the Georgia Coast, The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island. Maybe we’ll see you there soon!

Article and Photos by Staff of The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island

Summer brings us close to some of the most charismatic species on Little St. Simons Island. From spoonbills to spot-tails, beach walks to baby turtles, sunrises to sunsets, our days have been saturated with all things wild and beautiful. And in drawing us in by appealing to our senses, these experiences open the door for learning and inspiring conservation.

Continued investigations of lemon shark nursery habitat brought back friends and researchers to conduct field work, presenting guests with a one-of-a-kind, outdoor classroom to learn more about shark behavior and their role in marine ecosystems. Events like Shark Days also give young, aspiring biologists and naturalists the invaluable perspective of seeing the work they envision first hand.

Lower water levels in some of the naturally occurring wetlands due to a dry first half of summer exposed acres of new mudflats, and several early shorebirds migrants have been spotted taking advantage of that foraging habitat. Pectoral and solitary sandpipers have been seen recently at Goose Pond. With consistently high numbers of shorebirds and wading birds, gators wallowing in the shallower waters, and sunsets like this, Goose Pond has been a favorite stop on many of our excursions.

The Lodge on LSSI is pleased to introduce a 4-day kayaking adventure, exploring the beautiful low country around the Altamaha Delta and Little St. Simons Island! We invite you to join us on the Captain Gabby for two nights followed by two nights on Little St. Simons Island for a unique experience of this wild coastal area with naturalist guided paddling adventures every day, gear and meals included. Visit our website or call to learn more and book your spot for the Low Country Paddling Expedition.

This page, top to bottom:

A Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) perched on a branch.

Naturalist Nate Ramey releases a tagged lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris).

A multi-day paddling adventure is being offered this fall.

Opposite page, top to bottom, left to right:

A nesting sea turtle on the LSSI beach.

Newly-hatched Least Tern chicks are well-camouflaged on sandy substrates where adults nest and raise their young. Map showing Quash's House on LSSI.

A Moringa plant with woody stalk and edible leaves.

Little St. Simons Island has had a record-breaking sea turtle nesting season with 237 loggerhead sea turtle nests documented, exceeding our previous record set in 2016 by 14 nests. Members of the naturalist team created multiple guest programs each week that are focused on nest excavations. Island guests had opportunities to help count hatched eggs and record important data that will go to the GADNR. And in some cases, guests have had the opportunity to witness sea turtle hatchlings that had not quite made it out of their nest and to the ocean. The live hatchlings provided a memorable experience for all who are lucky enough to encounter them.

five distinct colonies nesting on our beaches this year, and we confirmed at least a half-dozen fledged young.

Our seasonal and year-round staff worked together to monitor nesting shorebirds and seabirds this year. With nesting at an end, we see our beach-nesting birds flocking and entering nonbreeding/ wintering behavior patterns.

We monitored 15 nesting pairs of American Oystercatchers on our seven miles of beach this spring and summer. We noted the return of many familiar leg-banded adult oystercatchers including Red 6K, who fledged a chick on the south main beach of LSSI. This bird has nested on LSSI since 2011 and successfully fledged a chick last year as well.

We documented 50 pairs of Wilson’s Plovers nesting on our beaches in 2019. We performed nest checks and used game cameras at a subset of Wilson’s Plover nests to understand their success rate. One of our nest site cameras captured some exciting photos of a leg-banded parent incubating a nest and hatching chicks! This Wilson’s Plover daddy hatched and was banded on Little St. Simons Island in June 2015. Since then, we’ve seen him each summer on the island. His 2019 nest was just 1.14 miles away from where he hatched!

Least Terns nest in groups on open ground. We documented

Little St. Simons Island staff recently undertook efforts to carefully protect the only physical remains from the antebellum period found on the island today. Part of a brick chimney and tabby foundation are all that is left of Quash’s House, the dwelling of an enslaved boatman on the northwestern corner of the island. Though we do not have much information on Quash, he was probably stationed at the island to tend the numerous varieties of livestock kept here for the Butler plantations. The ruins of Quash’s House provide an important opportunity and platform for LSSI staff to begin to interpret the story and plight of enslaved African Americans on Georgia’s coast.

An interesting plant is doing well in our garden this season. In the new, vine-covered gathering space, one can’t miss the looming 10-foot tree. It’s Moringa. Sound familiar? It’s possible you’ve seen it in capsule or powder form in health foods or nutrition stores. Moringa contains high levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and it can be used in a variety of ways. One can cook with it as a leafy green, use it in salad mixes, or as The Lodge has been doing lately, mix it in with something like couscous. It has very little flavor, so it’s not likely to alter the taste of any dish. Moringa, native to northern India, grows well in poor soil, grows fast, and when cut back will easily form new shoots. Staff horticulturalist Séamus says in his native South Africa, Moringa is used in development projects because of its prolific tendencies, which not only provide quick vegetation and human nutrition but also firewood and animal fodder.

A Tern Rodeo

How do you band 2,000 tern chicks in two days?

With a good plan, plenty of help and a healthy appreciation for the purpose behind the chaos.

On two mornings in July, GADNR and Virginia Tech staff and volunteers herded mobs of squawking, stumbling royal and sandwich tern chicks into temporary corrals on the Brunswick dredge island as anxious tern parents wheeled and trilled overhead.

Weeks later, most of the chicks are flying and many have been spotted, ID’d by their new plastic leg bands, DNR wildlife biologist Tim Keyes said.

“We are getting band re-sights from those chicks all up and down the coast, from Tybee, Sapelo, the Altamaha delta, Cumberland, northeast Florida. It’s pretty cool.”

It’s also what project leaders hoped for. The banding is part of a Virginia Tech study focused on Virginia’s largest colony for colonial seabirds, a man-made island in Chesapeake Bay where as many as 20,000 royal terns and other birds nest. A $3.8 billion expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel to ease traffic congestion will remove nesting habitat on the island.

Scientists documenting how seabirds use the site want to see where the displaced terns wind up. The Brunswick dredge island, between St. Simons and Jekyll islands, is protected

Royal and sandwich tern chicks rounded up and awaiting leg bands.

A young volunteer carefully applies a leg band to a squirming tern chick.

Article by GADNR Staff

Photos by Susan Inman, Altamaha Riverkeeper

habitat that will serve as something of a control area.

Keyes said the study also will provide data to better estimate how many terns nest on the island, how many young they produce and – by tracking the birds, from Maine to Peru how vital the colony is.

Considering the immediate results, so far, so good.

The young of crested terns including royal and sandwich terns leave the nest, or scrape, within a day after hatching, forming a large group of chicks called a creche (nursery).

One benefit of this behavior is that fewer adults can watch over more young, freeing other adults to forage for food even miles away.

Cued by sound and sight, parents apparently have no problem picking out their offspring in a sea of chicks.

DNR's Tim Keyes said that during the banding, when the chicks were in corrals, adults quickly found and fed their young.

To report a sighting, email the band code, time and place to vt.plover@gmail.com. Good photos are welcomed. At the Brunswick dredge island, 1,500 royal tern chicks received plastic bands. About another 500 royal and sandwich tern chicks received metal leg bands (which are less easy to read in the field).

This

More young volunteers helping with the project. Future biologists maybe?

Photo by Tim Keyes, GADNR

Special care was taken to ensure no chicks were harmed.

T he Bitter End

Causton Bluff and the Father of Methodism

By Captain Dan Foulds

As you cruise the creeks and rivers around our region by boat, you glide by countless places, each with its own story. I often think to myself, “If only that place could talk, the tales it could tell!”

Part of the fun of living here is learning these stories. As a tour-boat captain, stories are part of my job; I’m always looking and listening for another good one. My friend Jim Hughes, a real, no-kidding, renaissance man, recently shared a link to the history of Causton’s Bluff in Savannah, and as often happens, there is a distinctly human element to the story.

I found an article originally published in the Georgia Historical Society’s Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, No. 1, dated March 1939. Here are some excerpts with my personal thoughts and observations.

Approximately a mile east of the present limits of Savannah and along the Savannah River eastward as far as St. Augustine Creek lie about 2.500 acres of land that at one time formed three outstanding plantations … Brewton Hill, Deptford, and Causton’s Bluff; the last, though farthest from the city … ranks foremost in historical interest.

Today we refer to the river at Causton Bluff, near Savannah, as the Wilmington. St. Augustine Creek begins further northeast, connecting the Wilmington and Bull rivers.

In May, 1737 … [Thomas Causton] drew a ‘Bill of Exchange’ on Oglethorpe for fifty pounds … to enable Mr. Causton to settle his new Farm.

By 1738, … Causton had settled at his plantation … Plat 6 and 7 were incorporated as part of Causton’s Bluff … containing 1,133 acres, of which 760 acres were suitable for cultivation while 373 acres, later resurveyed as 580 acres, were worthless marshland.

It’s worth noting that the idea of marshland being worthless was formed back when the cure for any physical ailment included cutting a patient on the arm and letting them bleed. George Washington’s doctor did that to him and undoubtedly contributed to his death. Those early colonists had no idea that the “worthless marsh” was the nursery for most of the bounty they enjoyed from the creeks, rivers and ocean. Were it not for marshland we would have no Wild Georgia Shrimp to fry.

Originally Causton’s Bluff plantation was made up of approximately 260 acres lying about five miles east of Savannah … at the peak of its prosperity Causton’s Bluff contained more than 3.000 acres extending north to the Savannah River.

For a time, rice was grown in much of the low areas adjacent to the river, but as time went on and the Savannah River was dredged, salt water intruded and ended rice cultivation this close to the ocean. When rice was grown, and the fields were flooded with standing

Printed in the upper left margin: 39th Cong. 1st sess. Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy. United States Navy. (1865) "Causten's Bluff" fort. Defenses of Savannah, Georgia. [Philada., W.A.S. Lith. of Bowen & Co] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/99447166/.

water, mosquitos bred and spread Yellow Fever. These epidemics that terrified residents who attributed the disease to “miasma,” a noxious gas emanating from the muddy lowlands. Only when the Panama Canal under construction did we learn the truth about mosquitos and how to control them. Whenever you hear about a “mosquito ditch” in a marsh area, know that it was created to introduce salt water and reduce mosquito infestations.

In the early part of November, 1737 … a comfortable house had been built and was being occupied by the Causton family. The hospitality … was enjoyed by the Parson, John Wesley [the father of the Methodism]. Sophia Hopkey, Causton’s niece … spent many hours in the company of Wesley. The fact that Sophia lived at the plantation may be the reason that Wesley always accepted Causton’s invitation to visit … Causton apparently approved of the friendship and hoped they might marry …

Alas, the Reverend John Wesley had no interest in marriage.

Sophia, apparently piqued at Wesley’s procrastination [in asking for her hand in marriage] became engaged to William Williamson and four days later married him.

Pause for effect. Four. Days. Later.

Things deteriorated. Wesley wanted to continue giving Sophia the Sacrament in private. She refused. Then Wesley refused to give her the Sacrament at the next church service. Williamson then filed suit against Wesley, contending that by refusing his wife the sacrament Wesley had cast a reflection upon her character.

The case never actually went to trial, though it was still pending when, in December, 1737, a great stir was caused by Wesley's flight. In his own words Wesley says, "about eight o’ clock, the tide then serving, I shook the dust off my feet and left Georgia."

We are only human, after all.

I'll leave you with this, from the instructor pilot handbook, circa 1989: Be gentle to man and machine.

127 Sussex Retreat

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WHITEMARSH ISLAND

The Marshes subdivision

6349 Abercorn St. Savannah, GA 912.352.1222

MONTGOMERY

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MIDTOWN

Shipwatch Road

This 3BD 3BA is a wonderful place to call home. Large open rooms with two bedrooms on the first floor, great room and family room off of kitchen. Add a screened porch and deck to enhance the amazing marsh views. The second floor has a large bonus room, third bedroom and a bath. Lots of amenities to include a community pool, community dock, and common areas. $340,000

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ISLE OF HOPE

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