To the Editor:
In October, I had the opportunity to tour Jarvis Creek Park with Sally Krebs, Sustainable Practices Coordinator for the Town of Hilton Head Island. Sponsored by the Nature Explorer Group of the Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island (WAHHI), this was the first of ongoing programs to highlight treasured natural areas in Beaufort County.
Jervis Creek Park’s 53-acre intact maritime forest provides wooded trails for recreation and gathering places for humans; also a haven for wildlife and a special recognized bird-watching destination with water and native plant habitat.
The dedication of this natural area has an amazing story told to us by Sally. Back in the 1990s when the town was faced with immediate action to rectify stormwater runoff problems on the north end, town staff hatched a plan to use the topography, natural systems and lessons from nature in surrounding vicinity to solve the problem.
There are signs at Jarvis outlining the process they employed to pipe the runoff under 278 into a constructed lake, filtered through existing and constructed wetlands and out into Jarvis Creek, all with little environmental disturbance.
With minimal manmade infrastructure, Hilton Head’s A-plus staffers worked with, not against, nature to create this successful project while preserving the integrity of the Jarvis ecosystem.
The tour was videotaped and hopefully will be aired for the public so that those who are unable to visit the park can appreciate this admirable outcome.
Debby Boots
Hilton Head Island
