Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, SC

 

Palmetto Bluff is in Beaufort County and is currently owned and operated by Crescent Resources, LLC. Palmetto Bluff is ~8,094 ha and largely bounded by brackish and freshwater rivers. Prior to acquisition by Crescent Resources, LLC in 2001, the property was owned by Union Camp Corporation as a hunting preserve and for timber harvesting. Current land-use plans target smaller, more concentrated housing communities interspersed with ecological conservation areas within the larger landscape. The Palmetto Bluff Conservancy is a non-profit organization that was formed when the property was purchased to ensure the conservation vision of the property through habitat and wildlife management, ecological research, and the education of the developer, homeowners, construction contractors, and property visitors. Dr. Andrews originally began work at Palmetto Bluff in 2006 with the initiation of the on-going canebrake rattlesnake (Crotlaus horridus) project. However, additional research initiatives have and will continue to be pursued on other wildlife species along with collaborative education events with the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy.