The splendor of Spring Island

It doesn't take long for visitors to Spring Island to understand the significance nature plays in this private Lowcountry community, an island of forests and salt marshes near Port Royal Sound.

Not far from the entrance on the treelined main road is a bold yellow and black marker heralding a "Fox Squirrel X-ing."

The island's healthy population of fox squirrels is a source of pride to residents because, due to habitat destruction along the east coast, the animals are rare. In fact, Spring Island claims a greater biodiversity today than in 1990 when developers Jim Chaffin, Jim Light and Peter LaMotte bought the island, a former sea island cotton plantation later used as a quail hunting preserve.

"We have two pairs of nesting eagles now; before we had only one pair," said Chris Marsh, director of the Lowcountry Institute and Spring Island Trust at Spring Island's Mobley Nature Center.

With the eagles and fox squirrels on the 3,000 acres of uplands and similar area of salt marsh are bobcats, river otters, mink, ospreys, red tailed hawks and indigo buntings, among other wildlife.

Spring Island has become nationally and internationally recognized for its nature-first philosophy, going far beyond the more common "eco-friendly" standards of development. Leaders of local municipalities, international consortiums, Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations regularly solicit advice from Spring Island staffers on how to "do development right."

The legacy of the community evolved from the developers' vision to preserve the island's unspoiled natural setting-- and the willingness of affluent homeowners to invest in that vision.

Beautiful, yet understated homes -- most worth upward of $1 million -- blend into the lush landscape. Driveways on the estate lots are curved so homes aren't visible from the road and view corridors to the Chechessee River are conserved through easements. The community's master plan limits the number of homes to 410. Covenants govern setbacks and buffers and the size and materials allowed for homes, as well as plants and landscaping practices.

Twenty years ago, before ground was broken on the first home, the developers created the Spring Island Trust to insure the preservation and protection of the island's environmental and cultural history.

The nonprofit organization owns 1,000 acres of nature preserves on Spring Island, the Mobley Nature Center and the Art Barn, where visiting artists work and each. Property owners contribute to the Trust through a mandatory assessment fee.

"By having a large nature preserve owned by the Spring Island Trust, the most special places are preserved and shared by all," Marsh said. "Everyone who owns property on Spring Island is also a part owner and steward of the island."

Other amenities include an equestrian center, tennis courts, community garden, guided kayaking trips, off-site hunting, fishing with expert captain Micahel Perry, weekly arts and nature talks and the 30 miles of trails traversing the huge nature preserve. The community has an 18-hole championship golf course and a casually elegant club house called the River House.

Real estate agents working in the community's sales office say they rely on wordof-mouth referrals --plus newspaper and magazine articles, the Internet and the island itself -- to teach prospective buyers what Spring Island is about.

"Years ago, some friends invited my husband and I to visit Spring Island, and we fell in love with this place and bought a lot," said Mary Humphrey, one of the real estate agents who lives and works in the community. "We never do that, but this time we did."

What's new on Spring Island

The community has just completed a $5 million project to build a new sports and fitness center, which is now a 12,000-square foot facility with a heated outdoor lap pool, Pilates and yoga studio, spa treatment rooms, aerobics, tennis center, state-of-the-art fitness equipment and new family pool.

Craig Lehman has returned to Spring Island as director of sales and marketing at the real estate office. He formerly was head professional at the community's Old Tabby Links before joining the Spring Island real estate sales team in 1994. Lehman left Spring Island in 1999 to serve as managing director of Chechessee Creek Club, and then was president and CEO of Balsam Mountain Preserve, a low density 4,440-acre private club community in North Carolina.

Bob Tufts, who also worked in sales at Balsam Mountain, has also joined the Spring Island real estate team.