Alligators and birds thrive in the heart of Port Royal. Have a beer and hear how they do it
Prominent wildlife experts are coming to Port Royal to share their knowledge about the history of the town’s famous Cypress Wetlands and the wild critters, such as alligators and migrating birds, that thrive in the sanctuary located in the heart of the town.
Located in downtown Port Royal, the wetlands area is home to alligators, turtles and thousands of ibis, egrets, herons and other bird species. It also serves as part of a larger stormwater collection system for the community.
The Friends of Port Royal Cypress Wetlands, a non-profit that advocates for the wetlands, is collaborating with microbrewery Shellring Ale Works on a speaker series that will bring experts in a variety of subject areas beginning next week and continuing through April. The aim is to educate and engage the public about Cypress Wetlands and raise money for The Friends of Cypress Wetlands, which helps to protect it, the group’s Scot Clark said.
Shellring Ale Works has created an ESB — or extra special bitter beer — just for the non-profit. It’s made with cypress wood and $1 from each pour will be donated to The Friends of the Cypress Wetlands. The beer will be available this week to the end of the speaker series.
The experts will speak at Shellring, 1111 11th Ave. All programs begin at 5:30 p.m.
Here are the featured speakers and the topics:
Andy Jones: Birds
Dr. Andy Jones, executive director of the Spring Island Trust and Lowcountry Institute, will speak about the role Cypress Wetlands plays for birds on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Jones was originally scheduled to speak Wednesday, Jan. 22. His speech was moved to next week because of the snowstorm that’s bearing down on the region. Jones is a lifelong naturalist with a passion for the biodiversity of the southeastern United States. From 2006 until early 2022, he worked as curator of ornithology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History from 2006-2022.
Thomas Rainwater: Alligators
Thomas Rainwater, a research scientist at the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, will speak about alligators on Feb. 19, including how environmental changes like pollution and habitat loss are influencing local populations and traits of the apex predators. Thomas is a wildlife biologist and research scientist with the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center and Clemson University’s Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, both in Georgetown. In 2010, he joined the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center on a long-term study of American alligators in coastal habitats. More recently, he has expanded his work to include Spring Island, where he and resident wildlife biologist Tony Mills are building on alligator research initiated by Tom Murphy in the early 2000s.
Tony Mills: Animals and plants
Tony Mills, education director of the Spring Island Trust, will speak March 19. Mills writes and hosts the award-winning TV nature program Coastal Kingdom that airs on SCETV, the South Carolina Channel and the County Channel. His duties at the Spring Island Trust include co-teaching the master naturalist program, conducting educational school programs and teacher workshops and leading field trips for nature group.
Travis Folk: Cypress history
Travis Folk, a wildlife biologist who owns Folk Land Management, will speak about the history of Cypress Wetlands, on April 23. A primary focus of his work is the renovation, wetland permitting and management of wetlands across the Lowcountry. Robert Folk, Travis’ father, originally designed, permitted and oversaw construction of the Port Royal Cypress Wetlands over 20 years ago.
A unique water management system that uses a series of wetlands to control stormwater runoff, completed in the late 2000s, restored a historic rookery at the location.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 1:00 AM.
