A sandy, shadeless, 32-acre island stretches out in the middle of the Charleston Harbor, inviting sea and shorebirds to safely nest and rest from long migrations. But it’s also inviting something else, humans.
But make no mistake. The island was built for birds.
Effectively immediately, the Department of Natural Resources is cracking down on people combing the beach for seashells and shark’s teeth. The agency is banning those who stop by boat from using metal detectors, digging, or otherwise excavating on the island. Come January, visitors will no longer be allowed to collect fossils.
“These protections are about more than preserving fossils or natural features,” says SCDNR Bird Conservation Coordinator Amy Tegeler…