Coastal Zone | A Natural State

Every year, the beaches, marshes, and other Coastal Zone features of South Carolina attract millions of tourists and billions of tourist dollars. For many, vacationing at the beach is not enough. The palmetto-lined streets, moss covered oaks, and serene inlets of the coast are home to fastest growing population in the state. As the suburban population sprawls, historic cities like Charleston and Beaufort struggle to maintain their identities. The cultural landscape of the coast is shaped by traditions passed down from sea island slaves from west Africa and a history of seafaring and trade. After hundreds of years, coastal seaports still bustle with international trade ships, Navy fleets, fishing boats, and curious visitors.

Meet artists from the Coastal Zone of South Carolina below. Please note many of the web videos include transcripts.  The artists are trained professionals who often use tools not considered safe for inexperienced users. Please review the safety disclaimer.

Carving
Episode 8

Video

No carving tool keeps an edge without occasional sharpening on a stone. Farmers and woodworkers brought hand-powered grinding wheels to the Americas during the 16th century. Many artisans and farmers...
Land
Episode 8

Video

The Gullah community of St. Helena struggles to promote the island's cultural and natural resources while preserving the environment for future generations. Livelihoods based on fishing, farming and...
Eastern White Cedar | A Natural State
Episode 9

Video

Decoy wood needs to be light and resistant toward water and waterborne, termite-like insects that bore into wood. Atlantic white cedar is an excellent variety of such wood, but the tree’s population...
Land
Episode 9

Video

Robert Middleton left St. Helena at age 18, returning 45 years later after serving in the army, studying at Howard University, and a career of social work in Washington, D.C. and on an Apache Indian...
Land
Episode 10

Video

Live oaks with broad, lumbering branches and beards of Spanish moss are a common sight in South Carolina’s coastal area. The tree’s resistance to wind and sea spray buffer the coast from seasonal...
The Land
Episode 10

Video

The Boozer family's move from the midlands of South Carolina to its coast was a bit of a homecoming. In 1734, Tom's ancestors emigrated from Germany to the Charleston area, where they worked as...
Land
Episode 11

Video

Native Americans called it "tree hair." French colonists changed it to "Barbe espagnole," or "Spanish Beard," to ridicule the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Spanish moss survives as its common name...
The Hunt | A Natural State
Episode 11

Video

A hunt with Tom is a lesson in waterfowl behavior, habitat, and patience. Our hunting trip with Tom could be considered a "blue bird day", a pleasant, calm day, yet not one conducive to duck hunting...
Land
Episode 12

Video

Several generations of the St. Helena community attended the historic Penn School, established as one of the first schools for freed slaves. In the 1950s and 1960s, the site served as a safe retreat...