Our Mission

A New Chapter for Audubon Newhall Preserve

By Kay Grinnell, President, Hilton Head Audubon

As we step into the new year, I am delighted to share with you the remarkable achievements and exciting plans that define Hilton Head Audubon’s journey.

For more than 50 years, Audubon Newhall Preserve has offered residents and visitors a special opportunity to experience the beauty of Hilton Head Island’s natural landscape. As stewards of this 54-acre Preserve, Hilton Head Audubon is committed to ensuring that Newhall remains healthy, vibrant and welcoming for generations to come.

That commitment is leading us into an exciting new chapter.

After careful study and planning, the HHA Board has approved a shift from primarily passive stewardship to active land management at Newhall. Our goal is not simply to maintain the Preserve as it is today, but to restore and enhance its natural ecosystems, increase habitat diversity and improve its long-term resilience.

We are working with Folk Land Management, a respected forestry and ecological restoration firm, to guide this effort. FLM brings extensive experience in Lowcountry land management, including the creation and recent renovation of the Port Royal Cypress Wetlands and forest management, including timber harvesting and prescribed burns, in the Sea Pines Forest Preserve.

Newhall is a fire-dependent pine ecosystem. Over time, the absence of regular prescribed fire and limited forest management have resulted in a denser forest and an accumulation of fuel. Selective timber harvesting and carefully conducted prescribed burns will be important tools in restoring healthier forest conditions and reducing wildfire risk. These practices can also encourage native plants and create a greater variety of habitats for birds, pollinators and other wildlife.

Newhall will be improved—not simply maintained. As the restoration progresses, we envision a more diverse Preserve, with habitats such as pine savannah and maritime forest showcased alongside the trails and natural areas visitors already enjoy.

Just as important, we see the restoration itself as an opportunity to educate. Newhall welcomes more than 20,000 visitors each year, and we want our community to understand what is happening, why these management techniques are necessary, and how they contribute to a healthier Lowcountry ecosystem.

This will be a multi-year effort, carried out thoughtfully and with professional guidance. Before work begins, HHA will obtain the appropriate permits and approvals, and we will communicate with our neighbors and the broader community about significant activities.

We know that changes to a familiar landscape can prompt questions. We welcome those questions. Our commitment is to be transparent about what we are doing, why we are doing it and what we hope Newhall will become.

Active land management is not about changing the character of Newhall. It is about helping this remarkable Preserve become an even healthier, more diverse and more resilient expression of the Lowcountry—and ensuring that it can continue to inspire and educate people for the next 50 years and beyond.

Warm regards,

Kay Grinnell
President, Hilton Head Audubon