Signs along the way

There are places in Beaufort County that stop you in your tracks. All you have to do is drive by to be reminded of how lucky we are to live here. Former Nature Conservancy director John Sawhill once said, “Our society will be defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.” That truth lives all around us.

For more than fifty years, the Open Land Trust has worked to protect the landscapes that define the character of this place. One of the most visible reminders of that shared work are the gray signs that appear beside sweeping Lowcountry views.

Those gray signs tell a simple story.

These vistas did not happen on accident. They happened with intention, supported by people who cared enough to act.

Lemon Island has been protected for more than twenty years, but motorists traveling between Bluffton and Beaufort will now see new gray signs marking what could have been hundreds of rooftops and driveways. Instead, Highway 170 offers one of the most stunning viewscapes in the Lowcountry, a daily reminder of what thoughtful decisions made decades ago can mean for all of us today.

Whether you are driving across Lemon Island, along St. Helena, down Bay Street, or around Bellamy Curve, let these signs spark gratitude for those who came before us and protected these special places. But let them also serve as a reminder and as inspiration.

It is our time. It is our turn to protect what we have inherited and to refuse to destroy the landscapes that define us. And because of your support, we will.