The Power of Curiosity

Seeing deeply leads to new insights

When was the last time you slowed down to truly observe the world around you? Just ask Beek Webb, a resident of Coosaw Island, whose curiosity led to an incredible discovery.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Beek and his wife, Cathy, took daily walks on Coosaw Island where they noticed unusual formations in the marsh.

“It’s incredible to think how much history exists on this little island.”- Beek Webb

Discussions with former professors Dr. Richard Porcher and Dr. Larry Rowland clarified that these undulating formations were rows upon rows of former cotton beds and dikes meticulously built by enslaved people to cultivate Sea Island cotton – a major economic force in South Carolina from the late 1700s until the Civil War.

Now recognized as one of the most intact examples of such a landscape, this discovery holds considerable historical and ecological significance. Over the past four years since this discovery, with funding from Green South Foundation the Open Land Trust worked with local families to purchase 120 acres, including these historic fields, for public conservation.

This past November the land was transferred to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Heritage Trust Program. Soon, visitors will be able to experience this landscape, where they’ll learn about stories of resilience, survival, hope, and healing.

Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, shared her powerful experience upon visiting the site: “I wanted to hear the place and space speak to me as Gullah/Geechee land and the witness trees rooted in this land often does. I was embraced by a beautiful silence that slowly took on the sounds of additional footsteps. I knew that my family members who toiled on these grounds were walking with me.”

This historic site will join the existing South Bluff Heritage Preserve on Coosaw Island, which features some of the best-preserved Shell Rings in the state, dating back nearly 3,000 years. As Beek reflected, “It’s incredible to think how much history exists on this little island.”

Beek’s discovery reminds us all to consider what other stories lie hidden in plain sight, waiting to be rediscovered. His commitment to the land, our community as a whole, and our collective history is an inspiration. As he puts it, “It’s amazing to think of what we might find if we slow down and pay attention.”