Sandy Island is the name of a small

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Georgetown County,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, United States, and a larger island between the

Pee Dee The Pee Dee is a region in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It lies along the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, which was named after the Pee Dee, a Native American tribe that historically inhabited the region. His ...

and

Waccamaw River The Waccamaw River is a river, approximately 140 miles (225 km) long, in southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina in the United States. It drains an area of approximately 1,110 square miles (2886 km²) in the coastal plain ...

s that has been preserved as a refuge and nature center. The island is about 9,000 acres (36 km) of a prehistoric sand dune. It is bounded east and west by the rivers, on the north by Bull Creek, and on the south by Thoroughfare Creek. The northern part of the island is higher and is mostly a longleaf pine forest, which provides a refuge for the endangered

red-cockaded woodpecker The red-cockaded woodpecker (''Leuconotopicus borealis'') is a woodpecker endemic to the southeastern United States. Description The red-cockaded woodpecker is small to mid-sized species, being intermediate in size between North America's two ...

and numerous other species of plants and animals. About 9,000 acres (36 km) of the island has been purchased by

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

for permanent protection from development. On the southern, lower end of the island are the remnants of old rice

plantations A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

, with the watergates and earthwork canals, built by African slaves skilled in rice culture. Such development was used to manage the water supply for irrigating the rice fields. A small community in the south is made up of a few families who are descendants of former slaves. The island is only accessible by boat, and workers and school children commute to the mainland daily for work and school. Because of its resources, the island is regularly visited by naturalists, planters, archaeologists and geologists.

Brookgreen Gardens Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The property includes several themed gardens featuring American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails thro ...

runs daily "scenic" boat rides close to the island. Tours of the southern end are available by private tour company.

External links

"Sandy Island"
Nature Conservancy
"Saving Sandy Island"
ETV film {{authority control Unincorporated communities in South Carolina Islands of South Carolina Unincorporated communities in Georgetown County, South Carolina Nature reserves in South Carolina Protected areas of Georgetown County, South Carolina Nature Conservancy preserves Landforms of Georgetown County, South Carolina