The residents of the Haig Point community on Daufuskie Island are united by their love of the area’s natural beauty. And for the past four years the community’s Environmental Committee has been working to make sure its natural beauty endures.
“We want to be recognized for being a sustainable and green community,” said Yvonne Clemons, chairwoman of the seven-person group that has brought recycling and water conservation initiatives to the residential development where electric golf carts are the only mode of private transportation.
“The things we are doing are good for the residents and good for the community,” she said.
The committee also has positioned Haig Point to be a leader in building environmentally sound homes, complete with water conservation methods and native plants that will reduce the amount of water needed for lush, green lawns.
And while South Carolina is still behind the curve when it comes to recycling, Haig Point now has a community program where recyclables are collected from each household on a regular schedule.
“It can be hard to break old habits, but we have to rethink our ways, Clemons said. “Recycling was the committee’s first initiative and we have made great strides, and we have saved the community money in the process.”
The committee also is seeking recognition for its Rees Jones Signature golf course as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. And its members are revitalizing a nature trail in the center of the community that winds through an old Gullah cemetery.
On an island-wide scale, the committee shares a common bond with the Daufuskie Island Conservancy that includes five Haig Point members on its board and has more than 100 members total.
Recycling is a once-a-week collection at curbside for each homeowner. In addition, there are recycling bins at other businesses around the island inclduding the restaurants, golf club, visitor center and mansion. The recyclables are then collected, loaded on a ferry and delivered to a company on Hilton Head.
“You have to love this island first,” said Clemons, who relocated with her husband, Michael, to Haig Point from Columbus, Ohio, seven years ago. “I was in the fashion industry, so this is like a whole new second life to me. I love this place. And I want it to look this beautiful for a long time to come.”
