Charleston Kayak Company

09/24/2026

Volunteers collected 1,611 pieces of litter weighing an estimated 500 pounds during last week’s Ashley River cleanup at Ashley River Park and Swan Drive Kayak Launch. Items collected included fishing hooks, beverage cans, glass bottles, lumber, and a tire rim. Volunteers even helped free a turtle caught on a fishing hook, reminding everyone how litter can affect local wildlife.

Thank you to every volunteer who braved the heat and dedicated their time to protecting this treasured natural resource. Special thanks to Charleston Waterkeeper, Charleston Kayak Company, Dorchester County Fire Rescue and Keep Dorchester County Beautiful for their partnership and support.

Your efforts helped make the Ashley River cleaner for our community and the wildlife that call it home. A cleaner Ashley River starts with a community willing to lend a hand!

09/24/2026

05/29/2026

Rad Grandmas! 85 yeara young!

We have a few firefly trips left. The swamp has been dry, so we are paddling the lake at sunset. We have rain finally, so we might get back on the Swamp a few times before taking a little break for the Summer!

05/01/2026

Lots of wood stork (Mycteria americana) have moved in to feed and then hopefully nest! They sure are cool, big birds!
Woodstorks love wetlands that are drying up! They move in and feed on the creatures that are stranded in the shallow water. They feed by moving their head back and forth with their beak open as they wade through the shallows. They snap their beak at the slightest vibration, they have the second fastest reaction in the animal world(first being the mantis shrimp). If they get enough to eat they will nest. They are colony nesters, with 15 or so pairs in a tree. They are pretty shy and easily disturbed, so we don't visit the areas they nest.
They have recently(this march) been delisted because, well, conservation works! They were once endangered because of all the habitat they lost in South Florida. The canaling of the everglades for development and sugar cane really messed them up. Luckily South Carolina and Georgia have become good nesting areas for them. They have made a decent come back, but that doesn't mean we should stop conserving the areas they need. A lot of folks were very disappointed to see them delisted because their Florida nesting areas are still in real bad shape. Unfortunately, we are now overdeveloping the areas they need here in SC and GA. Hopefully they don't slide back to being endangered.

04/26/2026

It's that time when the forest starts to sparkle!! It's a short season, so lock in your trip!

04/17/2026

Attention birders!! Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) are here and nesting. Come check them off your list and listen to their beautiful songs for a bit!

These birds have such a funny nesting ritual. After spending the winter in South and Central America, they return to our Cypress Swamps to nest. The male makes a nest, the female doesn't approve. He makes another, she shoots him down again. She lets him make a couple, then she finally makes a nest and thats the one they use.

04/10/2026

If ya need some cool spring break pics for your insta, we got ya!! Touring daily with wind protection and warmer temps than the rest of town!

04/09/2026

Love any chance we get to work with the Charleston Waterkeeper ! This awesome group came out from Cummins Inc. to help clean up the upper Ashley River and they were real go getters! It was fun to watch folks, some of which hadn't kayaked before, limbo under boardwalks to get to some trash! Thank you Cummins for supporting clean water!

03/27/2026

Big flock of American white ibis (Eudocimus albus) feeding in the swamp!

03/26/2026

Make swamp paddlin with the family the highlight of Spring Break this year!! Trips daily, fun always! It's the best place for first time paddlers and nature loving kidos.