A Commitment to our Surroundings

For over 30 years, Sea Island Company has successfully nourished and maintained the beachfront on the island. In 2019, we began a nourishment which created over 35 acres of dry sand beach and dune habitats and greatly widened the beach at low tide. The project spanned over two winters and also included the installation of sea oats and other dune plants. While our members and guests appreciate the beauty and recreational opportunities created by such a large vibrant beach, the biggest winners are the sea turtles, shore birds, and other wildlife that have benefited from the larger and improved habitat. Since the latest renourishment, we have documented record numbers of turtle nests.

In addition to providing an exciting and educational fishing excursion to guests and members, our Sea Island Yacht Club captains collect and submit data to government agencies including the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (state) and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (federal) that sheds light on the estuary and species health. This data includes the length of the charter, location of the fishing, and the number of species caught.

Sea Island is a nesting and hatching location for threatened loggerhead sea turtles from mid-May to early October. Since this program began, Sea Island members, guests, team members, and members of the local community have contributed a total of $198,500 to sea turtle conservation. 100% of the proceeds from this project go to the Wildlife Conservation Fund within the Georgia Department of Natural Resources which relies solely on federal grants and donations to operate. Proceeds directly assist in conducting research, collecting data, and training sea turtle technicians along the Georgia coast.

When the St. Simons Land Trust was organized in 2001, with the full backing of Sea Island Company Chairman Bill Jones III, the company became a constant source of support, with contributions of land and funds. For more than twenty years, Sea Island has instituted a voluntary $2/night donation that guests may opt in to during a stay at The Cloister or The Lodge. These dollars go directly to the St. Simons Land Trust and assists in efforts to protect and preserve the island. To date, Pennies for Preservation has raised more than $1,000,000, with Sea Island Company contributing nearly 50% of that total.

In addition to financial support, land along Frederica Road slated for development as a subdivision was transferred to the Land Trust through the Sea Island Company. When the Land Trust bought the southeast comer of the Demere and Frederica Roads intersection (now a round-a-bout), the company was a major source of funding, and designed and installed landscaping, transforming the corner from a gas station into a park.

Today one cannot drive far in this area without enjoying the projects made possible, at least in part, by Sea Island Company. Land donated by the Company includes the sites of most churches on St. Simons Island, the majority of St. Simons McKinnon Airport, Epworth-by-the-Sea Methodist Conference, Massengale and Gascoigne Parks on St. Simons Island, Frederica Academy and Oglethorpe Point Elementary School, the Island Health Pavilion, and the fire station on Lawrence Road to name a few.

Led by the team of Sea Island Naturalists, the Sea Island Green Team is a group of team members with a passion for sustainability. The team regularly meets and offers the opportunity to volunteer with eco-minded nonprofits and causes. From sweeping the beach on St. Simons Island Georgia-Florida weekend to volunteering at the Georgia DNR’s Coast Fest, the Green Team is making an environmental impact on our organization and others. During our May 2024 beach and marsh clean-up day, eight bags of trash were pulled from the marsh around Rainbow Island, while 122 pounds were removed from Sea Island beach.

Sea Island has partnered with World Centric and Phade, switching from plastic cups, and toxic paper cups and goods to more sustainable items. The following changes have been made across the resort:

• 90% of all to-go boxes and packaging are compostable.
• Single-use plastic straws have been replaced with biodegradable Phade straws at all restaurants and bars.
• Sea Island Company is partnering with a Savannah-based composting operation for The RSM Classic to divert all food waste and paper product waste utilized at The Lodge, Chalets, and Village. This will divert thousands of pounds of waste from landfills to farms in Georgia.