Eco-friendly Vacations

Looking for a great vacation that is gentle on the environment?  Concerned about your ecological footprint?  Dewees Island, South Carolina is the place for you.  From its inception, the current Dewees Island community is committed to preserving our environment, making sure that our section of the coast is still as beautiful and pristine when our grandchildren inherit it.  Our homes are built with age old strategies for conserving energy, sited to take advantage of prevailing breezes for cooling in summer and winter sunlight for heating.  Wood used to build homes is from sustainable sources, and only low-or no-VOC paints and finishes are used.  The roads are sand and crushed shell, minimizing run-off, and maintained by a tractor which uses biodiesel from recycled cooking oil.  We only landscape with native plants requiring no irrigation.  Residential vehicles run on electricity, reducing emissions and petrochemical run-off.  A solar panel powers a bubbler in still water to keep mosquitoes at bay and reduce the need for more aggressive control measures. The only paved surface on the island, our tennis court, predates our current covenants.  And our resort-like swimming pool is shaded in places by Palmetto trees and maintained with salt water to reduce chemical exposure.

You will find reclaimed metal and wood in many of our homes, and natural light is abundant.  Home 55 has a number of fixtures made from reclaimed metal with energy efficient bulbs, poplar walls cleared from the owner’s own property, an efficient wood stove, lots of artwork from repurposed materials, and energy conscious appliances.  Home 67 uses marmoleum (natural linseed linoleum) in some of the floors, and abundant natural light.  In both 67 and 126, western sun is deflected the summer by a deep screened porch, but when winter sunlight is lower on the horizon, the home is exposed to more warmth and light.  Home 126 has light fixtures that collect sunlight and focus it on a particular area, like the breakfast nook. Home 41 has views of the ocean from every room, and a gorgeous natural pillar made from a tree trunk.

Our mission on Dewees is to embrace development responsibly while preserving as much as possible of our natural ecosystems.  Even at full build-out (fewer than 150 homes) over 90% of the island will remain in a pristine, natural state.  And, since we are located at the southern end of a 60 mile stretch of state- and federally protected coastal treasures, the opportunity for wildlife watching is unparalleled.  Our shores are teeming with fish and crabs, and our bird life is fantastic.  Come, enjoy a simpler time with your family.  Coast on a bike with the wind in your hair, enjoying the chance to ride silently on our shell roads or front beach.  Wait patiently in the dark for our turtles to hatch and watch them make their way to the sea.  Kayak the marsh and watch an alligator slip from the sunny bank.  We have lots to offer, and you can rest easily in the knowledge that here, we tread softly on the environment.

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