Nature Center to Hunting Island

Welcome the Reimagined

story by KATE HAMILTON PARDEE          photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY

For those who already visit it often or have it on their to-do list in the future, there is no place more captivating and vibrant than Hunting Island State Park. Whether it is learning about the grand Hunting Island Lighthouse history, watching the dolphins play as you take a cast with your line, attending a guided walk to learn about the unique fauna on the trails, or taking a quiet stroll on the beach searching for shells, the experiences of natural beauty and wildlife discoveries are boundless.

With the reopening of the newly renovated Nature Center, there are even more ways to explore. Hunting Island State Park’s recent enhancements and improvements will ensure its services for the future. Additions include expanding existing spaces and new exhibits, featuring the coast and mammals of Hunting Island.

At the helm of Hunting Island’s offerings is Park Manager Thomas R. Zabo McCants. He was recently hired on May 17, 2023. Zabo’s passion and commitment to his new role is evident. He gratefully acknowledges the work of Assistant Park Manager Alex Kellner, the staff, the Friends of Hunting Island Board, and its Chairman Linda Miller for their dedication. “Our common goal is to provide each other and our guests lifetime experiences for a lifetime of memories,” states Zabo.

Zabo, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, grew up in a family that was born and raised in South Carolina for generations. They were all outdoor enthusiasts, and he remembers growing up fishing, rock climbing, and camping in the backcountry with his father and grandfather. “I enjoyed observing people discovering nature and the outdoors,” he shares.

A graduate of Western Carolina University with a bachelor of science in Parks and Recreation Management, he was fortunate to work as a park technician at Dreher Island State Park in Chapin, SC. “This is where I began my career with the South Carolina State Park Service.” Thoughtfully, he adds, “It now has been 20 years.”

Zabo continued in the industry, moving from assistant park manager to park manager throughout South Carolina, including Lake Greenwood State Park and Oconee State Park positions. When he saw the post for Hunting Island, he knew it would be a new challenge and applied. Now on the job for a few months, Zabo, his wife, Tamera — a professional photographer — and their three children are settled at a park cottage, where a new chapter begins. He is excited about his new role and eager to navigate the responsibilities and challenges of Hunting Island, an underdeveloped barrier island.

The Nature Center renovation project began with the inspiration of former Park Manager Brandon Goff. While Goff has moved onto a new position at another new park with South Carolina’s Ramsey Grove, he and the Friends of Hunting Island (FOHI) were a vital part of the Nature Center project execution and vision back in September 2022. Together, they worked through every detail until his departure in May 2023.

The renovation project would have only gotten off the ground with Brandon Goff’s inspiration for starting it. Now, it continues to be a labor of love for FOHI Board President Linda Miller. “The energies of the Board and hard work have made this project go from the initial vision of Brandon Goff to fruition, which we all are very proud to be a part of and share,” she says.

Miller’s relationship with Beaufort began during her youth, developing into a great love for the Lowcountry through frequent childhood visits with her Charleston-based parents more than 35 years ago. Miller raised her own family in Connecticut and California, and moved to a neighborhood in Beaufort in 2018.

“I felt immediately that the area was an idyllic community that offered the potential for deep friendships. It is now my home base, but after a neighbor invited me to a Hunting Island turtle inventory, the park immediately inspired me. Hunting Island cemented the deal for my new transition to living here,” she shares.

Miller’s dynamic professional experience, serving as regional director for the Four Seasons Hotels in New York City, a role in the technology revolution with Priceline, and her 2013 social media platform with Apple, have all come in handy as her involvement with Hunting Island State Park grew. “Hunting Island became my support system for all things natural and cleansing. When I got a call from a friend saying they needed a marketing director, I was in,” Miller says.

In her current role as President of the Board, she has happily watched the 30-year-old turtle program break all records as FOHI established a critical bird sanctuary in 2019. In December, FOHI will launch a new book featuring the iconic Hunting Island Lighthouse, weaving stories and history for this 19th-century Beaufort landmark.

The focus of the Board working diligently, together with their support and vision, guided the reimagining of the Nature Center. “Our Board applied for a grant for money from the Beaufort Tourism Development Advisory Committee (TDAC), which the City Council appoints to consolidate and recommend expenditures of the State Accommodations Funds. The portion that was awarded to FOHI was double-matched by the FOHI Board of Directors in October 2022,” Miller shares.

“The entire community is unwavering in its support of reopening this wonderful facility, which will bring smiles and educate the vast number of people who visit Hunting Island each year.” Miller states, “The new facility, with updated technology and refreshed exhibit space, will share the habitat and cultural history with one of the few remaining underdeveloped sea islands right next to the fishing pier. The twenty-foot reptile wall will be a sight to behold.”

It was important for Hunting Island to collaborate with the Lowcountry Gullah community. Miller shares, “Luana M. Graves Sellars, founder of the Lowcountry Gullah, played a crucial role in sharing their story of the Gullah Geechee. An exhibit wall featuring the works and history of this vital community is another way the Nature Center will reach out to all who visit.”

It’s clear why the Nature Center is so important to Miller; for her, it is the essence of the Island. “Sitting in its serene setting, it shares the ecological glory of Hunting and its habitat. Now, each one of the Nature Center walls in the building will tell a story.”

Additionally, Miller is quick to mention how much the Board helped with the support of the membership and acquired some of the A-tax money for financing. She is also well aware it couldn’t have been built without the assistance of Randal Brown, the construction director for FOHI, who heads up the Construction Volunteer Committee. Brown, who lives on Bermuda Bluff Island in St. Helena, knows this project’s importance. “My interest was fulfilling the construction into a lasting reality, spurred by my interested neighbors who helped along with his fellow FOHI volunteers,” he says.

With the reopening of the Nature Center now ensured, Hunting Island State Park has been fortunate to enlist Rachel Dunn as the Interpretive Nature Center Ranger. Dunn, along with Miller, the Board, Zabo, and other staff members, will continue the planning by Brandon Goff as they work to complete the project.

Originally from St. Louis, MO, Rachel Dunn attended Southern Illinois University, earning a bachelor of science in Plant Biology with a double major in Horticulture. Upon graduation during the pandemic, the job market was unavailing for many as they tried to start their careers. “I moved to Reno, NV, and joined AmeriCorps in 2020, where I spent two years working as a naturalist educator with a nonprofit environmental group at an arboretum.” During this time, she attended many interpretive programs. A ranger at Zion National Park significantly influenced her during one of his programs. “His presentation was engaging and funny, and I aspired to one day have people listen to me like that. That night, I told my parents I would become a park ranger,” Dunn continues, “I realized how little people know about plants, and I want to change that as I continue to learn more about Hunting Island’s wildlife and animals.”

Dunn plans on providing many hands-on experiences for all who visit. She loves the new picture window overlooking the pier, Fripp Island, and the Fripp inlet to the Atlantic Ocean, especially the custom-built turtle and alligator exhibits.

Working alongside her Program Specialist Candra Workman, she loves introducing animal ambassadors to the public. “My favorite is Buddy, our Diamondback Terrapin. He is not only a rehab animal, but it is cool to show off a unique and pretty turtle.” Buddy was found on the beach in 1994 and has been at the Nature Center ever since. “She shares a tank with Lt. Dan, our rehab yellow-bellied slider. She likes to follow people with her eyes and has her share of fans who like to stop by to say hello,” shares Dunn.

Visitors to the newly renovated Nature Center at Hunting Island are in for a unique educational and hands-on outing. Zabo, Linda Miller, and Rachel Dunn’s passion for working at Hunting Island, along with the FOHI Board, staff, and volunteers to renovate the Nature Center, has been a tireless commitment at each stage. Each of them is not only clear about what Hunting Island provides to the community but is passionate about continuing its mission.

With their devotion, all three are the first to recognize all the staff or members who have helped them in this journey and how grateful they are for that support. So next time you visit Hunting Island stop by the newly renovated Nature Center and take the time to discover even more new things about this special place. Get to know Buddy and become a fan. Learn about the Gullah Geechee community and their significant cultural contributions.

Please take a moment to look out the new large picture window in the Nature Center with its panoramic views to watch people walking the pier as the boats go by, possibly even seeing a dolphin playing, or slowly watching the darkening of the clouds as an approaching storm comes in. Then count your blessings that Beaufort has beautiful Hunting Island and the new Nature Center.