Hilton Head Audubon is a leading voice for conservation in the Lowcountry working to preserve and protect wildlife and natural ecosystems and to encourage responsible environmental stewardship.
Our goals include preservation and protection of our coastal marshes, beaches, maritime forests and other habitats, ensuring they will be available for the continued enjoyment of residents and visitors, and for their use by migrating and resident birds. We actively partner with state and local leaders (conservation) and the community-at large (membership, communications) to promote a positive, forward-looking agenda for people and wildlife.
Meet and mingle with bird-and-nature-loving members new and old, as well as our Board and many volunteers. Share your sightings, and if you are new to this, glean tips from experienced birders, bird photographers and conservationists.
Did you know that ticks – those repugnant, disease-carrying, bloodsucking mites – actually serve a purpose in our ecological web? Guinea fowl, frogs, lizards and possums eat them. Barnyard birds consume ticks that might otherwise bite cattle, and rattlesnakes dine on tick-eating rodents. As carriers of diseases, ticks help check animal populations by culling out weaker individuals. Read more>
Audubon Newhall Preserve
The Audubon Newhall Preserve is a 50 acre nature preserve located at 55 Palmetto Bay Road on the south end of Hilton Head Island that is owned and operated by the Hilton Head Island Audubon Society, a non-profit and volunteer organization. There are over 140 bird species recorded at the Preserve.
Free guided tours of the Preserve are held weekly on Tuesday morning led by a Master Birder. No reservations required. Please gather in the parking lot by 8:30 AM. Water, binoculars, and insect repellant are recommended.
The Preserve has a series of interconnected trails that add up to about a mile total. Tree roots have been removed from the paths to make it wheelchair accessible.
Audubon Newhall Preserve is open every day from sunrise to sunset for visitors to enjoy. Parking is available. For visitors who are mobility challenged or have health issues, the Preserve has wide paths and boardwalk that are manageable for short walks, an observation deck overlooking the pond for wildlife viewing and many benches to sit and rest. The preserve is dog-friendly, but dogs must be leashed and please pick up after your pets. No smoking is permitted. We remind visitors to the Preserve to be good stewards of the land, please do not pick flowers or plants or gather and remove native materials like pinecones.
Your contributions are crucial to help the Hilton Head Audubon Society better achieve its mission: To be a leading voice for birds and conservation in the Low Country, where people and nature thrive together.
It can be difficult to navigate the patchwork of rules and regulations regarding dogs on the beach. This guide for dog owners aims to make it easier to find the perfect Hilton Head beach to enjoy with your furry friends.
Our advocacy, education programs and community science seek to engage people in projects that benefit birds, nature, our neighborhoods and the greater ecosystem.