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Monday, May 5, 10am and 1pm
Coligny Theatre

“New Sunrise on Hilton Head”
How lessons from the Island's past can guide us in an uncertain future.

 Hilton Head Island has a storied past. From its formation by the power of the ocean, the plantation cotton culture, the survival of the historic Gullah culture, and the rise of a vital, nature-sensitive community, the island has been a stage for “firsts.” Through creativity and invention, islanders have led the way in many fields. But now, the overriding reality of climate change and population explosion in the Lowcountry poses new challenges. In this presentation, Todd Ballantine portrays the island’s natural and cultural history and shows that lessons from the past can teach the Hilton Head Island community to “think out of the box” and meet these challenges.

Todd Ballantine is a nationally known writer, artist, musician, and educator. He has authored and illustrated three books, including the best-selling Tideland Treasure, Woodland Walks, and more than 20 nature guides, and interpretive exhibits in national parks and wildlife refuges throughout the U.S. During the 30 years he lived on Hilton Head Island, he created the reclaimed water technology, which has preserved the island’s major freshwater wetlands; created the Sea Pines Forest Preserve master plan, saving the island’s largest tract of forest and lakes; helped write the island’s wetland and tree protection ordinances; and guided more than 20,000 persons on trails and waterways in the Lowcountry. Todd and his wife Marianne own and operate Ballantine Environmental Resources, Inc., a Boulder, Colorado company specializing in environmental education and sustainable community planning.