Construction begins for new red wolf habitat coming to Brookgreen Gardens’ Lowcountry Zoo
Tanya Pinette, WBTW; December 4, 2022
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, SC (WBTW) — Construction has begun on a new four-acre habitat for red wolves in the Lowcountry Zoo located inside Brookgreen Gardens near Murrells Inlet, according to a news release. The habitat will allow a pack of red wolves to live safely in their natural environment, the release reads. Red wolves are known to be the most endangered species of wolf in the entire world.
The new habitat, expected to be completed by spring 2023, is one of the four key areas of Brookgreen’s $20 million capital campaign, according to the release. The funding is also being allocated to a new contemporary conservatory, American art centers and expanded Lowcountry history exhibits.
Brookgreen’s Lowcountry Zoo is one of just five South Carolina institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the release reads. Therefore, the zoo will play a large role in the effort to save red wolves through breeding, education and conservation. Less than 300 red wolves are left around the world, according to the news release. Of these, only approximately 21 are living in the wild. The new Lowcountry Zoo habitat will help to protect and revitalize the endangered species in South Carolina and beyond. The release reads that once construction is completed in the spring, Brookgreen will receive two male wolves from an Ohio zoo, followed by two breeding wolf pairs. However, the wolves will require time to adjust to their new habitat before the exhibit opens to the public.
Environmental Concepts is honored to have assisted Brookgreen Gardens with the initial grant planning documents as well as site specific plans for the new Red Wolf Habitat!
Cision PR Newswire; December 13, 2021
VERO BEACH, Fla., Dec. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Watercrest Senior Living Group proudly announces that Watercrest Myrtle Beach Assisted Living and Memory Care has been awarded for Outstanding Creative Landscape Design by the City of Myrtle Beach Community Appearance Board. Watercrest Myrtle Beach Executive Director Hunter Weaver accepted the award on the community’s behalf at the 2021 City of Myrtle Beach Arbor Day Celebration.
The exterior landscaping of Watercrest Myrtle Beach boasts a PGA-worthy putting green with purposeful awnings for shade, and individual gardening stations to appeal to horticulturists and nature lovers alike. The illuminated walking paths are surrounded by lush lawns and interwoven amongst rock-scaped ponds and gorgeous arbors to create destinations and relaxing gathering spaces.
“It’s a great honor to be recognized by the City of Myrtle Beach for the exceptional landscape design and aesthetics at our newly-constructed Watercrest Myrtle Beach community,” says Jeremy Cairns, Vice President of Construction Management for Watercrest Senior Living Group. “We are grateful to all of our partners for their hard work, particularly to Gregory Duckworth with Environmental Concepts for our award-winning landscape design.”
Ideally located at 6151 Colline Verdi Way, Watercrest Myrtle Beach is a 98-unit, luxury senior living campus comprised of 76 assisted living and 22 memory care residences with resort-style amenities and exceptional care. The comfortably, classy design includes a stunning promenade, fireplace, signature water wall, cigar and scotch lounge, multiple dining venues, Southern style outdoor living spaces, Art Studio and Gallery, and the coveted Spa W. The community offers residents world-class wellness amenities including a resort-style pool, light and salt therapy, state-of-the-art fitness and physical therapy center, beautifully landscaped walking paths, therapeutic live moss walls and a putting green.
St. Andrew Catholic School; November 16, 2021
In the fall of 2019, Debbie Wilfong, Principal for the St. Andrew Catholic School reached out to me and said, “I have an idea. I would like to convert the courtyard at the school into a butterfly garden. This would be part of a S.T.R.E.A.M. project here at school and the students can do the research on what plants, butterflies, and landscaping to use, and even how to get water out there. What I need is a business partner who could give us a plan. Are you interested? This could be so much fun!“
I told Debbie, “always happy to help, just let me know if we need to meet!”
Well, this evolved into two consecutive years of classroom instruction ultimately including 1st grade, 5th grade, and 8th grade – learning about what Landscape Architects do and then designing and presenting their own butterfly garden plans to the class – culminating in the students and parents helping to install a North American Butterfly Association Certified Butterfly Garden!
Sadly, over the course of the 2020-2021 effort, one of their school faculty, Miriam Dolores Jones, met an untimely demise and the garden was then tastefully dedicated in her honor.
This was a true team effort with a colleague, Delia Smith, Director of Conservation for the North American Butterfly Association providing feedback and then a timely meeting with Tara Johns-Berry, Brookgreen Gardens’ Butterfly Keeper; we arrived at a “keeping it simple” solution with the goal of attracting two butterfly species: 1. the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – South Carolina’s state butterfly and 2. the Gulf Fritillary!
Randy Locklair and Scott Mahon with Starwood Landscape, LLC pitched in, sourcing, donating, and delivering all of the caterpillar host and adult nectar plants – this garden wouldn’t have happened without their incredible generosity!
Students designing and presenting their butterfly garden plans!
Scott Mahon snapped this photo of a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar feeding on a Purple Passionflower vine!
Environmental Concepts’ intern and St.Andrew School Alum, Kailynn Wiggins, with Greg Duckworth during the garden installation!
Working closely with Brookgreen Gardens’ staff and the design/build team, Environmental Concepts is honored to have been a part of the eponymous pavilion project!
Holy Sinner; October 31, 2019
“Brookgreen Gardens, a national historic landmark, on Monday announced the opening of their new Leonard Pavilion. The space is now available for rentals and will host Brookgreen’s array of programs and special events. The pavilion, located near the Lowcountry Center, is named for Trustee Emeritus Don Leonard who donated the lead gift for the building’s construction.
“The Leonard Pavilion offers guests a beautiful covered venue in one of the most dazzling locations in the Lowcountry,” Page Kiniry, CEO of Brookgreen Gardens, said. “We are ecstatic to be able to utilize this outdoor space for our guests. It would not have been possible without our donors, whose support keeps Brookgreen a landmark for generations to come.”
The pavilion will host a multitude of events and educational programming and will support the Creative Education and Collections Departments, Brookgreen’s learning hub for history and nature. In 2018, more than 8,000 students attended creative educational programs at Brookgreen with over 5,600 different school groups attending.
Brookgreen will hold special events and programs in the Leonard Pavilion for members and guests to enjoy. Along with Brookgreen’s hosted events, members will be able to rent the Pavilion for private events including weddings.”
For more information, visit www.brookgreen.org
Environmental Concepts was thrilled to celebrate #WLAM2019 and honored to see some of our project images featured in ASLA National’s article!
LAND Newsletter; April, 2019
“ASLA asked its members to share their favorite landscape architect-designed spaces with #WLAM2019 and a card that read, “This is Landscape Architecture.” The goal was to connect the term “landscape architecture” to the work of landscape architects.
This year, 1,013 people posted 5,500 times with #WLAM2019, which helped introduce the profession to more than 2.5 million people worldwide.“
Main Street In North Myrtle Beach, SC Named to CountryLiving’s 23 Best Small Town Main Streets in America
By Perri O. Blumberg; Jul 11, 2018
Back in 1992, Environmental Concepts worked with the local business community to help them visualize a brighter future for their old, rundown Main Street district. The resulting Redevelopment Master Plan has helped breathe new life into this oceanfront resort and shagging destination! Numerous concerts, festivals, parades, and Society of Stranders events take place annually here in North Myrtle Beach, the birthplace of “The Shag” – South Carolina’s Official State Dance.
CountryLiving had this to say: “No trip to North Myrtle Beach would be complete without wandering Main Street and reliving that childhood vacation high on this nostalgia-imbued strip. Of course, there’s also the adult version of fun: grabbing a blanket and holding up where road melds into sand and enjoying live music in the band shell for Music on Main. The next day, you’ll likely need some hair of the dog at Coconuts Tiki Bar and Grill and a burger from Pirate’s Cove. Or you know, a restorative dip in the ocean.”
Gregory Duckworth of Environmental Concepts, LLC in Myrtle Beach, SC works with craftsmen on special fence projects, including this one at Seaside Plantation, where L. F. “Cuda” Miller and son, Mark Miller, of Miller’s Wood and Iron in Andrews created copper finials for fence columns.
The Post and Courier Charleston; Aug 19, 2017
“If “good fences make good neighbors,” as the oft-quoted line from a Robert Frost poem noted, then great fences certainly might make great admirers and possibly friends.
As South Carolina grows and evolves, fences are among the features blossoming with creativity and whimsy beyond the historic wrought iron, the standard suburban picket and the utilitarian stockade.
The new breed of fencing runs the gamut, from high-end elegance to urban hip and earthy understatement…”
Craftsmanship in fences
Gregory Duckworth also works on fences that make a statement. In many cases he seeks the help of craftsmen, such as blacksmiths and other metal workers, to help create borders of beauty. One of those is Miller’s Wood & Iron in Andrews.
He noted how L.F. “Cuda” Miller and son, Mark Miller, created copper finials that looked like the tops of pineapples at the entryway of Seaside Plantation. Similarly, a fence at a new home in Little River featured steel sculptures.
“Every project is unique. If a project has a fence or gate opportunity in it and it makes sense to become more than just a functional gate, we’ll talk to the client about that opportunity,” says Duckworth.
Tips for homeowners
While some of Duckworth’s projects are high-end, he says homeowners exploring fencing options need to do some homework before spending money.
“Don’t get excited about doing something, then realize you can’t do it because of zoning requirements in area. Check ordinances and HOA covenants at the start of the project,” says Duckworth. “The last thing you want to do is build it and get a nasty gram in the mail in violation of X, Y and Z.”
After that, Duckworth says people should think about materials and how they will work for a fence.
“There’s all kinds of things that come into play. Fences are made out of more than metal. It can be brick or wood,” says Duckworth, adding that fences can combine stock panels with custom-made “fancy stuff on top.”
“You have to find someone who knows what they’re doing and do it in a tasteful way. Most of the work we get done is (by) a blacksmith. There are fence contractors who put in basic fences, but if you want to take it to the next level, you have to seek out craftsmen.”
Gregory Duckworth of Environmental Concepts often taps craftsmen to help fabricate fence and gate designs that make a statement.
Gregory Duckworth of Environmental Concepts incorporates elements of a nearby marsh for a fence at a home in Little River, SC.
Landscape Architect and Specifier News; Oct, 2016
Environmental Concepts LLC’s founder, Gregory D. Duckworth, is elevated to Fellow!
“The American Society of Landscape Architects has selected 28 members to the ASLA Council of Fellows for 2016. Fellowship is among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members…”
By Joanna Weedlun; Aug 30, 2016
“For Gregory Duckworth, ASLA, the practice of landscape architecture is synonymous with service. Throughout his professional career, he has demonstrated a zeal for helping both his community and industry in many ways: from involving his firm, Environmental Concepts, LLC, in pro-bono projects, to serving in the Boy Scouts of America as Scoutmaster and providing guidance for Eagle Scout service projects, to working for his neighbors as an elected official at the local and state levels. In recognition of his service in the field of landscape architecture, as well as his public service, Duckworth is being elevated to the ASLA Council of Fellows….”