colette in the moultrie news

BY DORA D. HARTSELL MOULTRIE NEWS C olette DeGarady of Mount Pleasant be- lieves her evolution from animal lover to conser- vationist is only natural. “I was originally inter- ested in working with animals,” said DeGarady, senior conservation ecolo- gist at The Nature Conser- vancy. “If you enjoy working with animals, you have to protect their habitats.” A graduate of Stratford High School in Goose Creek, DeGarady focused mainly on fish and feathered and furry creatures in college and graduate school. As an undergrad at Clemson, she majored in aquaculture, fisheries and wildlife biology. At Southern Illinois, she dove deeper into her study of animals by pursuing a master’s degree in zoology. Between degrees, she was employed in a variety of roles. She worked as a veterinary technician for a Goose Creek clinic. She par- ticipated in an array of field studies involving fawns, yel- low warblers, red-cockaded woodpeckers, sea turtles and amphibians. She also lived in France for one year, and worked throughout the state and the southeast. For the past eight years, DeGarady has worked in the Charleston office of The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest non-profit conservation organizations in the world. The Nature Conservancy, founded in 1951, works in more than 30 countries and all 50 states, with a state office in Columbia and a sat- ellite office in Greenville. DeGarady is among 12 Charleston employees who focus on land management, research and the protection of native species. “Basically I’m involved in conservation work that helps protect places of bio- diversity,” she said. DeGarady supervises three staff members and specializes in forest management and restoration, invasive plant species management, and rare flora and fauna studies. Away from work, De- Garady finds other ways to protect and provide healthy habitats. She is the organizer of the twice-annual Native Plant Sale, a collaborative effort by the Lowcountry Chap- ter of the S.C. Native Plant Society and Charles Towne Landing, the host site for the Oct. 22 event. “We’re trying to promote native plant landscaping,” DeGarady said. When gar- deners grow plant species native to South Carolina in- stead of planting non-native species, they help provide healthier habitats for wildlife and insects, she said. “Everybody wants some- thing that looks good and is low maintenance,” she said. The plant sale is the ideal place for green thumbs to acquire plants and informa- tion about native species, including sweet grass, spar- tina, little blue stems and the honeysuckle vines which tend to attract butterflies. DeGarady also serves as treasurer and membership chair of the South Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council, which coordinates and provides research about invasive plant species. Her involvement in the community has allowed her to travel overseas through the Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange program. While serving as a voca- tional ambassador overseas, DeGarady learned about agricultural development in England. There, a smaller percentage of land is desig- nated as forest land than in the U.S., “where we have a balance of agricultural and forested lands,” she said. At home, DeGarady and her husband, Tom John- son, have been preparing a fruit and vegetable garden comprised of lettuce, winter greens, herbs, blueberry bushes, pomegranate and citrus trees. They also take special care of a set of active, 18-month- old twins, and their family pets: a dog they call Bogey and a tortoise named Moe. The twins, it seems, are following in their mother’s nature-loving footsteps. “They love to be outside, and they love the beach,” DeGarady said. “They love to dig in the mulch around the plant beds and bury the tortoise in it.” IP04-602955 405 West Coleman Blvd. Mt. Pleasant • 843.884.8232 www.campbellsjeweler.com The personal touch… Custom Jewelry Retail and Repairs I P 0 2 5 9 3 0 5 7 The Coleman Collection has outgrown our shop in Northcutt Plaza and have gone up a few sizes to suite I. Our new location is in the breezeway between the two sides of the mall (formerly Gymboree). handsome consigned home furnishings Buy, Sell, Browse WE'VE GOTTEN T OO BIG FOR OUR BRITCHES! SAME FABULOUS FURNITURE, JUST MORE OF IT. 976 Houston Northcutt Blvd Suite I, Mount Pleasant 843-654-90 46 • thecolema ncollection .com facebook.com/thecolemancollection 40 IP02-604539 Providing 20 years of physical therapy care to the Charleston community. We offer individualized one on one treatment. As well as new technology with the Bioness for treatment of foot drop and Anodyne to treat pain associated with peripheral neuropathy . We Offer Treatments For: • Back and Neck Pain • Sports and Work related injuries • Temporomandibular Dysfunction (jaw pain) • Joint Pain and Injuries • Multiple Sclerosis • Parkinson’s Disease • Fibromya lgia “Hands that help you heal.” IP02-602794 E. Maria Rountree, M.D. Child, Adolescent, Adult Psychiatry Creekside Corporate Center, Suite 223 887 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mt. Pleasant , SC 29464 Phone 843-300-1360 • Fax 888-405-0638 [email protected] NEW PRACTICE Now accepting patients Providing compassionate, quality psychiatric care We’ve bee n pro ving them wrong for ov er a decade! Be fit. Be confident. Be strong. Present this ad for 20% off your next purchase of $100 or more. Expires 12/1/11. Limit one per person. No cash value. Must be used in one visit. I P 0 4 - 5 9 9 6 6 2 Conservation comes naturally to DeGarady PHOTOS PROVIDED Collette DeGarady volunteers in the Hampton Park greenhouse. Collette DeGarady is seen here with her family, hiking at Mepkin Abbey la st November. 4C .MOULTRIE NEWS www.moultrienews.com Wednesday , September 14, 2011

colette in the moultrie news

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