This is the first episode in a series highlighting the individuals and organizations working to protect the land and legacy of Sapelo Island’s Hogg Hummock community, one of Georgia’s most culturally significant places.

Creature Comforts’ new Sapelo aperitivo celebrates the fragile beauty of Georgia’s Sapelo Island and the Saltwater Geechee community who call it home. In partnership with the nonprofit agency, Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO), a percentage of sales will support community-led efforts to reestablish their cultivation of the Sapelo Sour—oranges first brought to the island from Spain in the 1600s.

“A whale fall is when a whale sinks to the depths of the ocean floor after death, its presence helping to create new ecosystems that supply sustenance for deep-sea life.” Learn about how Creature Comforts’ Whale Fall IPA helped launch the Birkley Heynen Environmental Foundation.

In this photo essay, Rinne Allen tells us about how over 200,000 pounds of oysters shells collected by Shell to Shore made their journey to Sapelo Island in Partnership with Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO).

The students who participate in Shell to Shore’s Birkley Heynen Internship Program are the lifeforce of the organization’s ability to recycle oyster shells across the state of Georgia and get them to the Georgia Coast. Watch this short film about the program and reach out if interested in participating.