Available Now · Spring 2026
A Literary Field Guide
Poems, prose & original illustrations celebrating the rivers, marshes, forests & shorelines of the Winyah Bay watershed — where our waters connect, we connect.
About the Book
This is not your grandparents' field guide. Yes, each entry lists the common and scientific name of a species, provides an original illustration, and supplies identification notes. But a literary field guide adds, well, literature — poems and prose passages that describe, metaphorize, challenge, embrace, and elegize the species of flora and fauna indigenous to the Winyah Bay watershed.
Drawing on the flows of the Waccamaw, Black, Sampit, and Great Pee Dee rivers, the Winyah Bay watershed is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States — and one of its most ecologically rich. This anthology invites readers to carry it afoot along beaches, in kayaks through marshes, on boats down rivers.
All proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to the organizations that protect the species and habitats within its pages.
ISBN 978-1-955095-73-0 · Publishing Division, Pawleys Island, SC
What's Inside
Seven Sections
Tea-colored coastal rivers — the Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, and Sampit — unhurried, tidal, and ancient, shaped by millions of years of geological change.
Highly productive, mysterious swamps that likely covered hundreds of thousands of acres across the watershed before the age of rice plantations.
Mysterious elliptical depressions shaped by Ice Age winds — home to carnivorous plants, black bears, longleaf pines, and rare woodpeckers.
Ancient ecological systems — from natural depressions and beaver dams to historic rice field impoundments now managed for waterfowl.
One of the most productive habitats on earth — a labyrinth of cordgrass, needlerush, oyster reefs, snapping shrimp, and wading birds.
Shaped by constant motion — waves, currents, and wind that build dunes, beaches, barrier islands, and maritime forests along the coast.
Backyard habitat plays a surprisingly important role in supporting local biodiversity — even small yards can be vital micro-ecosystems. Many species have integrated themselves deeply into the landscapes humans have created.
All 40 Species
From the Pages
All Proceeds Donated
The Winyah Bay watershed has become one of the fastest-growing population areas in the United States. All proceeds from this book go directly to the organizations protecting the species and habitats within its pages.
Order & Support ConservationWriters & Artists
Thirty-one writers and artists who live, work, and find meaning in the Winyah Bay watershed.
The Editors
Available Now
Carry this book afoot along our beaches, in kayaks through our marshes, and on boats down our rivers.
Order the Book →