From the Mountains to the Sea

By Thomas S. Mullikin, PhD

In South Carolina we are blessed to enjoy the beauty of some of the oldest mountains in the world with a southeasterly stretch of the Appalachians including the world famous Jocassee Gorge. From these mountains we can travel across some of the most diverse and historic landscapes in North America to our famous coastline. These grounds gave rise to our patriot ancestors who fought and won the independence of our nation. This is the land where more pitched battles and lesser military actions were fought than anywhere else in the country combined.

Pictured (L-R) are Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, Col. Steve Vitali, Maj. Gen. Tom Mullikin, and Lt. Col. Louis Drucker paddling on the Lynches River Watershed in South Carolina, Wednesday July 11, 2024.

Not surprisingly, here in South Carolina we are born and raised with a deep sense of respect for both the natural world and the all-important history of our state.

Speaking of which: I have just returned from six weeks in a beautiful part of the world which – though different and unique in its own ways – boasts many of the same attributes as our beloved Palmetto State. The nation of Ecuador which hosts the highest summit on Earth (Mt Chimborazo which due to the Ecuadorian bulge is more than six thousand feet further into the atmosphere than Mt Everest) and stewards one of the most diverse coastal ecosystems in all of the Lord’s garden – the Galápagos Islands.

Our expedition began on Mt Chimborazo with wounded warriors and the CEO of one of South Carolina’s newest and most exciting companies: Scout Motors. Our expedition up this mountain was exciting and arduous often hiking against sustained 30-to-50 mph winds. With gorgeous panoramic views of the valley below and the other mountains in the region, I was also struck by not only what we saw but what we did not see – at more than 23,000 feet into the atmosphere we did not step foot on any ice or snow. A sign of the times and difficulties to come for a nation that has been powered by hydroelectric power relying on the melting glaciers that once covered all of the mountains in the region.

We left the beauty of the Andes for the equally remarkable Cloud Forest of Mashpi. The beauty of this area and lodge rivals anything I have ever seen with over 500 species of birds and countless endemic species of flora and fauna. At nearly 3,000 feet above sea level, this area in the lower mountain region of the rainforest is a unique habitat and ecosystem. Here the humidity of the coast and the arid air of the Andes meet which offers dramatic views of the surrounding region. It was here that I gave two lectures – one with the world-famous Roque Sevilla, who among his many successes, founded the “Fundación Natura,” served as the director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the United States; on the Board of the World Wide Fund for Nature International (WWF-I); and as a member of the National Congress of Ecuador and Mayor of Quito.

I enjoyed discussing issues related to amplified global climate change and the success of our own South Carolina in reducing emissions while growing our state.

From Mashpi I traveled to the world famous Galápagos Islands where I have spent the last month teaching a class on global climate change and impacts on the Galápagos Islands. There truly is no place like the Galápagos Islands on earth. Home to some of the highest levels of endemic species (species found nowhere else on earth) – more than 80 percent of the birds are endemic 97 percent of the reptiles and more than 30 percent of the plants are endemic.

These islands host to a unique biological diversity. They are located in the Eastern Tropical Pacific approximately 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador in South America at the confluence of both warm and cold ocean currents. These currents provide the conditions for various habitats for tropical species, such as corals and red-footed boobies, temperate species like sea lions and macro-algae (kelp), and coldwater species such as penguins and fur seals. On land, the unique ecosystems required life to adapt to either harsh arid conditions or variably wet conditions.

There are areas where you feel like you are hiking or diving into Jurassic Park. The islands are truly a living laboratory of nature. We witnessed blue footed boobies, giant tortoises, marine iguanas and many other land species while in the water we swam with sea lions, hammerhead sharks, and bore witness to a pod of dolphins no less than 500 swimming together.

Through all of my travels I return back to the Palmetto State with even greater conviction to protect one of the equally beautiful biomes – a place of beauty, history, independence and greatness. On Thursday, we will be back in the Lynches River cleaning this historic river for others to enjoy; planning our Smart Reef build around Parris Island; tree planting on the barrier islands and of course getting ready for the world-famous SC7 Expedition. Will you help us protect what we hold in trust in our beautiful state? Will you join the Palmetto Pledge and keep a bag in your car and pick up just one bag of litter each year? “We don’t inherit the earth, we borrow it from our children,” said the great Chief Seattle.

We live in the Bible Belt of the United States and are taught early in our life about the value of stewardship in nature. From the first book of Bible, we read in Genesis 1:31 that “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good…Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” Consistent with this value statement directly from Scripture, John Calvin reminded us that there is no place “however minute, that does not exhibit at least some sparks of beauty; while it is impossible to contemplate the vast and beautiful fabric as it extends around, without being overwhelmed by the immense weight of glory.”

It is this vast beautiful fabric in the Lord’s garden that we seek to protect.

We live in interesting times in South Carolina during a time of tremendous economic renaissance and heightened conservation. In a state of only 20.5-million acres we have already placed 3.5-million acres in conservation. S.C. Governor Henry McMaster would like to place 10-million acres in conservation. We have the largest nuclear per capita energy supply in the nation and are rapidly adding more sustainable energy. We have four electric vehicle manufacturing facilities, the largest recycler (of steel) began its electric arc furnace in South Carolina and much more. We are on pace to leave a state of the art economy, reduced environmental footprint, greater conservation state to our children and grandchildren. But we still have work to do. We need to work with local communities to conserve property and build out their ecotourism assets for healthier and more prosperous communities. Tourism is one of the largest economic sectors in South Carolina at $29-billion, and ecotourism is the fastest growing.

Together we are working to show the world that economic and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive. In fact they are very much concurrent priorities. We are rapidly protecting our environment while witnessing explosive growth of our economy. Join us on SC7 as we help educate, encourage and participate in these wonderful developments. We are not aspirational; we are operational. We plan to live out the motto of South Carolina: Animis Opibusque Parati – prepared in mind and resources.

Dr. Thomas Stowe “Tom” Mullikin is a global expedition leader, attorney, university professor, former U.S. Army officer, and retired two-star commander of the S.C. State Guard. He serves as chair of the gubernatorially established S.C. Floodwater Commission and he is the leader of the annual SC7 Expedition from the mountains of South Carolina to the sea. Dr. Mullikin recently concluded an exploratory mission in Ecuador from Mount Chimborazo in the Andes to the famed Galapagos Islands.