SCDNR biologist awarded state's highest honor

May 07, 2025

Longtime South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) coastal bird biologist Felicia Sanders was recently awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Granted by the Governor’s office, the award is presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service, and contributions on a statewide, national and even international scale.

Since 2001, Sanders has worked for SCDNR as lead biologist for the Coastal Bird Conservation Program, developing the program into a four-person powerhouse that works across the entire coast to monitor, manage and research our state’s seabirds and shorebirds. In recent years, Sanders and her team have played a leading role in several significant conservation success stories, including the discovery of the world’s largest whimbrel night roost at Deveaux Bank and the restoration of Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary.

"Felicia’s passion for birds and the coast is contagious," said Emily Cope, deputy director of SCDNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. "She’s inspired so many with her quiet leadership and relentless commitment. There is no doubt that her efforts have had a tremendous impact on conservation of our coastal birds and the areas they utilize. We’re incredibly proud to see her honored with the Order of the Palmetto."

Shorebirds are one of the fastest declining groups of birds in the world. A 2023 study of North American shorebird species found declines in 26 of 28 studied species, with more than half of those species seeing declines of greater than 50%. Witnessing this decline firsthand, Sanders has stood at the forefront of ensuring that South Carolina remains a stronghold for seabirds and shorebirds along the southeastern coast. For the first decade of her career, Sanders advocated for the unprecedented establishment of a legal framework to protect the remote islands where our colonial seabirds and shorebirds nest. She earned the support of the SCDNR Board, and five Seabird Sanctuaries were established in 2006. Even today, these Sanctuaries remain unique in our region, providing coastal birds places to rest, feed and raise their young free of human disturbance.

About a decade later, one of those Sanctuaries, Crab Bank, was eroded by storms. Felicia spearheaded a solution to Crab Bank’s loss: the use of Army Corps dredge spoils to rebuild Crab Bank. This project turned into an enormous team effort that was as much a success of environmental partnership as it was of conservation. In 2019, Sanders and her team confirmed the discovery of the world’s largest night roost of whimbrels, a declining shorebird, at Deveaux Bank Seabird Sanctuary. The discovery led to an award-winning video by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Conservation Media team and global media coverage. Sanders also led the designation of both the Cape Romain-Santee Delta Region and Deveaux Bank as Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Sites of International Importance.

In addition to management successes, Sanders and her team have also been deeply committed to collaborating with and sharing that knowledge with other scientists. Over her career, Sanders alone has contributed to over 40 research papers, while her staff have authored and contributed to an even higher number. Most recently, Sanders has been the principle investigator researching red knot migration strategies in South Carolina, work that has challenged existing notions of the significance of South Carolina beaches to red knots – with data showing that the majority of tagged birds fly directly to the Arctic after leaving South Carolina beaches. Although Sanders and her team focus on coastal birds in South Carolina, their work has become internationally recognized. Sanders and her team regularly present at international meetings and collaborate on international research. Throughout the 2010s, Sanders traveled to the Arctic to conduct field work on the nesting grounds of the shorebirds that use South Carolina beaches in spring and fall. She is a founding member of the American Oystercatcher Working Group, a model for shorebird conservation.

In 2022, Sanders was honored with SCDNR’s meritorious service award, the highest granted by the agency. In 2023, she was declared Biologist of the Year by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Despite her resume and accomplishments, Sanders exemplifies humility and service leadership. Her success has derived from her patient perseverance, her willingness to listen to stakeholders of all stripes and her love of the South Carolina coast and its birdlife.

Her nomination for the award was supported by three men with whom Sanders has worked over the years – Rockville mayor Riley Bradham, South Carolina State Senator Chip Campsen, and former SCDNR director Alvin Taylor. All three spoke at Sanders’ formal award ceremony in April.

"Today’s award marks a recognition of her achievements at the highest level of South Carolina government," Director Mullikin said at the award ceremony. "We at SCDNR are proud to call Felicia Sanders a member of our team."