Marie McAden A former staffer with The Miami Herald, Marie moved to SC in 1992. She is passionate about the outdoors, and enjoys exploring the state’s many natural treasures from the Lowcountry to the Upstate.More from "Marie McAden" It is a landscape of unparalleled beauty—a 22-mile stretch of pristine coastline where freshwater rivers and streams meet the open sea. It is a landscape of unparalleled beauty—a 22-mile stretch of pristine coastline where freshwater rivers and streams meet the open sea creating one of the most fertile ecosystems on the planet. Protected from development for more than eight decades, the 66,306-acre wildlife preserve serves as habitat for some 293 species of birds, 36 different kinds of mammals, 24 types of reptiles and 12 varieties of amphibians.