Marvin Bouknight, the on-site naturalist for Oldfield Golf Club near Okatie, says he has the perfect job given his disposition, interests and the state of his occasional golf game. On any given day, he might be leading a nature walk around Oldfield's 800 acres, monitoring the use of water and fertilizer/herbicide/pesticide on the golf course, or checking on the natural vegetative "buffers" between the golf course and its surrounding environment.
This is all part of making sure Oldfield uses "best practices" while maintaining its certification in the Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. It's a job Bouknight has held for nearly years.
When he has free time, Bouknight likely won't be found playing golf - though he does say, with a laugh, "I do spend a lot of time in the woods when I play golf."
What excites Bouknight is venturing into the Lowcountry, camera in hand, to photographically record the flora and fauna that make up the natural environment surrounding golf courses.
"I've been a nature lover all my life," he says. In October 2010, Bouknight's photos were compiled in a book, "SC's Lowcountry ... Naturally," and he has plans for a second book. His writing and photos have been featured in Dude, a magazine published quarterly by Oldfield for its members.
Check out the slideshow above to see Bouknight's 10 favorite subjects for wildlife photography on and around South Carolina Golf Courses.
Photos provided by Marvin Bouknight, Nature Nook, LLC.
