The Lowcountry Open Land Trust and Lowcountry Hunt were presented the 2009 Hunting Habitat Conservation Award at the Annual Meeting of the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America in Atlanta, Georgia on January 29, 2010. Accepting the award were Margaret P. Blackmer, President of the Board of Trustees for the Lowcountry Open Land Trust, and Nina Burke, Joint Master of Foxhounds of Lowcountry Hunt.

The purpose of the Hunting Habitat Conservation Award is to recognize those foxhunting clubs, organizations and individuals that have made significant and enduring contributions towards the preservation of rural countryside and its flora and fauna.  The award is sponsored by the Masters of Foxhounds Association and The Chronicle of the Horse Magazine. “There is no greater injustice than not to recognize those people and organizations that toil to keep us close to the land and the wild animals that enhance our very existence” said J.W.Y. Martin, MFHA Conservation Chairman.

Founded in 1985, The Lowcountry Open Land Trust is a nonprofit organization which uses voluntary and incentive based means to protect the irreplaceable Lowcountry landscape for current and future generations of South Carolinians.  As of the end of 2009, the Land Trust proudly holds protection on over 80,000 acres of land throughout the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Margaret Blackmer stated “We believe that the private, voluntary protection of significant forests and farmlands, wildlife habitats, waterways and open space helps preserve the unique sense of place and quality of life that distinguishes the South Carolina Lowcountry.” 

The Lowcountry Hunt was established in 2006, registered in 2007 and recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association in 2008.  Part of its Mission Statement is “to encourage an appreciation for rural heritage and native lands, and to promote conservation of the hunt country in the lowcountry of South Carolina.”  Members of the Lowcountry Hunt number over 100 and these members span from Charleston, South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia.  Together with Nina Burke, Dr. Mark Shambley and Melinda Shambley serve as Joint Masters of Foxhounds.