RINCON, Ga. — On an overcast winter morning that smelled of damp earth and pine needles, Isaiah Scott paused mid-step along a muddy, leaf-strewn path, tilting his head to listen. Within seconds, he picked out the song of a Yellow-rumped Warbler, followed moments later by a Carolina Chickadee. Their calls rippled through the swaying trees and across the still, mist-shrouded ponds.

At just 22, Scott already knows the land beneath his waterproof UGG Duck Boots as intimately as he knows the birds themselves. The South Effingham High School alum and Cornell University graduate has established Scott’s Wild Bird Preserve, a 16.1-acre forest-and-wetlands sanctuary tucked between State Route 21 and Blue Jay Road off West Ninth Street and down Scott Avenue. With ponds, wetlands, mixed pine forest and winding Rincon Branch Creek, the property forms the foundation of his vision for bird conservation, environmental education, and community engagement in a rapidly developing part of Effingham County.

In a region facing steady growth, the preserve protects critical habitat while offering opportunities for ecotourism and outdoor learning. Rincon Branch Creek flows from the preserve into Dasher Creek and down to the Savannah River, connecting local conservation to regional water quality and sustainability.

“What I love about this property is all the different habitat changes,” Scott said. “We have the two ponds in the front, and all around is southern mixed pine forest. Then toward the middle of the property, there’s Rincon Branch Creek flowing through it.”

Scott named the ponds on the spot — Wood Duck Pond and Kingfisher Pond. Bass, catfish and bluegill already thrive there, and a colorful wood duck decoy floats near the shoreline. “I hope that will attract real wood ducks,” he said.

Swamp titi, red maple, swamp bay, loblolly pine, sweetgum and swamp tupelo shape the preserve’s forest and wetlands, while gallberry shrubs provide dark berries that feed birds and other wildlife. The diversity of habitat already attracts turkeys, woodpeckers, Eastern bluebirds, Canada geese, vultures, belted kingfishers, deer, raccoons, turtles, frogs, snakes and owls. “This wetland needs to be protected, especially with all the growth around here,” Scott said.

A lifelong interest in birds

Scott’s love of nature began early, long before he could identify species by sight and song. “Growing up, I loved nature. I loved animals. I loved being outdoors,” he said. “I knew I wanted to work with animals, wildlife, or be a conservationist.”

On a recent morning, Scott’s father, Roger Scott Sr., decked out in Dallas Cowboys gear, navigated a red four-wheeler through the preserve, the engine churning wet leaves and mud, stopping occasionally to shift branches or toss debris aside. Scott Sr. showed up to help with cleanup and trail preparation. He remembers Isaiah’s early obsessions clearly. “When Isaiah was little, he was first into fish,” Scott Sr. said. “He would walk around and say, ‘I’m a catfish.’” A year later, his focus shifted. “He got into birds, so he went from ‘Catfish’ to ‘Birdman.’”

That early curiosity led to a formative visit to Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology during a campus tour with his older brother, Darius, a track star at South. “I was just blown away by all the bird studies they were doing,” Scott said. 

Back in Effingham County, Scott began birdwatching and eventually created Ike’s Birding Hikes, named after “Ike,” his family nickname. “The whole goal was to connect people with nature,” he said. “For us to explore, observe, and learn about birds and their natural habitats.” While in high school, he led birding hikes through 4-H, the National FFA and community programs at Honey Ridge Agricenter and New Ebenezer Retreat Center. 

Education shapes a vision

After high school, Scott followed his brother to Cornell University, an Ivy League school in Ithaca, N.Y., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability with a focus on ornithology and science communication. “When I got to Cornell, I started to learn more about the actual science of birds and conservation,” he said. “That’s when I got more serious about it.”

At Cornell, doctoral student Ethan Duvall mentored Scott and encouraged him to pursue the school. “Isaiah has an infectious passion for birds and the natural world, but also for sharing that excitement with others,” Duvall said. “I’m super happy to see him channel those passions into habitat conservation, especially in his home state of Georgia.”

During college, Scott shaped the idea for a nonprofit to support conservation and education — Rookery Roots Conservancy — which will fund improvements, programs and partnerships connected to the preserve.

With help from his parents, Roger Sr., owner of Scott & Sons Trucking, and Sonja Scott, a teacher at Effingham Middle School, Scott purchased the land in December from former Rincon City Councilman Levi Scott (no relation). “We’ve been land searching for about two years,” he said. “When we saw this property — the ponds, the wetlands, the forest — I thought, ‘This could be the place.’”

Scott’s passion for nature extends beyond conservation into creativity and adventure. During college, he modeled for outdoor apparel and gear company L.L. Bean. Scott also built a global audience for his bird paintings, which he ships around the world. Scott’s birding has taken him across the U.S. and to distant locations such as Machu Picchu in Peru, the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, and Colombia — sometimes as a guest of the National Park Service or National Geographic — blending hands-on exploration, detailed observation, and scientific curiosity.

Plans for the preserve

Scott envisions opening the preserve in phases, welcoming visitors by 2027. Early work includes clearing trails, building a small parking area, and adding a tin-roof office, gardens, benches, and a fire pit. “We’re working to open it as a private nature preserve, offering tours for birdwatching, nature hikes and kayak fishing tours,” he said.

The preserve will also serve as an outdoor classroom for local schools. “The idea of a living classroom is to have an outdoor space filled with plants and animals as a learning opportunity for students,” Scott said. “Instead of being in a four-wall classroom watching a video, they can actually be out there.”

Future projects include installing wood duck nesting boxes, creating a native plant garden, and constructing a two-story bird observation deck with peepholes overlooking the ponds.

A reflection garden blooming with wildflowers and dotted with bird feeders will honor his grandmother, Willie Mae Johnson-Taylor, who died in December 2024. “She loved birds and butterflies,” Scott said. He hopes the garden will attract his favorite bird, the Painted Bunting, which he first remembers seeing in his grandmother’s garden in Clyo.

Community support

The project has drawn support from local and international donors through Ike’s Birding Hikes, which has more than 100,000 Instagram followers. Effingham Eye Care has committed as a monthly donor, and Scott sees community involvement as essential. Volunteers are invited to the first cleanup day from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 19 at Scott Avenue — Martin Luther King Jr. Day — and are encouraged to bring gloves, trash bags and a curiosity for birds.

A fine drizzle began to fall as Scott paused on the trail, watching a turkey vulture soar above the preserve. For him, the work ahead is about more than protecting land — it’s ensuring these habitats, birds, and wildlife endure for generations yet to walk these paths.