Hilton Head to create garden honoring island’s ‘Tree Lady’ for 35 years of conservation

The town of Hilton Head Island plans to create a new garden in Jarvis Creek Park to honor Sally Krebs, who’s widely known as the island’s “Tree Lady,” for her 35 years of conservation work.

The Town Council voted 7-0 this week to build a pollinator garden and name it after Krebs, who retired in early January.

Krebs joined the town government as its natural resources administrator in 1986 and was charged with enforcing one of the nation’s strictest tree-protection ordinances. She served in the role for 25 years, sticking up for the environment as Hilton Head rapidly developed in the 1980s and 1990s.

She switched jobs in 2012 and became the island’s first sustainable practices coordinator.

Angie Stone, assistant town manager, said that after Krebs retired, the town wanted to create something that “really spoke to Sally’s career here” and honor her commitment to the environment.

Staff members, Stone said, decided that a pollinator garden would be a perfect tribute to Krebs, who was a “key contributor” to the design and construction of the 53-acre Jarvis Creek Park on the island’s north end.

“It’s really just lots of flowers that can attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators,” Stone said of the garden. “It is something that is very important to a balanced ecosystem.”

Now that the Town Council has approved the garden, Stone said staff members will determine the size of the garden and where it will be located in the park.

There’s no official cost estimate yet for the garden, Stone said, though she added it might cost a few thousand dollars to plant the flowers.

“We’ll definitely be able to fit it in the current facilities budget,” Stone said in an interview.

The garden could open in late spring or early summer, she said. The town likely will hold a dedication ceremony at some point.

Krebs could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette last month reported that Krebs entered town government with a simple message that has not changed over the years.

“We rely on nature to provide us with so many essential services,” she said recently, “and if we lose those essential services, then our quality of life is going to suffer greatly for that.”