Get ready to embark on a captivating journey with Cassie Beato, the remarkable Resident Naturalist at Montage Palmetto Bluff. As the guiding force behind all things environmental and historical, Cassie’s expertise shines through in the resort’s mesmerizing programs. Whether unraveling the secrets of local flora, fauna, and wildlife or delving into sustainable practices, Cassie’s passion is contagious. Beyond her role, she collaborates closely with the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, lending a helping hand in land and wildlife management. Join us as we uncover the wonders of Montage Palmetto Bluff through Cassie’s eyes, where nature thrives and heritage takes center stage.
What do you do at Montage Palmetto Bluff?
I am the Naturalist at Montage Palmetto Bluff where I oversee all environmental and historical programming for resort guests. I lead all of the naturalist programs at the resort where I teach about the local flora, fauna, wildlife, and sustainability through guided tours and talks. Additionally, I work in tandem with the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy where I aid in land and wildlife management as well as archeology.
Where are you traveling next in the world?
At the moment, I don’t have any big trips planned for this year however, next year, I do have plans on traveling to Portugal. Both sides of my family are Portuguese and I have dual citizenship. In 2022, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Portugal with my sister and it was an incredible experience. Previous to that trip, it had been 17 years since I had been to Portugal and a lot had happened since. My grandfather on my mother’s side passed away in 2006 leaving behind a house in Portugal to my family. My mom did an oversees renovation of my grandfather’s house that was built in the 40s, and my sister and I were able to lodge in the house during our stay. I have always had an appreciation for my heritage but getting to travel there as an adult and fully immerse myself in the culture with my sister was truly a life changing experience.
Cassie Beato, Cassie Beato, Resident Naturalist, Montage Palmetto Bluff
What are you excited about right now?
Right now, there are two things that I’m really excited about here at the Bluff!
First, is our four honey bee colonies that we adopted last month. Beekeeping is something that I have been really interested in for two years now and was a dream that I had coming into this roll. Last summer we had a colony of bees in a tree behind one of our signature residences that was a nuisance. I found a beekeeper who was able to come in, safely remove the hive and relocate it. After talking to him over the course of the colony removal, we were able to connect and crate a program for Montage Palmetto Bluff where we can have our own bee colonies, learn about beekeeping, and harvest our own honey! Our colonies are thriving right now and we are looking forward to having fresh honey and learning more about honeybees and why they are so important to our ecosystem.
Second, we recently added a new guided naturalist Duffy Boat tour called The Inland Waterway Ecotour. I am very excited for this tour because I really get to immerse our guests in nature through a different lens. By doing a tour on a boat, I am able to take our guests to more secluded areas via the waterways, where we are able to see a larger variety of wildlife and explore more of Palmetto Bluff.
What are a few fun facts about your job / the wildlife at Montage Palmetto Bluff?
Fun fact, I have the best job on property, hands down! Not only have I been given the opportunity to evolve the naturalist program as I see fit but I also get the opportunity to work with the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy. Palmetto Bluff has some unique ecosystems that are home to hundreds of different plant and animals species making my job not only fun but important. I get the best of both worlds where I not only get to educate others on the local ecosystem but I also get to directly impact the wildlife that lives here by assisting the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy in land and wildlife management. I have had the opportunity to assist in bird counts, in planting food plots, bat research, archeology and more. This unique partnership between Montage Palmetto Bluff and the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy has allowed me to strengthen awareness in conservation efforts not only here on property but also in our community.
Where can we follow you?
Being an environmentalist is more than just my job, it is my passion and my life and something that I try to share with others as often as I can. I love to take pictures and share information about wildlife and give sustainability tips and tricks.
I can be followed on:
- Facebook: Secrets of the Marsh
- Instagram: Cassie Beato
- TikTok: cassieconservationcorner
- LinkedIn: Cassandra Beato
Photo credit: Montage Palmetto Bluff
