Lakeside Harmony for Healing: Music for June Waterman to be held at Woodlands Nature Reserve
by Jenny Peterson | News Editor
The Woodlands Nature Reserve is a West Ashley gem—6,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness featuring lakes, blackwater swamps and forested trails that hosts day-trippers, paddlers and campers.
On Saturday, Dec. 7, it will serve another purpose: to host the event “Lakeside Harmony for Healing: Music for June Waterman.” It’s a special family-friendly all-day event to honor and support conservationist and Woodlands Nature Reserve trustee June Waterman in her battle with stage four cancer.
It’s a special family-friendly all-day event to honor and support June with a heartfelt celebration and an uplifting way to rally the community for her and the land she has worked so passionately to protect.
Set against the backdrop of the Woodlands’ tranquil lakes and forests, the lakeside concert venue will feature performances by Chris Roberts, Ben Whitney, Droze & The Drift, and Dallas Baker & Friends. There will be vendors, food available for purchase and outside coolers are welcome.
June and her family have been stewards of the land for generations. She, her siblings and their father implemented conservation easements on the land, ensuring wildlife in perpetuity. June’s company, Woodlands Nature Reserve, strives to demonstrate how humans can have a positive impact on ecosystems.
The event is both a love letter to June and a love letter to the serene space she helped protect. Her love for nature is the foundation for the event, explains Holland Duell, June Waterman’s brother.
“(Woodlands Nature Reserve) Director of Events, Everett White (also owner of SoulShine Studios) realized the opportunity to bring people together in this setting to create a meaningful event and prioritize human-powered healing through music in nature,” said Duell. “White curated the list of performers for the event after witnessing multiple occasions of powerful healing occurring through music on-site at Woodlands Nature Reserve,” Duell said.
As an inclusive event, tickets for Lakeside Harmony for Healing: Music for June Waterman are donation-based. Sponsorships are available as well as overnight camping passes, which include access to the event.
All proceeds will go toward supporting June Waterman and her family, as well as the ongoing conservation efforts at the Woodlands Nature Reserve, ensuring that it continues to inspire and heal future generations.
“Donation-based tickets allow anyone to come and enjoy the music regardless of their financial contribution. It creates an open and holistic approach to integration of artists for the purpose of healing,” said Duell. “It will be an intimate crowd in a beautiful, natural setting and provide wonderful memories of music and nature.”
Sponsorships include digital marketing on the event’s social media pages, a dedicated sponsor tent at the event, advertising on event merchandise, signage and more.
Attendees can watch the concerts from the front row or settle in by the water’s edge to hear live melodies drift across the lake. Between sets, attendees are encouraged to explore the tranquil forest trails, unwind with a lakeside walk, meander on bike paths, watch kids splash in the sandy shallows and/or launch kayaks, paddleboards and canoes for an afternoon of fun.
From lakeside campfires and art displays to local vendors and food, there’s something for everyone ,and all ages to enjoy. Bring your kayak, paddle board, hiking gear or bike and make a day—or night—of it.
“The core of what we do is connecting people with nature through entertainment. and that is why this event has the potential of being tremendously powerful in its healing abilities— bringing together the force of nature and the mystic of music,” said Duell.
Lakeside Harmony for Healing: Music for June Waterman will be held on Dec. 7 from 1- 8 p.m. at Woodlands Nature Reserve. All are invited to gather with June Waterman to shower her with healing music. Tickets and more information can be found at www.woodlandsnaturereserve.com. Donations can be made through the ticketing system or people can acquire a ticket at no charge. The address is 4279 Ashley River Road., at the north entrance to Woodlands Nature Reserve.
