Leanna McMillan

March 2024 Issue

by Lesley Kyle
Photography by
Cassidy Dunn Photography

From a young age, Leanna McMillan wanted to be outside and learn all she could about nature.

Leanna was born and raised in Darlington, SC, a small town near Florence, SC, and left home to attend and earn a B.S. degree at Coastal Carolina University. She then moved to the Lowcountry in 2018 to be closer to her family in Savannah. Leanna’s job with Oldfield 1732, the sprawling, white-fenced community at the bend on 170, happened somewhat organically, pun intended. Her husband landed a job in Okatie, piquing Leanna’s interest in nearby Oldfield, a growing residential community with a serious commitment to the natural environment. “Oh, yeah,” said Leanna in a leisurely and charming Southern drawl. “I wanted that job!” One year later, Leanna accepted the position of Oldfield’s Staff Naturalist.

Before the onset of the cell phone era, Leanna grew up in a rural area where she fished, hunted, camped, and rode ATVs. But Leanna’s internship at Playcard Environmental Education Center in Loris, SC, during her senior year in college stoked her passion to pursue a career in nature. “It was so much fun! I got to be outside, teach kids, lead field trips, go hiking,” said Leanna. “I knew then I didn’t want an office job. I wanted to connect people with the environment.”

After graduation, Leanna worked as a park ranger for the South Carolina State Park Service. She and her husband then moved to Augusta, where she took a position as an educational specialist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. “Before coming to Oldfield, I didn’t know that being a naturalist for a private community was a thing,” said Leanna.

Leanna’s role at Oldfield expanded as she pursued additional training. She received her master naturalist certificate through the Clemson Extension Program. Leanna leads many diverse Oldfield programs exclusive to community members and their guests. School visits are the only public groups that can partake in Oldfield’s nature programs. Leanna also has her Master Captain’s license, which allows her take up to 22 people at a time on nature cruises aboard a Coast Guard-inspected vessel. “I grew up on boats and bought my first at 19,” she said.

In addition to nature cruises, Leanna heads up Oldfield’s nature walks, dolphin tours, the children’s garden club, shotgun classes, lectures from other nature experts, and the community’s farmer’s market. A certified archery instructor, Leanna teaches group and private lessons at Oldfield. As a park ranger, she shot skeet and trap and is now a certified shotgun coach, level II. Oldfield’s first six shotgun 101 classes for women were full with a waiting list, and 102 level classes are now a part of their offerings.

In 2004, Oldfield became an “Audubon Neighborhood for Nature,” and the community was certified as an Audubon Sustainable Community in 2018.  Leanna oversees the certification process for the neighborhood and ensures the community makes sustainable choices.

Leanna has enjoyed many experiences in nature over the years. More than anything else, she loves leading outings on foot or by boat, exposing people to things they’ve never seen before. “One of my most memorable excursions included a special viewing of two bald eagles engaging in a spiral courtship flight,” said Leanna. “When folks experience things they’ll never forget, I won’t soon forget them either.” An early memory dates back to when she was an assistant park ranger right out of college. The rangers received a report that a group of loggerhead turtles had hatched overnight and were heading in the wrong direction toward the dunes. Leanna rode down to the site, saved four of the young turtles, and redirected them back to the ocean.

More recently, Leanna organized and led a group trip to Costa Rica. There, her husband spotted a Turquoise Cotinga, an exceptionally rare bird native to Costa Rica. Mesmerized by this “two-tone blue Lamborghini of birds,” Leanna’s husband anxiously demanded her attention while marveling at the rare specimen. After returning to their hotel, the group encountered a fellow traveler who had searched for the elusive bird for seven years!

While Leanna doesn’t like to play favorites, she does find herself drawn more to animals than plants because of their unique personalities. River otters are among her favorites because they’re playful and always seem to have fun. “We are all connected to nature – what we do in our own yard impacts what happens in nature,” said Leanna. “Humans need clean water to drink and air to breathe – it’s what sustains life.”

She encourages residents to get outside, explore the local environment, and learn about it. “People are attracted to this area for its natural beauty, and it’s our job to sustain it,” said Leanna. “Everyone can pitch in by doing something small, even if it’s using eco-friendly products and planting local plants in their yards.”