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National Great Outdoors Month

National Great Outdoors Month is celebrated in June and serves as a reminder to enjoy and appreciate our state parks and wildlife refuges. This observation, begun in 1998, encourages us to explore our parks and enjoy the beauty that awaits us in our natural world.

National Great Outdoors Month is celebrated in June and serves as a reminder to enjoy and appreciate our state parks and wildlife refuges. This observation, begun in 1998, encourages us to explore our parks and enjoy the beauty that awaits us in our natural world.

Content Type
 Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 4 6

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Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 4
Episode 6
A boardwalk takes Rudy and Jim from the hardwood area of the previous stop into a swamp forest. Here, Bald Cypress trees and Tupelo trees dominate. Lizard Tail, commonly found in this area, gets its...
 Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 1 3

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Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 3
Underneath the pine trees, another community of plants resides in the area: Yellow-ray flowers, Purple Vein milkweed, and Catbells.
 Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 1 2

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Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 2
The pine forest is home to two species of woodpecker birds: the Red Cockaded woodpecker, and the Ladder-Backed woodpecker.
 Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 3 5

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Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 5
Ecology Laboratory Research Site: This area is a mixed hardwood forest, with Spanish moss dangling from the branches. Water oaks are the most prominent trees here. Other common plants in the area are...
 Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 1 1

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Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 1
In this episode of NatureScene, Rudy and Jim visit the Savannah River Site, located along the southwestern border of South Carolina. The area is 200,000 acres of protected land. When one thinks of the...
 Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 2 4

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Savannah River Site (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 4
This bluff is one of 30 areas set aside from the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology laboratory. This area is vastly different from the tall pine community Rudy and Jim visited previously...
Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 4 - Dingle Pond
   - Episode 5 Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 2 3

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 3
While walking along the road, Rudy and Jim see some of the damage left behind by Hurricane Hugo, and come across an Eastern Mud Turtle. Red Maple trees and Sweetgum trees, and Hawthorns have started...
Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 4 - Dingle Pond
   - Episode 5 Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 3 4

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 4
The Marsh – Here, Rudy and Jim come across a marsh area, and discuss some of the plant and animal life which live in this habitat: Cattail plants, a Great Egret bird, Lily pads, Coot, Northern...
Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 4 - Dingle Pond
   - Episode 5 Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 1 2

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 2
Still at Lake Marion, Rudy and Jim observe the diverse species of birds in the area: Yellow Thwarted Warbler, Northern Parula, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow Rumped Warbler, American Robins, and an Osprey...
Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 4 - Dingle Pond
   - Episode 5 Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 7 8

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 7
Episode 8
At this last stop, Rudy and Jim come across Loblolly pines, along with more alligators, and a Springflyer dragonfly. On the other side of the trail is a hardwood forest, and this habitat includes...
 Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 1 1

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 1
In this episode of NatureScene, Rudy and Jim visit Santee National Wildlife Refuge, located in the upper coastal plain, near Santee, South Carolina. During the springtime, warmer temperatures bring...
Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 4 - Dingle Pond
   - Episode 5 Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 5 6

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 5
Episode 6
Cuddo Unit is a great place for birders, and people who just want to enjoy the nature in the area. Pond cypress trees with Spanish Moss dominate the area, along with Ash trees and willows. On the...
 Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 4 5

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge (S.C.) Stop 4
Episode 5
Dingle Pond is one of the thousands of “mysterious Carolina bays” found throughout the Carolinas. The pond is home to many species of ducks, and a woodpecker can be heard out in the distance. Little...
Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1 - Loggerhead Turtle, Skate Egg, Vase Sponge, Hardshell Clam, And Coal
   - Episode 2 Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1 1

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Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 1
In this episode of NatureScene, Rudy and Jim comb the beaches of Sandy Point, just northeast of Charleston, S.C. Sandy Point is part of the Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge. The most common shell...
Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1 - Loggerhead Turtle, Skate Egg, Vase Sponge, Hardshell Clam, And Coal
   - Episode 2 Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 2 3

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Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 3
The Florida horse conch is the largest gastropod one would find around the beaches of Sandy Point. The Atlantic murex is a gastropod which features blunt, but large spines on its shell. The Atlantic...
 Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1 2

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Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 2
Mixed in with the sea shells found on the beach, Rudy and Jim come across part of a Loggerhead sea turtle’s shell, a Skate egg case, known as a “Devil’s Purse,” a Vase sea sponge, a Hard-shelled clam...
Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1 - Loggerhead Turtle, Skate Egg, Vase Sponge, Hardshell Clam, And Coal
   - Episode 2 Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 2 5

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Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 5
This area close by, once an oyster bed, has been covered in sand and is now a beach. A shrimping boat is seen out in the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The area has around 280 registered species of...
Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1 - Loggerhead Turtle, Skate Egg, Vase Sponge, Hardshell Clam, And Coal
   - Episode 2 Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 3 6

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Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 6
Clench’s Helmet is a univalve which feeds on echinoderms, like sand dollars. We see two shells which look very similar to each other, but actually come from different animals: a Knobbed whelk, and a...
Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 1 - Loggerhead Turtle, Skate Egg, Vase Sponge, Hardshell Clam, And Coal
   - Episode 2 Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 2 4

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Sandy Point (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 4
The Horseshoe crab which Rudy and Jim find is not dead, but is actually a shed exoskeleton! They also find whelk egg cases, and one of them still has young snails inside. Oyster shells are found...
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 7 10

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 7
Episode 10
Rudy and Jim talk about some of the species of shrub which grow here: Rosemary and Sand Myrtle. Young Longleaf pines, False Foxglove, lichens, Bluejack oak, and Spiked moss also do well in low...
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 5 7

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 5
Episode 7
Peachtree Rock – Rudy and Jim visit the actual rock in which the area gets its name. Contrary to popular belief, it is not actually a rock, but merely a large outcropping of sand held together by iron...
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 - Fence Lizard, Persimmon, Sparkleberry, And Coral Mushroom
   - Episode 2 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 6 8

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 6
Episode 8
Further up the trail where the area has less moisture, we see Turkey Oaks and Longleaf Pines make a return. Sparkleberry, Blazing Star, and Jointweed flowers are common in this area. On one of the...
Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 6 - Oaks, Pines, Sparkleberry, Blazing Star, Jointweed, Beeflies, and Yellowjackets
   - Episode 8 Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2 2

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Peachtree Rock (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 2
While walking along the trail, Rudy and Jim find a Fence Lizard resting on a tree trunk. Its camouflage skin is perfect for blending in with its environment, making it difficult for predators to spot...