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At this next stop, we see Shortia plants, Rhododendron, Eastern Hemlock, Fraser Magnolia, and Maroon Sweetshrub.
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.
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Today, Rudy and Jim visit Jocassee Gorges, known all over the world for its mix of hardwood and conifer trees, along with its variety of wild flowers. At this first stop, Rudy and Jim come across...
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Right beside Rudy and Jim, we see several vines: Virginia Creeper, Poison Ivy, and Blackberry. Some of the trees in the area are Black Birch and Tuliptree. Some Wild Strawberry can be seen as well...
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Here, Rudy and Jim find several of nature’s recyclers: a Morel mushroom, and a millipede. In a nearby tree, we find an Eastern Phoebe bird, which is an insect eater.
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Before making their way to the next stop, Rudy and Jim come across an Eastern Mud turtle resting under a bush.
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At the next stop, Rudy and Jim analyze more of the plants found in the area: Hackberry trees, and Switch Cane dominate the area. A healthy Poison Ivy can be seen completely encasing a dead oak tree.
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Rudy and Jim find a young Bald Cypress tree, and a Papaw tree, which flowers in the early springtime.
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The Edge - Here, where the high ground meets the flood plain, we see more plant diversity. Large Cinnamon Ferns, Dog Hobble, Loblolly Pine trees, and American Beech trees frequent the area. With a...
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As Rudy and Jim make their way closer to the Flood Plain, we see more tall canopy trees: Red Maple trees, and Sweet Gum trees. Several flowering plants grow in the area as well: Elderberry, Winged...
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At this last stop at Congaree Swamp, Rudy and Jim find another Sweetgum tree, which grows very well in this wet, muddy environment. A record size Willow Oak tree, toppled over by the wind, knocked...
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Oxbow Lake – A Laurel Oak tree has found a way to support itself in the muddy, wet soil. Water Tupelo trees, Bald Cypress trees, and Loblolly Pines dominate the areas closer to the swamp.
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Cedar Creek – As Rudy and Jim explore Cedar Creek, they spot a large Brown Water snake.
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Closer to the water, Rudy and Jim find more Cypress-Tupelo trees, and come across two Clubtail dragonflies in the process of mating.
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Congaree Swamp is abundant with insect life. Rudy and Jim come across a newly emerged dragonfly, and a Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is seen feeding on a White Clover flower. A Clubtail dragonfly is...
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Rudy and Jim visit Congaree Swamp National Monument, a fifteen thousand acre nature preserve. This naturally protected swamp features a variety of tall hardwood trees. Buffer Zone - We see that the...
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At the same stop, vines and flowering plants can also be seen growing in this area. We see Yellow Jessamine, and Toadflax.
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Sandy soils – At this stop, we see Southern Magnolia trees, which help keep the sandy ground stable. With this one magnolia tree, Rudy and Jim find holes left behind by beetles, and woodpeckers which...
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Bulls Island was one of the most heavily damaged areas in South Carolina by Hurricane Hugo. Rudy and Jim visit Bulls Island to observe how nature is healing itself after the deadly hurricane. Here at...
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“Ghost Beach” - Rudy and Jim further assess the damage to the island by Hurricane Hugo. The pines and live oaks at the shore line are gone, but the Palmetto trees survived. The water is slowly eroding...
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Rudy and Jim catch a full sized adult alligator sneaking around the area, and also find a Four-Lined Rat snake, also known as a Live-Oak snake.
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At the same stop, Rudy and Jim find more plants typical of barrier islands: Devil’s Walking Stick, Prickly Ash, and Buckthorn. In a shady area close by, Rudy and Jim find a resting Eastern Cottonmouth...
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On the other side of the impoundment we see the effects of Hurricane Hugo. The area once dominated by canopy trees like tall pines, are no longer there.
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At the same stop, Rudy and Jim come across a Northern Mockingbird, and a Red-Wing Blackbird perched in some nearby trees, making their distinctive bird-calls. Feeding on some nearby Dewberry flowers...
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Osprey birds and Bald Eagles can also be seen nesting in this wildlife refuge.
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