Rudy Mancke, who passed away on Nov. 7 at the age of 78, became a beloved figure in South Carolina and beyond through his groundbreaking work as the host of the nationally distributed television show NatureScene and SC Public Radio’s NatureNotes. NatureScene, co-created with Beryl Dakers premiered in 1978 and continued for an impressive 25 years, gaining national recognition for its simple and innovative approach to exploring the natural world.
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Columbo plants can remain in a vegetative state for up to thirty years before it sends up a flower stalk. Morel mushrooms and Devil’s Urn are species of fungi, which help break down dead materials in...
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Rudy and Jim see the tell-tale signs of a beaver, coming in the form of chew marks on the base of a large tree. A skeleton of a gray fox is found nearby. A gray fox has ridges on the skull, whereas a...
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Rudy and Jim find an unusually large Devil’s Walking Stick, which is usually around one third the size of the one shown here! Horse Sugar, Yellow Bellwort, and Birdsfoot violets are more species of...
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Rudy and Jim move to the Long Cane Division of Sumter National Forest. Here, Umbrella magnolia is starting to bloom. Christmas fern and Jack-In-The-Pulpit, Faded trillium, Wild germanium, Baneberry...
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Here close to a stream, there is a high population of Mountain laurel trees, rhododendrons, Tuliptrees, Fraser magnolias, Halberdleaf violets, Rattlesnake plantains, Heartleaf, Poor Robin’s plantain...
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On this episode of NatureScene, Rudy and Jim visit Sumter National Forest. This area offers a wide variety of habitats, and springtime is the best time to visit these rolling hills. Here at the flood...
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This area features a wide variety of trees, such as beeches and maples. Lots of wild flowers popping up in this area as well, like Dwarf iris, and Rue anemone. Buckeye shrubs and Sweet shrubs can also...
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This area is known as a “dry wetland” Here, Button bush, and Red maple trees thrive here. Under a nearby wooden board, Rudy and Jim find a Mole salamander, and a Ring-Neck snake. And in a nearby tree...
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Rudy and Jim stop by another wetland, filled with Sphagnum moss, Swamp Tupelo trees, Sweet Bay trees, and Virginia Chain fern. All these plants thrive in areas such as this one, with increased...
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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...
