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Charleston

“Charleston County and the city of Charleston, its county seat, are the most historic locations in the state.”

“Charleston County and the city of Charleston, its county seat, are the most historic locations in the state.” Situated in the Lowcountry, the county serves as a popular vacation destination but also relies on the business that results from its port. The area in general serves as a large cultural and economic hub for the state.

Charleston County was founded as Charleston District in 1769, and the district became smaller after some of its lands were used to create Colleton and Berkeley counties. The county and its seat were named after King Charles II.

The city and county are saturated with Revolutionary War and Civil War history. Three signers of the United States Constitution and two famous abolitionists resided in Charleston County, and the Civil War began when soldiers fired shots from the county’s Fort Sumter.

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 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 2 - Horseshoe Crab, Whelk Egg Case, Oysters, Sea Pen, And Lettered Olive
   - Episode 4 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 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 2 - Florida Horse Conch, Atlantic Murex, Atlantic Ribbed Mussel, Angel Wing, And Giant Tun
   - Episode 3 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...
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8 - Visitors Center And Butterfly Garden
   - Episode 9 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 3 4

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 4
Limestone Mall Bluff – These large rock outcroppings are estimated to be around 30 million years old. Here, we see an abundance of large ferns, Papaws, Redbuds, and Ash trees.
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8 - Visitors Center And Butterfly Garden
   - Episode 9 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 5 6

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 5
Episode 6
Biggin Creek – Here at this wetland area, we see Duckweed, Mosquito Fern, Cypress trees, Spanish Moss, Wild Rice, Bur Marigold, Rose Hips, . Out in the water, Rudy and Jim spot a Great Blue Heron, and...
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8 - Visitors Center And Butterfly Garden
   - Episode 9 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 4 5

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 4
Episode 5
Here at a higher elevation above the limestone, and where the soil is more loamy, we see more diverse plant life: White Oak trees, American Beech, Witch Hazel, Sparkleberry, and Switch Cane.
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 6 - The Canal
   - Episode 7 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8 9

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8
Episode 9
The Visitor Center – The park and visitor center is a great place to learn about both natural and man-made history. The entrance to the park features a replica of what a lock in the canal looked like...
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8 - Visitors Center And Butterfly Garden
   - Episode 9 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 7 8

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 7
Episode 8
Here, outside Old Santee Canal Park’s visitor center, we see a Green Jacket dragonfly, live oaks, Poison Ivy, Trumpet Creeper, Southern Sugar Maple, and a Yellow Bellied Sap-Sucker in a nearby...
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 8 - Visitors Center And Butterfly Garden
   - Episode 9 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 1 1

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 1
Rudy and Jim visit Old Santee Canal Park, a historic lowcountry area near Monck’s Corner, South Carolina. The area features a wide array of habitats, containing both native and non-native plants. Some...
Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 6 - The Canal
   - Episode 7 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 2 3

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 3
Limestone Trail – Along the trail, Rudy and Jim find an old kiln, left behind by inhabitants from around the 1860’s and 1880’s. Some of the plants that have come to dominate the old quarry area, are...
 Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 6 7

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Old Santee Canal Park (S.C.) Stop 6
Episode 7
The Santee Canal – This canal took seven years to build, from 1793-1800, and is around 22 miles long. Duckweed and Pennywort are seen growing along the sides of the canal. Rudy and Jim find a Chain...
Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 5 - The Ghost Beach | NatureScene
   - Episode 12 Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 2 5

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 5
At the same stop, vines and flowering plants can also be seen growing in this area. We see Yellow Jessamine, and Toadflax.
Bumblebee | Bulls Island Natural Area (S.C.) Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 2 4

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 2
Episode 4
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...
Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 5 - The Ghost Beach | NatureScene
   - Episode 12 Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 1 1

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 1
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...
Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 2 - Sandy Soil Trees, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron, And Wild Turkey
   - Episode 4 Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 5 12

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 5
Episode 12
“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...
Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 5 - The Ghost Beach | NatureScene
   - Episode 12 Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 4 10

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 4
Episode 10
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.
Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 5 - The Ghost Beach | NatureScene
   - Episode 12 Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 3 7

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 7
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...
Bumblebee | Bulls Island Natural Area (S.C.) Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 1 3

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 3
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.
Bumblebee | Bulls Island Natural Area (S.C.) Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 1 2

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 1
Episode 2
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...
Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 5 - The Ghost Beach | NatureScene
   - Episode 12 Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 3 8

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Bulls Island (S.C.) Stop 3
Episode 8
Osprey birds and Bald Eagles can also be seen nesting in this wildlife refuge.