U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service South Carolina Lowcountry Refuges Complex Life in the Wild October 2014 News from Cape Romain, Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin, Santee and Waccamaw National Volume 7 Wildlife Refuges Bulls Bay Nature Festival Celebrates Nature and Community The annual Bulls Bay Nature Festival – From the Forest to the Sea, brings the people of the Sewee to Santee area together for a day to celebrate and connect with nature and community. On May 17, 2014, federal, state, local agencies and organizations, town municipalities, schools, Lincoln Middle-High School kicks off the festival with the steel drums, credit Olga businesses, and local Caballero. musicians and artists The community festival offers something tours to the ancient Sewee Native joined forces for a second for everyone. This year, there were kayak American shell ring and the antebellum year to encourage people trips into the salt marsh estuary and Hampton Plantation mansion. black water creeks of Cape Romain and of all ages to get outside Francis Marion wilderness areas, and Especially for the kids, there were paddle boarding in the freshwater ponds fishing workshops, salt marsh and pond and enjoy nature-based at Bishop Jerdan. explorations, archery and nature art. activities in this festive Toddlers with parents sported brightly With binoculars and field guides in hand, painted faces and creatively crafted turtle one-day event. A diverse people accompanied their guides onto hats and red wolf masks. the refuge and into the forest to spot array of activities took birds, butterflies and discover spring Each year, National Honor art students place at Cape Romain wildflowers. from Lincoln Middle-High School showcase their artwork in the festival’s National Wildlife Refuge, The “zing” of fishing lines was heard wildlife art exposition and students in throughout the day as kids and their grades 4-12 from the community schools Francis Marion National families dropped their bait into the Sewee show their creativity and talents in the Forest, Camp Sewee Pond to catch catfish and, there was the annual wildlife art contest. Winners of “virtual” casting for blue marlin in the the contest will see their work displayed Marine Science Center, SC Department of Natural Resources in a 2015 wildlife art calendar which Hampton Plantation simulator van. will be for purchase in the Bulls Bay community. All proceeds from the sale of State Park, Bishop Jerdan Live raptor, reptile and red wolf the calendars benefit the art programs in presentations captivated the festival the schools. Conference Center, and goers throughout the day at the Sewee the Sewee Visitor and Center. continued on page 2 Environmental Education Other activities highlighting the cultural heritage of the community included a Center. sweet grass basketry workshop, and 1 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Bulls Bay Nature Highs Across the Low Festival Celebrates A “Shout-Out” to Complex Nature and Community Refuges Volunteers! Over continued from page 1 a 12-month period, 437 Musical entertainment was provided volunteers contributed 31,135 throughout the day by local musicians. hours of service in support of The Lincoln Middle-High School Steel Band opened the venue with their our refuge missions. Volunteers incredible percussions. Rut Leland and assisted in wildlife and habitat Friends played foot-tapping bluegrass on stringed instruments, the crowd “pop- projects and programs; staffed rocked” with the Graham Crolley Band visitor centers; constructed and and, the Awendaw Community Singers brought spirits alive with southern cleared habitat gardens, trails gospel. and boardwalks; maintained Rudy Mancke, South Carolina’s refuge facilities and equipment; Celebrated Naturalist, closed the festival and lead interpretive and with his keynote program “It’s All About Connections”, his intriguing presentation education activities for all ages. fitting for the mission of the festival. This In sum, volunteers worked in year, approximately 500 people came out to enjoy nature and each other. Sixty-five Catching catfish in Sewee Pond, credit Kathy Greider. all areas of refuge operations. volunteers freely gave their time, making The work that volunteers so significant contributions to the festival’s Natural Resources, SEWEE Association, generously gave equates to success. Sewee Outpost, Town of Awendaw and the Town of McClellanville. 15 full-time employees. We DOI Secretary Sally Jewell visits Cape Romain NWR in November, credit USFWS. The Bulls Bay Nature Festival is an event free of charge, this year made possible The 3rd annual Bulls Bay Nature couldn’t do it without you! by the generous support of 15 festival Festival – From the Forest to the Sea Secretary Sally Jewell visited with the possibility of looking into the partners and 23 sponsors. Festival will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2015. Cape Romain NWR, the Sewee acquisition and protection of the property. partners included the Avian Conservation Activities slated for 2015 will include Center, Awendaw Green, Bishop Jerdan zip-lining in the Francis Marion NF and Visitor Center, and Bulls Island on Fort Watson Road, the primary Conference Center, Camp Sewee Marine a photography workshop held at the November 20th. This was her first public entrance road and gateway Science Center, Cape Romain National Sewee Center. Dr. Richard Porcher will trip to a South Carolina wildlife to the Santee NWR, received much Wildlife Refuge, Coastal Expeditions, deliver the festival Keynote. Dr. Porcher refuge since becoming Interior needed improvements, particularly in Clemson Cooperative Extension, Francis is a noted field biologist and former Secretary. enhancement and safety. Renovations Marion National Forest, Hampton professor of biology at The Citadel included new paving of the Wright’s Bluff Plantation State Historic Site, Nature and, an adjunct professor of biology at She toured the refuge and also met with Nature Trail parking area and entrance Adventures Outfitters, SC Department of Clemson University. He is the founder Dr. Richard Porcher holds flower of the public at a community meeting. security gate. With the improved road, of the Citadel carnivorous Hooded pitcher-plant, credit Secretary Jewell’s visit was to heighten clean area, security, and new parking, Herbarium and Kathy Greider. awareness about the significance of refuge visitors can experience a greater established the funding for outstanding natural areas sense of safety while enjoying the refuge. Wade T. Batson A Guide to the Wildflowers of South across the country, and she promoted Endowment in Carolina and The Story of Sea Island full funding for the Land and Water Waccamaw NWR was awarded Field Botany Cotton. A native of Berkeley County, SC, Conservation Fund (LCWF). a $50,000 grant from the South at Clemson Dr. Porcher received his MS and PhD Carolina Department of Parks, University to in biology from the University of South For 2014, both Cape and Waccamaw Recreation, & Tourism. assist students Carolina. refuges received over four million in studies of Funding is being used to construct a new The mission of the Bulls Bay Nature dollars combined for land South Carolina’s acquisitions through the collaborative parking area and trailhead, replace a plant ecology. Festival - From the Forest to the Sea is to boardwalk and fishing pier, and clear a He authored increase awareness, promote engagement LWCF. new one-mile trail loop around a lake on and foster lasting connections with our Wildflowers of Following threatened and endangered a 260-acre addition known as the Long the Carolina unique natural places and wildlife in the Tract at Cox Ferry Lake Recreation Area Bulls Bay community species research on the Santee Refuge, Lowcountry and biologists found that one of the South (CFRA). Several partnerships including the Lower Pee Dee To keep abreast of the upcoming 2015 Carolina populations of Canby’s Keep Horry County Beautiful, Waste and co-authored nature festival, visit dropwort (Oxypolis canbyi), a federally Management, and clubs and organizations Lowcountry: Huger McClellan, SCDNR officer, helps from Coastal Carolina University are www.bullsbaynaturefestival.org or this young archer draw a bead on the endangered plant, is on a site very close The Natural to the refuge. Biologists are studying working with refuge staff on the project. Kids discover some of the small creatures in the pond, credit Jean www.facebook.com/ bull’s-eye at the Nature Festival, credit Landscape, the distribution and ecology of the plant Sullivan. bullsbaynaturefestival. Olga Caballero. continued on page 4 2 3 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Taking Control of the Common Reed The ACE Basin has been plagued with the exotic invasive grass Common Reed (Phragmites australis) since the mid-1990’s. Found on the Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin NWR as well as on private and state owned properties, more than 30 small patches of phragmites are scattered up and down the river banks of the South Edisto and Combahee Rivers. Phragmites is prevalent inside one 185-acre impoundment/rice field at Bonny Hall on the Combahee, property owned by the EFH ACE Basin NWR. Since its foothold in the area, the refuge and the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) have increasingly battled this extremely invasive plant. Phragmites is a wetland plant that was brought to the U.S. in the 1800’s. It was introduced from southern Europe, west Asia, and north Africa as an ornamental. The grass has a fast-spreading rhizome system and competes with native plants that occur along freshwater ponds and marshes. Phragmites will encroach and displace most marsh plants including Tree branches bowed under the weight of ice along Fort Watson Road at Santee NWR, credit USFWS/Marc Epstein. wild millets, panic grasses, flat sedges, smartweeds, and spike rushes. Migratory Highs Across the Low waterfowl, endangered species and other migratory birds on the ACE Basin NWR continued from page 3 and other adjoining Lowcountry wetlands Located in Conway and adjacent to are dependent upon these plants as significant food sources.