#06–53 February 27, 2006                           

View ‘South Carolina Wildlife’ television show segments online

You can now view segments from the latest episode of “South Carolina Wildlife” television show on the Web. Viewers will see a variety of outdoor pastimes and places, and get close-up views of some special plants and animals occurring in the Palmetto State.

“South Carolina Wildlife” is a production of S.C Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and South Carolina Educational Television and airs the second Saturday of each month at 6:30 p.m., but check your local listings.

Tag along with DNR staffers Jean Leitner and Michael Hook as they visit the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve in Aiken County and the Reedy River near Greenville. The show aired Feb. 11 and also visited Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve in Lexington County. DNR videographers John Lucas and Glenn Gardner also took viewers to the Bear Island Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County for a walk with some wading birds in the Palmetto Portraits segment.

You can view the Reedy River video at: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/video/videoReedy.html. The size of the mpg file is 24M and is 7:20 minutes long. You can also see the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve video at: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/video/videoGopher.html. The size of the mpg file is 29M and is 8:36 minutes long.

The Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve is about 1,500-acres and home to the rare and state-listed endangered gopher tortoise, a keystone reptile that provides shelter for many other species of animals in its 30-foot long underground burrows, which are about 10 to 15 feet deep. The preserve is the northernmost known location of the large, terrestrial tortoises, which have stumpy, elephantine hind feet. Find out more about Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve at: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/heritage/
aikengopher/description.html.

The next stop for “South Carolina Wildlife” was along the Reedy River in Greenville County. Viewers visited with DNR biologists as they checked the river and its progress after nearly one million gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the river back in June 1996 just north of SC Highway 418.

Next up was a visit to Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve in Richland County. There you’ll find bountiful wildlife, sunlit dappled forest paths, with 12,000 years of history and pre-history tucked away in a pristine setting, just a stone's throw from downtown city lights. The 627-acre preserve borders the Congaree River and Cayce. Find out more about the Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve at: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/heritage/
congcreek/description.html.

The episode concluded with sights and sounds from Bear Island Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County. The area is managed to provide quality habitat for wintering waterfowl, and other wetland wildlife including threatened and endangered species, such as wood storks and bald eagles, to provide habitat for upland game and nongame species. Find out more about Bear Island Wildlife Management Area at: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/wild/
bearisland/description.html.

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