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June 6, 2006

‘South Carolina Wildlife’ television show to air June 10

Don't miss the latest episode of ‘South Carolina Wildlife’ television show on South Carolina Educational Television on Saturday, June 10th at 6:30 p.m. 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 typically airs the second Saturday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Tag along with DNR staffer Glenn Gardner as he checks in on construction of a (rice) trunk at Bear Island near Green Pond. Then it’s off on a field trip to Shealy’s Pond Heritage Preserve in Lexington County. Palmetto Portraits features great blue herons in the Upstate on Lake Hartwell. Co-host Jean Leitner is out on maternity leave, but we look back with her on a recent story at the Bayless fish hatchery in St Stephen.

Seabrook Platt was born and raised on Bear Island. He and Pete Laurie have both retired from theGlenn Gardner on (rice) trunk DNR once, but we brought them back because they can turn two tons of lumber into a functioning trunk. The area is managed to provide quality habitat for wintering waterfowl, and other wetland wildlife including threatened and endangered species such as woodstorks and bald eagles; to provide habitat for upland game and nongame species; and to provide recreational opportunities for the hunting and nonhunting public. Find out more about Bear Island at the DNR Website http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/wild/bearisland/description.html.

The trails along the edge of Shealy’s Pond Heritage Preserve are what you would expect in a natural area, a bit squishy, but that boggy bottom creates a unique habitat that attracts people, small mammals and lots of birds. Visiting insects, however, need to be careful where they land, because a few of the plants at Shealy’s Pond might have you for dinner. Insectivorous plant species include yellow pitcher plant, purple pitcher plant, sweet pitcher plant, and three species of sundews. Find out more about Shealy’s Pond at the DNR Website http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/heritage/shealyspnd/description.html.

Palmetto Portraits takes us to the Upstate and Lake Hartwell. It wasn’t exactlya party on the lake that Friday night, but it was definitely noisy.  It usually is when that many great blue herons get together.

One of our favorite stories is Jean’s visit to the Bayless fish hatchery in St Stephen. Each spring, the hatchery produces two million young stripers and hybrids to be stocked in South Carolina lakes and streams.  Bayless is also a mecca for striped bass culture in the nation and serves as a fish culture station for striped and hybrid bass and other fish species. It is the largest producer of striped bass larvae in the world, with larvae being shipped to some 30 states, Russia, New Zealand and South Africa.
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