** Archived Article - please check for current information. **

#05-195 September 19, 2005

ACE Basin Research Reserve observes Estuaries Day Sept. 24

The ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve will observe National Estuaries Day on Saturday, Sept. 24 by offering field trips and activities in the 350,000-acre area of wildlife habitats and waterways in lower Colleton County that make up the ACE Basin.

The ACE Basin is formed by three major river systems: the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Rivers, all which empty into St. Helena Sound.

Personnel with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other cooperating agencies are offering a bicycle tour, a coastal adventure on a 50-foot research vessel, bird watching on Bear Island, and natural resource talks at Edisto Interpretive Center. Several programs are also planned specifically for children.

Bird watching and boat tours fill up fast so it is recommended to make reservations by contacting Jeff Mollenhauer at (843) 953-9809 in Charleston. Find out more about the bike tours with Coastal Cyclists by calling Carl Miller at (843) 762-6951 in Charleston. You can also contact Rebekah Walker, ACE Basin Coastal Training Program coordinator, at (843) 953-9024 in Charleston with any questions about events at the Edisto Interpretive Center.

“The purpose of National Estuaries Day is to promote protection of estuaries through education,” said Walker. “Because estuaries are among the most biologically productive ecosystems on the planet.”

Events will take place at various locations on Sept. 24 during National Estuaries Day.

McKenzie Field Station at Bear Island:

National Estuaries Day began in 1988 as part of Coast Weeks to educate the public on the importance of estuaries and the need to protect them. NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System and the U.S. EPA’s National Estuary Program together have worked to promote National Estuaries Day.

#