Friends of Santee National Wildlife Refuge

The purpose of the Friends of Santee National Wildlife Refuge
is to promote conservation, awareness, and appreciation of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge.

6^th Annual Santee Birding and Nature Festival Fast Approaching

Summerton, SC…The 6^th annual Santee Birding and Nature Festival is fast approaching and registration is in full swing! Sponsored by a variety of non-profit groups, community groups, and State and Federal agencies, as well as individual sponsors, the festival has an abundant array of wildlife-oriented field trips and workshops running throughout the weekend – a little something for everyone to experience! The festival celebrates the natural beauty of South Carolina by providing wildlife watching and natural history opportunities throughout the midlands and beyond. Field trips are being offered all throughout the Santee Region and into the ACE Basin and Cape Romain regions. From the blackwater swamps and Carolina Bays of the midlands, to the inlets and estuaries of the coast, there will be a variety of habitats to experience and explore. Organizers of this year’s Santee Birding and Nature Festival are looking forward to sharing South Carolina’s natural wonders with you! Registration for the festival has opened March 1, 2013. Dates for the festival are April 26^th-April 28^th, 2013.

Organizers of the 6^th annual festival are pleased to announce Dr. J. Drew Lanham as this year’s Keynote Speaker. Dr. Lanham is a native of Edgefield S.C., is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and holds a B.A. and M.S. in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources (wildlife ecology) from Clemson University where he is currently a Professor. He teaches and conducts research in the area of wildlife management, land and conservation ethics, hunting ethics/philosophy and field ornithology. Dr. Lanham is also a co-host of a birding and nature show on South Carolina Public Radio and is a contributor to the Emmy-nominated PBS television show Expeditions with Patrick McMillan. Dr. Lanham will appear at the festival’s Keynote Dinner on Friday, April 26 at 6:00 p.m.

In addition to all the fabulous field trips, workshops, and presentations, the winners of the 1^st Annual Santee Refuge Nature Photography Contest will be announced in conjunction with festival activities. The Santee National Wildlife Refuge, Santee Birding and Nature Festival, and the Carolina Nature Photographers’ Association teamed up in an effort to encourage South Carolina residents and visitors to get outside and photograph nature. Winners for the following categories will be announced: Landscape, Wildlife, Flowers and Plants, and Santee National Wildlife Refuge. Cash prizes will be awarded to winning photographers at the festival and additionally will have their winning photographs featured on the 6^th Annual Santee Birding and Nature Festival’s commemorative poster.

With all of the exciting activities that festival organizers have planned for the 6^th Annual Santee Birding and Nature Festival, this will be an event you will want to attend!

The mission of the Santee Birding and Nature Festival is to increase awareness of our national and state heritage in natural areas and provide wildlife watching opportunities in midland South Carolina. This festival is a partnership between local, state, and federal agencies and tourism groups. Detailed information on the festival can be found at:

http://www.santeebirdingfestival.com/

-FWS-

Susan Heisey, Park Ranger, Santee National Wildlife Refuge

Summerton, SC 29148, 803-478-2217 (office), 803-478-2314 (fax), 803-410-2580 (cell)

United States Department of the Interior

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

Santee National Wildlife Refuge

2125 Fort Watson Rd., Summerton, South Carolina 29148

Telephone: 803-478-2217 Fax: 803-478-2314

April 24, 2013 Marc Epstein, Refuge Manager

SANTEE REFUGE VISITOR CENTER NEW HOURS OF OPERATION

Effective April 28, 2013, the Visitor Center at Santee National Wildlife Refuge located in Summerton, SC, will be operating under new reduced hours. The Visitor Center’s normal hours of operation will be Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. However, because of currently vacant biologist and park ranger positions, the Visitor Center may be periodically closed during the week while refuge staff are out working and engaged in habitat management and resource protection.

While visitors may find the Visitor Center doors temporarily closed during the week, the Bluff, Dingle Pond, and Pine Island Units will remain open for public access from daylight to dusk and the Cuddo Unit will remain open during normal seasonal hours. Visitors can continue to take advantage of the tremendous wildlife diversity at Santee National Wildlife Refuge on the seven-mile wildlife drive and the hiking trails and canoe trails on the open refuge units.

Visitors can obtain refuge maps and brochures from contact stations located in front of the Visitor Center and at the entrances to the Cuddo, Dingle Pond, and Pine Island Units. If you need assistance in planning your refuge visit, please call the refuge office at 803-478-2217 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.) or visit the refuge website at www.fws.gov/santee to print a downloadable refuge map and details on permitted visitor uses and refuge hours of access.

The new hours of operation are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. However, the refuge continues to seek volunteers who can help keep the Visitor Center open during the week.

Santee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1941 as a sanctuary for migratory birds. The refuge encompasses approximately 13,000 acres of habitat along the banks of Lake Marion in four separate units and has approximately 39 miles of shoreline to maintain. The refuge visitor center as well as the Santee Indian Mound and site of Fort Watson are located on the Bluff Unit, 7 miles south of Summerton on Hwy 15/301.

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

National Wildlife Refuges…Where Wildlife Comes Naturally! -FWS-

February 8, 2013 Susan Heisey, Park Ranger 803-478-2217

Additionally, the 6^th annual Santee Birding and Nature Festival is right around the corner. Sponsored by a variety of non-profit groups, community groups, and State and Federal agencies, as well as individual sponsors, the festival has an abundant array of wildlife-oriented field trips and workshops running throughout the weekend – a little something for everyone to experience!! The festival celebrates the natural beauty of South Carolina by providing wildlife watching and natural history opportunities throughout the midlands and beyond. Field trips are being offered all throughout the Santee Region and into the ACE Basin and Cape Romain regions. From the cypress swamps and freshwater habitats of the midlands, to the inlets and estuaries of the coast, there will be a variety of habitats to experience and explore. Organizers of this year’s Santee Birding and Nature Festival are looking forward to sharing South Carolina’s natural wonders with you! Registration for the festival opens March 1, 2013. Dates for the 6^th Annual Santee Birding and Nature Festival are April 26^th-April 28^th, 2013.

Detailed information on the photo contest can be found at: http://www.santeebirdingfestival.com/wildlife-photography-contest.html

Detailed information on the festival can be found at: http://www.santeebirdingfestival.com/

Migratory Bird Sanctuaries are in effect. Land areas north of the Wrights Bluff Nature Trail (Bluff Unit) and Cuddo West are closed to public access. Access to the waters of Savannah Branch, Cantey Bay, and Black Bottom is restricted. Areas will reopen March 1, 2013.

Upcoming Events

Enter the 1st Annual Santee Refuge Photo Contest! The Santee National Wildlife Refuge, Santee Birding and Nature Festival, and the Carolina Nature Photographers’ Association (CNPA) have teamed up in an effort to encourage South Carolina residents and visitors to get outside and photograph nature and enter the 1st Annual Nature Photography Contest. Amateur and avid photographers are encouraged to enter up to four entries into the contest – categories include: Landscape, Wildlife, Flowers and Plants, and Santee National Wildlife Refuge. Entries can be photographs taken anywhere within South Carolina, except for the Santee National Wildlife Refuge category, where photos must be taken on the refuge. For full details, click here!

Susan Heisey, Park Ranger
Santee National Wildlife Refuge
2125 Fort Watson Road, Summerton, SC 29148
office: 803-478-2217, cell: 803-410-2580, fax: 803-478-2314

National Wildlife Refuges…Where Wildlife Comes Naturally! - FWS -

Please Come Join Us!!!

Photo Caption: Spring is a great time of year to come to Santee National Wildlife Refuge in search of these prehistoric giants! Alligator Alley is a popular place along the refuge's Wildlife Drive. (credit: USFWS)
Susan Heisey, Park Ranger, Santee National Wildlife Refuge
2125 Fort Watson Road, Summerton, SC 29148 office: 803-478-2217, cell: 803-410-2580

Santee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1941 as a sanctuary for migratory birds. The refuge encompasses approximately 13,000 acres of habitat along the banks of Lake Marion in four separate units, and has approximately 39 miles of shoreline to maintain. The refuge visitor center as well as the Santee Indian Mound and site of Fort Watson are located on the Bluff Unit, 7 miles south of Summerton on Hwy 15/301.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

National Wildlife Refuges…Where Wildlife Comes Naturally!

Susan Heisey, Park Ranger, Santee National Wildlife Refuge
2125 Fort Watson Road, Summerton, SC 29148
office: 803-478-2217, cell: 803-410-2580, fax: 803-478-2314

SEARCHING FOR ARTIFACTS WITHIN SANTEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IS NOT ALLOWED

National Wildlife Refuges…Where Wildlife Comes Naturally!

Capture a glimpse of some of South Carolina's residents like this Eastern Towhee during bird walks offered at Santee NWR this month (Credit: Woody Tilley)

Visitor Center Schedule • Normal hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, and the first Saturday of each month from 8:00AM – 4:00PM. We recommend calling ahead to ensure the center will be open (803-478-2217).
CLOSED On Sundays and Mondays

Fishing on the Refuge:
All areas open to boating are also open to fishing, as well as the Scott's Lake Public Fishing Beach. These areas produce largemouth bass, catfish and bream. All Federal and State regulations are in effect. For more information, contact the refuge.

Posted on Fri, Sep. 28, 2007 TheState.com
"Off the beaten trail" Cuddo bike path in Santee refuge a great place to check out wildlife
By JOEY HOLLEMAN - jholleman@thestate.com

It’s more a dirt road than a bike trail, and the knee-high grass makes pedaling a bike difficult in some sections.
Despite those drawbacks, the critter-filled surroundings on the banks of Lake Marion make the 8.7-mile bike trail through the Cuddo Unit of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge worth the trip.

Usually, spotting wildlife while riding a bike is nearly impossible. On a nearly two-hour ride in Cuddo, I saw some large gators on land and in the water, two deer, a great blue heron, several great egrets, a wide variety of ducks and so many butterflies that at times I felt the need to slow down so they wouldn’t smack me in the face.
Other sections of the 15,095-acre preserve in Clarendon County have plenty of hiking trails, but Cuddo has the refuge’s only trail designated for bikes. (Hiking is allowed on the bike trail.) Unlike the main office of the Santee Refuge, which is just a couple miles from I-95, you have to travel several miles on back roads to get to the Cuddo Unit entrance.

The gate is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. April through September and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. October through February. The Cuddo Unit is closed to hikers and bikers during two deer hunts Sept. 30-Oct. 6 and Oct. 15-20.
The rest of the year, Cuddo is all about wildlife viewing. I stopped three times on my bike trip to take photos. A bird-watcher with more patience might want to stop 10 times, especially when cooler nights take the sting out of the bug population.

It’s obvious the refuge staff spends more time worrying about resident wildlife than human visitors. The bike trail is nothing more than a dirt road used sparingly by refuge workers and, for two weeks a year, hunters.
The dearth of trail markers prompted me to go against Robert Frost’s advice and take the road more traveled whenever there was a choice. Only once did that fail me. Near the end of the clockwise loop, I went straight when I should have turned right. But 100 yards down the wrong road, I came upon a “dead end” sign and turned around.

The trail winds through a basic pine/immature hardwood forest. The first must-stop spot is a couple of miles into the journey when only the trail/road separates Lake Marion from a pond.
Two large gators sunbathed on an island in the pond. What looked like large moving sticks in the lake cove meant at least a half-dozen more gators hang out in the area. The Cuddo Unit has the highest concentration of gators, and the largest individuals, in the refuge.

If you encounter a gator sunbathing on the bike trail, you’d best turn around and try the loop going the other direction.
I made it only a few hundred yards more before leaving the bike behind to stroll on the clam-covered shore of the drought-sunken lake. Back on the bike, what had been an easy ride turned difficult when the dirt road gave way to thick grass. I bet no more than a dozen bikes had cut through that grass in the past couple of months.

The tall, thick grass, which dominated two of the next three miles, made the bike seem like it had two flat tires. This would be an ideal section for a Lowcountry biker training for long, uphill climbs.
In the middle of the grassy section is the other hard-to-resist stop on a point between two lake coves. Small cypress trees spike the broad lake vista. On this sunny day, yellow and purple wildflowers blanketed the edges of the road, and the flocks of butterflies made it seem many of the yellow flowers had sprung wings.

After another mile of grassy road and one brief wrong turn, the final mile or two back to the car was an easy pedal. Just for kicks, I drove the full 7.5-mile auto trail in Cuddo, which reminded me why it’s much more interesting to hike or bike, even if you have to plow through tall grass.
Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366.
BIKE RIDE: A place to ride at the Santee National Wildlife Refuge WHAT: 8.7-mile bike trail
WHERE: Cuddo Unit of the Santee National Wildlife Refuge
WHEN: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. April through September; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. October through February. Closed to hikers and bikers during deer hunts Sept. 30-Oct. 6 and Oct. 15-20.

DIRECTIONS FROM COLUMBIA: Take I-26 east to I-95 north. Get off at exit 108. Turn right, and go about 1½ miles to the end of road. Turn left, and go 2 miles to Davis Crossroads. Just past the crossroads, take the first paved road to the right and go about 4 miles. Turn right and go about ½ mile until road dead-ends. Turn right, and the entrance to the Cuddo Unit is on the left. Refuge signs make it easier than it seems.

FEES: Free INFORMATION: (803) 478-2217 or www.fws.gov/santee

Come to Santee NW Refuge and join for 2012.

Friends of Santee National Wildlife Refuge
invite you to join or
renew your membership for 2012.

Student          $10
Individual       $25
Family           $40
Patron          $100
Sponsor       $250
Corporate     $500

The purposes of Santee Refuge Friends are exclusively charitable and educational within the meaning of the Section 501 © (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and is an independent, non-profit organization.

Designation:
"Important Bird Area" by National Audubon Society Based on: endangered species, watch list species and concentrations of birds (waterfowl, colonial waterbeds and exceptional numbers of migratory land birds).