2013 SEWE Friday notes / Decoy Soiree

Julie Scardina shares a teachable moment with a volunteer

Conservation exhibit materials share wisdom

The first full day of the 2013 SE Wildlife Expo began with a special early bird viewing hour for VIP's at 9 a.m., with all of the venues and booths opening to the public at 10. Eager to see celebrity Julie Scardina and her animal display, a large crowd assembled at the John Street Music Hall for her 10:30 show which included an otter, penguins, a pelican and even an opossum! Crossing into nearby Marion Square just after 11, in time for the Birds of Prey flight display, the same story seemed to play out. One of the birds flies into a nearby perch and decides to hang out, while the staff keep an eagle eye out for the wild red-tailed hawks that seem to show up each year at SEWE. Of course, the wayward bird is eventually retrieved, and the show goes on, but the script is never the same! Educational booths in the tents at Marion Square share a message of conservation, something that SEWE is serious about promoting, since the love of wildlife and sporting art is derived from pristine natural surroundings which we can visit, touch, taste, smell and take away feelings of the bigger picture in life. As the sun set the place to be Friday evening is the Charleston Historical Society's soiree at the Aiken-Rhett House to celebrate their antique duck decoy display 'The Allure of the Decoy', said to be some of the best examples anywhere in the world. Many fine sportsmen were in attendance and it's only natural this time of year to compare notes from the field about past waterfowl seasons, and how to better pursue such endeavors in coming years.

A crested caracara at SEWE

Gordon Valentine and Dillard Salmons with decoys

To view past blog entries from the 2013 SEWE click here.