Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary Shines in Wet Winter Weather

December 2018 - Great Swamp in Walterboro

A variety of climactic conditions are coming together right now, giving good reason to gaze into the hardwood bottomlands of the Lowcountry. Ivanhoe Creek runs through the middle of Walterboro and is bringing increased water flow to the Great Swamp with roughly five-inches of rain in December. With the leaves now off the trees, it’s a great time of year for a walk down the nearby boardwalk. No time for a hike? The repaving of Ivanhoe Road from Washington St. to Jeffries Blvd. makes it a delightful drive through the heart of the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary.

While Mother Nature is doing her part to beautify the Great Swamp right now, I noticed roadside bushogging by the City along Jeffries Blvd. this week that really improves the view inward. It made me wonder if the next layer of growth along the roadside could be mechanically controlled, in order to double up the viewing window down into the swamp. That view reveals the damage done by Hurricane Matthew when a combination of flooding rain and strong winds brought down the top-heavy hardwoods.

The winter flooding comes and goes, but when water levels are elevated the swamp has more life to it. A strong current comes down the strait channels, while eddies form and spin off along the curving streams. Sunlight reflects off the moving water up onto the side of standing trees, giving even more depth to the experience. Cooler weather means less chance of insects and reptiles, but the swamp is still their home and it pays to be watchful for critters. Likely the best winter wildlife viewing involves bird watching since migratory songbirds are looking for habitat in hardwood bottomlands like the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about hardwood bottomlands click on Congaree National Park - Hunting Wood Ducks - Hunting Wild Turkey 

To view past blog entries about trees click on Laurel Oak Disease - Dendrochronology