Walterboro Mayor Bill Young and Councilman/Mayor Pro-tem Charles Lucas walk the new boardwalk
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony -Mayor Bill Young along with Councilman Charles Lucas, City Manager Jeff Lord, Economic Development Director Hank Amundson, Tourism Director Donna Laird and the Friends of the Great Swamp Sanctuary.WALTERBORO, S.C. -- A ribbon cutting ceremony is held to mark the opening of an additional boardwalk at Walterboro's Great Swamp Sanctuary. The swamp is one of the largest estuarine preserves on the east coast, and is on the edge of historic downtown Walterboro.
The ceremony was held Saturday morning, after the Colleton Medical Centers American Heart Walk 2011.
This boardwalk, which is a continuation of the Great Swamp Sanctuaries master plan, will function as part of the parks current four mile network of boardwalks. The area offers biking and nature trails which provide visitors with additional vantage points for observing the diversity of wildlife inhabiting the black water bottomland.
The most historically significant path follows the Colonial Era Savannah Stagecoach Road, which still bears the cypress remnants of long-fallen bridges. The new boardwalk will also link the Detreville Street entrance to the canoe dock, creating another entrance to the park on S. Jefferies Boulevard at the corner of Ivanhoe Road.
Located within the ACE Basin, the Great Swamp Sanctuary is a nature based conservation area that combines history, culture, recreation, and education in a singularly southern lowlands setting. The more than 600 acre sanctuary, which may be the only braided creek swamp accessible to the public, is centrally located about an hour from Hilton Head, Savannah, Columbia, and Charleston, off of Interstate-95. The Sanctuary's Washington Street entrance is located only steps from Walterboro's main historic district.
The Friends of the Great Swamp Sanctuary invite volunteers to join them in their efforts as they continue with the expansion of additional nature, kayak, and canoe trails. For more information, contact the Friends of the Great Swamp Sanctuary at the City of Walterboro Welcome Center by calling 843-538-4353 or by visiting www.walterborosc.org.
