Lots of fall updates from your favorite swamp! 
Audubon Center at Beidler Forest
Beidler Forest Center & Sanctuary Newsletter Fall 2021
A woman with brown hair, blue shirt, beige shorts stands in front of the Beidler Forest entrance sign. She is holding a long metal rod with smaller metal pieces attached in a T-like formation.
Fall Updates from Beidler, including bird research, new merchandise, night walks, and more!
Dear {{FirstName or 'Friend'}},

Happy fall to each of you! Cool weather and shorter days mean migratory birds are making their annual trips south. We’ve been seeing lots of species moving through the forest over the last few weeks, including thrushes, warblers, vireos and more. 

This is Jen Tyrrell, Audubon South Carolina’s Engagement Manager and Master Bird Bander, and I’ve been working diligently with my colleagues at the Beidler Forest Audubon Center to learn more about the birds migrating through the sanctuary. That research took a big step forward over the last month as we’ve partnered with the Dorchester County Career and Technology Center to install a Motus wildlife tracking tower on their campus just a few miles from Beidler Forest. 

Motus, the Latin word for movement, has become an essential tool in wildlife migration tracking over the last decade. Audubon South Carolina has invested in working with partners to build a network of these new tracking towers, which use an old form of technology to track migrating birds, bats, insects, and more. We’re excited to work with the Dorchester County School District to hopefully detect birds and other wildlife migrating through Beidler Forest and the surrounding community. 

We invite you to support this project and the conservation of migratory birds in South Carolina by donating today! 

 Read more about Motus
Photo: Matt Johnson
A green star shape leaf with smudges of brown lays folded in half on a very dark log with dark texture.
Center News: fall programs, new merch, rental space and Halloween!
With Halloween right around the corner, get ready for some fun in the swamp this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! While walking our 1.75 mile boardwalk this weekend, look for our spooky scavenger hunt and you might even win a prize and get some candy. We, and all the wildlife that engulfs the boardwalk, would love to see your costumes, so don’t be shy. You will also get to enjoy seeing some of our new merchandise in the Visitor Center – check out the new mugs! For all fall updates from Beidler (including our free “Second Saturdays’ and Night Walks), check out our last email here. 

Also, if you are looking for a place to have a meeting, birthday party, or general gathering – look no further! Our screened-in covered outdoor classroom is available for rent and can accommodate up to 50 people. 

 
Photo: Colin Hocking
Students work in a Longleaf Pine stand after a prescribed burn.
Celebrating our volunteers!
For almost 50 years, Beidler has depended on the hard work of volunteers to aid our conservation, operations, and programmatic work. From making desserts for events, greeting guests, leading bird walks, to land management – volunteers help push our mission forward. We, the staff at Beidler, would like to thank our current volunteers, supporting organizations and schools, and volunteers from the past that helped shape what Beidler is today. If you are interested in supporting our volunteer program, you can donate here 
 
Photo: Mark Musselman
Seven juvenile white ibis roost high up on mossy limbs.
Species Spotlight: White Ibis
White Ibis appear at Beidler when the waters get shallow, usually late spring and especially in the summer and fall.  Read more
Photo: Richard Covey
opossum nests in the Y of two branches of a small tree.
Species Spotlight: Virginia Opossum
An opossum’s world is dominated by scent and touch. Their long nose gives them an incredible sense of smell. Read more
Photo: Emily Davis
A white sign with black lettering is on the railing of a boardwalk. The sign is titled Maroons, but the language is unreadable. There is a QR code on the sign. Many leaves from almost a bare forest are laying on the boardwalk.
Beidler Forest Honors Maroons during International Underground Railroad Month
Across the country and world, September has been established as International Underground Railroad Month. The Beidler Forest Audubon Center recognized the recent designation of Four Holes Swamp as a site on the Underground Railroad by offering free admission to the boardwalk on Sunday, September 26th. Signage honoring the history of maroons – freedom seekers that sought refuge in the swamp – was also displayed along the 1.75 mile boardwalk. 

We thank those of you who came out to learn more about this important piece of cultural history of the swamp. In case you missed it, we will be leaving this temporary signage up in November while we work on a plan to permanently interpret this history at Beidler Forest. 
Photo: Matt Johnson
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Audubon Center at Beidler Forest
336 Sanctuary Rd, Harleyville, SC 29448
843-487-9988 | beidler.audubon.org

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