National Audubon Society

The Boardwalk Post | June 2024

A boy with a blue shirt is holding a small yellow bird about to be released into the wild.

Dear {{FirstName or 'Friend'}},

What a memorable day it was! On Saturday, May 11, we celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of the Francis Beidler Forest. Together with friends, neighbors, partners, and bird enthusiasts from near and far, we honored a half of a century dedicated to protecting birds through land conservation and stewardship in Four Holes Swamp.

Our day began with a guided boardwalk tour, followed by a Prothonotary Warbler banding demonstration that captivated attendees with a close-up look at this "swamp canary." The anniversary ceremony was a moving tribute to the legacy and future of the center and sanctuary, filled with inspiring stories and reflections from current and previous Audubon staff as well as a member of the Beidler family.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to making this milestone event so special. Whether you were able to attend or are catching up now, we invite you to relive the day through our event recap where you will find photos and highlights from the celebration.

We'll continue to spend 2024 celebrating this important milestone, and we look forward to sharing more updates with you later in the year.

Read the 50th event recap

Center Director Matt Johnson picks a lucky attendee to help release a Prothonotary Warbler during the bird banding demonstration. Photo: Sydney Walsh.

Logs are laying across the dark waters of a swamp with green bursts of foliage glowing all around a dark landscape.

And the Photo Contest Winners are...

Beidler’s 2024 Photo Contest has officially wrapped up and the results are in. This year we offered up new categories while retaining a few of the challenging or less represented ones from years past. Thanks to all who participated. We had fun and hope you did too!

Check out this year’s winners

Photo: Victor Boudolf / Beidler Forest Photo Contest Winner.

Debris from a plane on a leafy ground with several shadows.

Swampy Mysteries: The Case of RF-84F

The swamp is not a static system...the water level is always rising or dropping, trees fall over with age, storms redecorate, or school group #1 sees ten snakes while group #2 sees none. However, some things in the swamp appear to remain unchanged when referenced to an individual’s condensed timeline.

Only one current employee at Beidler Forest was alive when USAF RF84-F became a permanent resident in the swamp.

Read the story here

RF-84F plane debris at Beidler Forest. Photo: Mark Musselman.

Fireflies: Mid Season Report

There are many different kinds of fireflies visible from the boardwalk. Based on their varying flash patterns, some prefer portions of the swamp while others prefer bottomland hardwood forest closer to the visitor center. So far, it seems Beidler’s fireflies are sticking to the same schedule as last year. By the first week of May, the first synchronizing fireflies emerged.

Read the full report here

Fireflies at Beidler Forest. Photo: Richard Covey

An adult Prothonotary Warbler is feeding a young fledged Prothonotary Warbler chick tucked under the canopy on a tree snag.

Make a lasting impact on our work to protect birds and the places they need by making a legacy gift to Audubon!

One of the most meaningful ways to support Audubon's work in South Carolina is to add us to your estate plans. A gift through a will or living trust lets you plan for a future contribution, and it helps us know that we'll have support to continue our important mission well into the future.

Right now, we have an exciting legacy challenge to offer: with confirmed estate gift commitments from Audubon members, we will receive an amount for immediate use in South Carolina, equal to 10% of the bequest’s current value up to $10,000. Your future gift can come from your retirement plan, will or trust, annuity, or life insurance policy.

Whether your future gift is directed to general Audubon programs or those in South Carolina (like Beidler Forest or Silver Bluff Sanctuary), birds in our state will receive additional support today.

Learn more by clicking here

Prothonotary Warbler. Photo: Ryan Watson.

An image taken from the air via drone of a wooden boardwalk in a wooded area with a shoreline.

Introducing the Cienaga de Mallorquin Ecopark - Beidler's new "sister center"!

In case you missed it during our 50^th anniversary celebration, Beidler Forest has announced a new collaboration with a nature center in Colombia, South America! This partnership has been a long time coming and it is at the very heart of our mission of protecting birds and the places they need. We know that the special species of Beidler (like Prothonotary Warblers) migrate long distances, and they depend on healthy habitat on both their breeding AND wintering grounds.

The studies we have conducted on Prothonotary Warblers at Beidler suggest that mangrove habitats along the Colombian coast are important for this bird species when they migrate south. What better way to continue our goal of protecting Prothonotary Warblers than to partner directly with those doing this work!

Working in partnership with Audubon Americas – the division of Audubon that focuses on Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean – we launched this “sister center” agreement during our 50^th celebration, and we’re working with the team in Colombia now to develop shared programs, signage, and research projects.

We’ll have more to come on this, but for now, we invite you to explore the Cienaga de Mallorquin!

Learn more about Cienaga de Mallorquin

Photo: Puerta de Oro.

A man is standing against a wide tree. He is wearing binoculars, a brim hat, a white shirt and beige jacket.

Staff Spotlight: Ryan Watson

Help us welcome Ryan to the team, Beidler’s new Guest Relations Associate.

"I really enjoy hunting down rare plants to photograph. It’s always a rewarding feeling to find a particular plant that only grows in a specific habitat.”

Learn more about Ryan

A vine plant with three leaves is growing across the base of a tree.

Species Spotlight: Poison Ivy

Because of the rashes it can cause, Poison Ivy is often considered a weed throughout its range. However, it is a very important plant for birds, since its berries are a source of food in the winter. It also offers beautiful fall foliage, turning a bright red.

Learn more about Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy. Photo: Ryan Watson.

New merchandise (like hats, keychains, stickers) set out on large displays in Beidler's gift shop.

New, one-of-a-kind products in the gift shop!

We are fully stocked with new items in the gift shop! Plan your visit or stop by to get your hands on one of our new embroidered bird hats, glow-in-the-dark firefly shirts, iron-on bird patches, field bags, and keychains with a fun bit of Beidler history. You can only find these items at Beidler. Get yours before we sell out!

The gift shop in the visitor center at Beidler Forest. Photo: Sydney Walsh.

Looking for an fun nighttime adventure this summer?

These family-friendly night programs will take you out on the boardwalk, deep into the swamp, around the full moon. Along the way you'll learn about the animals that play after the sun sets and the tricks that allow them to do so (check out this video!).

Spaces are limited, reserve your tickets today!

Nocturnal Family Foray. Graphic: Richard Covey.

An adult River Otter is sitting on a wooden platform above the water.

More ways to connect with us:

Did you know we extended our hours for the summer? Enjoy the boardwalk and visitor center until 6pm Wednesday through Saturday. Plan your visit by clicking here.
If you missed the chance to get tickets to Firefly Nights this spring, you can be the first to know when tickets go on sale next year by signing up to get firefly event updates from us. Click here to sign up.
Mark your calendars for the annual Storks & Corks event at Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary on Saturday, August 3^rd in Jackson, SC. Be the first to know when tickets are available by subscribing here.
Become a Beidler Forest Member and receive free general admission, discounts for both gift shop and special events. Membership prices are $50 for an individual and $125 for a family.

River Otter. Photo: Tanja Rachelle.

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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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