Wildlife center opens

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After years of waiting, the new Walterboro Wildlife Center opened on Saturday Jan. 11. The ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m., featuring Mayor Bill Young, officially opened the beautiful center for the enthusiastic crowd.

Special guests included Dr. Eran Kilpatrick who spoke about native wildlife in the area, and Lila Arnold of Lowcountry Raptors who introduced visitors to her six species of owls and a red-tailed hawk. These raptors are prevalent in the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary.

Reptiles afound in the sanctuary were displayed by Edisto Serpentarium. Children enjoyed handling the baby alligators and small boa constrictors.

Music was provided in the new amphitheatre by the band High 5 with vocalist/drummer Anthony Constantine, a resident of Walterboro. The band’s performance that covered several decades of music.

The 7,000-square-foot Discovery Center is designed to coordinate with the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary trails and historic overland stagecoach road that connected Savannah to Charleston centuries ago. Its purpose is to act as an interpretive exhibition hall where visitors can learn about the ecosystems, plants and wildlife that exist in the swamps that are so vital to the Lowcountry.

Displays of native Colleton County wildlife in aquariums are dispersed throughout the center. A large meeting space at the back of the building draws guests to the back porch that overlooks the amphitheatre. A unique feature of the large meeting room, the floor, was designed with blue lines and swirls that represent the intertwined creeks of Ireland Creek, Great Swamp Creek, Jones Swamp Creek and Ivanhoe Creek that braid together in the sanctuary.

Mayor Young spoke to a crowd of over 200. “This endeavor has been a long time coming, and I am sure many thought this day would never arrive. But this is a great day, and I would like to thank the City Council: Paul Siegel, Judy Bridge, James Broderick, Carl Brown, Greg Pryor and Ladson Fishburne. “I also want to thank City Manager Jeff Molinari and Assistant Manager and Project Manager Hank Amundson. Hank and Jeff put in long hours working with architects Nick Galizia, Paulette Myers and Rob Montgomery, and Construction Foreman Jason Lattimore. Tourism Director Christan Spires, County Administrator Kevin Griffin, Colleton Museum’s Matt Mardell, Parks Department Riv Temple, Police Chief Wade Marvin, and Parks Department Head Ryan McLeod also deserve a thanks for helping us prepare for today.

“The Wildlife Sanctuary’s FROGS (Friends of the Great Swamp Sanctuary) Committee; Chairman Moultrie Plowden, Charlie Sweat, Celeste Stone, Bob Tiegs, Bill Young, Ryan McCleod, and Christan Spires, gave great advice and worked with architects.

“Past council members and city employees who envisioned this project also deserve recognition: former Mayors Harry Cone and Charlie Sweat, Mary Ann Cannady, Ted Parker, Franklin Smalls, Johnny Thompson, Adam Davis, Bill Floyd, and former City Manager Tuck McConnell.

“Thanks to land donations from the Jefferies family, monies from Congressman James Clyburn, major grants researched by Michelle Strickland, financial donations by Drs. Drew and Vonda Calcutt, and Lee Petrolawitz of South State Bank, we were able to see the dream become reality,” said Young.

The Wildlife Center is significant to Walterboro and Colleton County’s history, wildlife conservation, and economy. It is designed to be flexible and grow, to be multi-purpose, and to educate, he said.

“We are excited about the opening of this center and amphitheatre and we look forward to the many new ways our community will find to use this facility,” said Young.

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