Date: September 4, 2013
Contact: Lauren Gurniewicz, 803-647-3969
The public is invited to join park rangers and volunteers for special programs to celebrate SwampFest at Congaree National Park on October 5. SwampFest is a local heritage tourism event, which will take place October 4-5 in Lower Richland County. All park programs are free and begin at the Visitor Center.
Park Program Schedule
9:00 am-5:00 pm: SwampFest Art Competition Entries on display at Harry Hampton Visitor Center
Midlands students in grades K-8 may enter the competition through September 20.Co-sponsored by the Southeast Rural Community Outreach (SERCO) and the Friends of Congaree Swamp, the competition is an opportunity for young artists to showcase their talent while celebrating the park's diverse resources.Students are asked to submit art to their teachers, depicting plants, animals, water, or recreational opportunities found within Congaree National Park. Park staff from a wide range of disciplines will select first place and honorable mentions from the entries. The first place entries will receive cash prizes, provided by the Friends of Congaree Swamp and SERCO. All entries will be displayed in the Harry Hampton Visitor Center from October 5 through December. Throughout the Day:Paul Moore Pottery Demonstration in Visitor Center Breezeway
Meet artist Paul Moore and watch him create pottery inspired by Congaree's old-growth forest. Pottery will be available for purchase at the Eastern National bookstore. More information about Paul is available at http://www.congareepottery.com.
9:30 am: Nature Discovery Walk
Join a park volunteer to look and listen for animals in the forest along the boardwalk.
10:00 am-12:00 pm:Children's Art Activities
Congaree inspires creativity! Meet a park ranger in the Visitor Center Screened Porch for art activities. Participants may come and go.
10:00 am: Maroon Communities Walk
Join a park ranger to hear stories of strength and survival while learning about maroon communities in the Congaree floodplain.
11:00 am-3:30 pm: Boardwalk Briefs
Every 30 minutes. A great way to see the park for the first time! Take a short walk with a park volunteer to see why Congaree is called a forest of giants.
12:00 pm-2:00 pm:John Cely Book Signing
Meet one of Congaree's "founding fathers", John Cely, in the Visitor Center bookstore to learn about his deep connections to Congaree's forest. The Eastern National bookstore will be selling copies of Cely's books, Cowasee Basin:The Green Heart of South Carolina and The Natural History of the Congaree Swamp, for you to take home with his signature!
12:00-2:00: Skins & Bones
Stop in the Visitor Center Breezeway to meet a park ranger and learn about animal adaptations at Congaree.
1:00 pm-4:00 pm: Children's Art Activities
Congaree inspires creativity! Meet a park ranger in the Visitor Center Screened Porch for art activities. Participants may come and go.
3:00 pm: Maroon Communities Walk
Join a park ranger to hear stories of strength and survival while learning about maroon communities in the Congaree floodplain.
A free shuttle will take visitors between the Old Mt. Moriah church site on Old Bluff Rd. and Congaree National Park's Harry Hampton Visitor Center from 11:00 am-4:00 pm on October 5. Additional programs and activities are sponsored by the Southeast Rural Community Outreach (SERCO) at the Harriet Barber House and Old Mt. Moriah church site in Lower Richland County. Festival information can be found at http://www.congareeswampfest.com/. For more information about Congaree National Park call 803-647-3970. You can also join Congaree National Park on social media:facebook.com/CongareeNP,@CongareeNPS on Twitter, flickr.com/photos/congareenps/ and pinterest.com/congareenps.
