|
Contact: Lauren Gurniewicz, 803-647-3969
Congaree National Park is pleased to announce the winners of the 12th Annual SwampFest Student Art competition. Co-sponsored by the Southeast Rural Community Outreach (SERCO) and the Friends of Congaree Swamp, the competition is an opportunity for young artists from the Midlands to showcase their talent while celebrating Congaree National Park's diverse wilderness resources. This year's theme was "Wilderness is closer than you think". Students were asked to submit art to their teachers, depicting plants, animals, water, or recreational opportunities found within Congaree National Park's wilderness. Park staff from a wide range of disciplines selected first place and honorable mentions. The first place winners will each receive a $50 cash prize, provided by the Friends of Congaree Swamp. All entries will be displayed at Congaree National Park's Harry Hampton Visitor Center through December.The facility is open 9:00 am-5:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday and closed on all Federal Holidays. SwampFest is a local heritage tourism event, which took place the first weekend in October.Programs were sponsored by SERCO at the Harriet Barber House and Old Mt. Moriah church site in Lower Richland County.Congaree National Park hosted the art competition and special programs in conjunction with the festival. Congaree National Park protects the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States, with approximately 21,710 acres (82 percent of the park's total acreage) as designated wilderness. The Wilderness Act, signed into law in 1964, established the highest level of conservation protection for federal lands. Visitors can engage in non-motorized recreation in wilderness areas, including hiking, paddling, fishing, and camping. For more information about Congaree visit us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Kindergarten First Place: Margot Murray, Catawba Trail Elementary 1st Grade First Place: Kaitlyn McFarland, Catawba Trail Elementary 2nd Grade First Place: Kayla Kim, Catawba Trail Elementary 3rd Grade First Place: Sahm Valafar, Catawba Trail Elementary 4th Grade First Place: Evelyn Sheppard, Home School 5th Grade First Place: Dedrick Smith, Hyatt Park Elementary 6th Grade First Place: Antonio Trejo, Alcorn Middle School 7th Grade First Place: Ahmod Byrd, Gibbes Middle School 8th Grade First Place: Zandria Dunn, Alcorn Middle School |
Last updated: April 14, 2015