bottomland hardwoods, and deep bald cypress and tupelo  thousand of those acres make up what is known as the Francis Beidler Forest.


Four Holes Swamp is a “blackwater cypress/tupelo river


  trees and tupelo gum trees predominate in the deepest areas of the swamp.


The term “river swamp” refers to the riverine shape of the swamp (60 miles long, by a mile and a half wide in plac-  levels vary wildly with the seasons, as the swamp is depen-  be a vast sheet of water. During dry times, it may be bone dry except for pockets of permanent water that are referred to as lakes. Topographic changes are very subtle in the South


 upper end of the sanctuary to the Edisto River is about 30 feet. That is a drop of only 1.5 feet per mile. The visitor cen- ter is 35 miles from the coast, and yet the elevation there is only 55-60 feet above sea level. The Francis Beidler Forest has been a designated


Important Bird Area since 2001, highlighting the need to pro- tect this vital resource from threats including sprawl. The


protected site is a popular resting stop for many thousands of birds that migrate to South Carolina after wintering in South America. A number of these species are on Audubon’s Watch List and Common Birds in Decline, including the - ticular area (see photo on page 12). The forest of bald cypress and tupelo gum trees also sup-


ports large numbers of colonial waterbirds, such as the yel- low-crowned night heron, little blue heron, great egret, white ibis, and anhinga. Over 40 years of spring breeding bird sur- vey data reveal this site also hosts the densest (per acre) songbird nesting nationally for forested habitat in the eastern United States, with nesting hooded warbler, Swainson’s war- bler, yellow-throated warbler, and yellow-billed cuckoo, to name a few.


These wetlands are also home to rare plants, including


 South Carolina at Four Holes Swamp at Beidler Forest. The visitor center has been key in Audubon’s mission to connect people with nature, with an educational center, an interpretive boardwalk trail (both wheelchair accessible), several hiking miles on old logging roads, and a canoe trail along which guided trips are led, providing visitors the chance to explore deep into the swamp’s interior.


continued on page 14


Guided canoe and kayak trips help visitors get closer to nature 13


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