As the days shorten and the leaves in the swamp begin to fall, I find myself reflecting on this monumental year we’ve had so far at the Beidler Forest Audubon Center. With 2024 marking the 50-year anniversary of the protection of this magical landscape, it’s been gratifying and uplifting not only to look back on all the milestones over the last half century,  but also to reflect on all we’ve accomplished in just the past 10 months. 

For all of you that do so much to support our work at Beidler Forest, I thought I’d share a few of our accomplishments that I’m most proud of:

• First and foremost, we had an amazing celebration at Beidler Forest on May 11th, 2024 – 50 years to the day from our original ceremony establishing the Francis Beidler Forest. It was heartwarming to welcome so many friends – new and old – to the center. 
   
• For anyone that has been to the center in the last six months, you've likely seen the work we've done to renovate our space. Updates include new paint on the inside and outside of the building, tearing out the 1970s-era carpet and installing new flooring, and adding new lighting, seating, and other smaller touches that we hope gives the center a more welcoming, comfortable feel. We’ve also gotten fiber optic internet all the way out here in the swamp, which allows us to offer public wi-fi, host meetings, stream bird cams, and much more!
   
• We deployed geolocators on Prothonotary Warblers as part of a study using new migration tracking technology, which we hope will give us much more refined data on where these “canaries of the swamp” go when they’re not at Beidler Forest. This work is part of a larger effort by Audubon to understand the hemispheric needs of our most vulnerable bird species, as well as showcase the amazing migrations happening across the globe. 
   
• Relatedly, we developed a new “sister center” partnership with the Cienaga de Mallorquin Ecopark in Barranquilla, Colombia. Not only were we able to join live with our partners in Colombia during our 50th anniversary celebration in May, but my colleague Sherri Fields and I were actually able to visit the Ecopark in Colombia this September! You can read a summary of our trip here, which includes some of the birds we saw at the Ecopark (spoiler alert: we saw Prothonotary Warblers!). 
   
• Expanded programs, including our popular “Firefly Nights” in the swamp. We were happy to host over 350 visitors to witness this spectacle in 2024, and we plan to offer even more programs in 2025. We also extended our open hours to five days a week, which has included staying open later in the spring and summer months.
   
• Lastly, we rely on partners for so much of our work, and over the last several months we’ve been fortunate to work with a number of groups across the Palmetto State and beyond. This includes:
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  • Helping Dorchester County and Weston & Sampson develop Dorchester County’s first Greenbelt Master Plan, which lays out a roadmap for land protection in the county. Working on land protection policies across the state is just one way that we’re helping achieve the goals outlined in Audubon's Flight Plan. 
     
  • In collaboration with historians Erica Veal and Robert Scarlett, as well as artist Brittney “Blue” Washington, we honored International Underground Railroad Month.  Click here to see some of Brittney’s amazing artwork, which is still on display in our visitor center.
     
  • From history projects to biology research, and class field trips to alternative break groups, we prioritize working with the next generation of conservation leaders. In 2024, we’ve been proud to work with a number of colleges and universities, including Claflin University, UNC-Charlotte, Clemson University, and the University of South Carolina. 
     
  • In an effort to expand our popular kayak trips at Beidler Forest, we’ve partnered with the Edisto River Canoe & Kayak Commission (ERCK), whose guides are leading trips into Four Holes Swamp. We plan to expand the number of trips offered in collaboration with ERCK in 2025.

As we begin to head into the holiday season, and turn our sights towards 2025, I’m particularly excited about continuing to enhance our spaces, including more updates to the visitor experience at Beidler in the coming year. We’re also excited that Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary in Aiken County will turn 50 in 2025, just a year after Beidler’s 50th anniversary. We’re looking forward to celebrating with our colleagues at Silver Bluff during their anniversary celebration next November (more details coming soon!).

From all of us at the Beidler Forest Audubon Center and across Audubon South Carolina, we thank you so very much for your continued support of our work. We can’t do this without you!