Rudy Mancke, who passed away on Nov. 7 at the age of 78, became a beloved figure in South Carolina and beyond through his groundbreaking work as the host of the nationally distributed television show NatureScene and SC Public Radio’s NatureNotes. NatureScene, co-created with Beryl Dakers premiered in 1978 and continued for an impressive 25 years, gaining national recognition for its simple and innovative approach to exploring the natural world.
Video
Rudy and Jim discuss the process of exfoliation, which commonly takes place on rock outcroppings such as this one. Here, on this island of soil, we see more yellow jessamine, moss, red cedar trees...
Video
Vernal Pools - Red Cedar trees commonly populate these rock outcropping areas. Lichens break down the rock surface, creating the dirt in which plants can grow. Black Rock Moss Haircap Moss...
Video
Large masses of granite such as this one, are sometimes called “Plutons,” named after the Roman god of the underworld. This is due the hot liquid granite coming up from the ground and cooling...
Video
After the rock gets broken down into soil, the first species of plant life to grow in these areas are mainly Stonecrops, along with Rock Sandwort.
Video
Before the trees start to bloom, the flowers in the area explode with blossoms first. Here we see Lousewort and Pennywort flowers. While observing the flowers, Rudy and Jim come across a Black Chinned...
Video
Another characteristic of this forest which makes it unique is that it is has remained relatively unchanged for millions of years. The Mayapple flower is a common flower in the area, and features an...
Video
Rudy and Jim visit Appalachian Cove, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina. Some of the flowering plants found here have cousins nowhere else in the world except China and Japan. At this first...
Video
In the same stop, Rudy and Jim talk about the plants growing on a nearby rock: moss, Walking Fern, and another Canada Violet. On a nearby tree, Rudy and Jim find a cocoon of a Large Silkworm Moth.
Video
The constant stream of mist coming from the waterfall at this next stop affects the variety of plants found here. The mountain, like the forest, is ancient, and the waterfall continues to wear away...
Video
At this next stop, Rudy and Jim find Canada Violets, White Trillium, Blue Cohosh, and a Green Frog can be seen close-by near the stream. Other plants which dominate the area are Yellow Buckeye trees...
