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.
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In this episode of NatureScene, Rudy and Jim visit Santee National Wildlife Refuge, located in the upper coastal plain, near Santee, South Carolina. During the springtime, warmer temperatures bring...
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Cuddo Unit is a great place for birders, and people who just want to enjoy the nature in the area. Pond cypress trees with Spanish Moss dominate the area, along with Ash trees and willows. On the...
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Reptiles such as alligators love to be around standing water during warm temperature months.
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Dingle Pond is one of the thousands of “mysterious Carolina bays” found throughout the Carolinas. The pond is home to many species of ducks, and a woodpecker can be heard out in the distance. Little...
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In this episode of NatureScene, Rudy and Jim comb the beaches of Sandy Point, just northeast of Charleston, S.C. Sandy Point is part of the Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge. The most common shell...
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The Florida horse conch is the largest gastropod one would find around the beaches of Sandy Point. The Atlantic murex is a gastropod which features blunt, but large spines on its shell. The Atlantic...
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Mixed in with the sea shells found on the beach, Rudy and Jim come across part of a Loggerhead sea turtle’s shell, a Skate egg case, known as a “Devil’s Purse,” a Vase sea sponge, a Hard-shelled clam...
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This area close by, once an oyster bed, has been covered in sand and is now a beach. A shrimping boat is seen out in the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The area has around 280 registered species of...
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Clench’s Helmet is a univalve which feeds on echinoderms, like sand dollars. We see two shells which look very similar to each other, but actually come from different animals: a Knobbed whelk, and a...
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The Horseshoe crab which Rudy and Jim find is not dead, but is actually a shed exoskeleton! They also find whelk egg cases, and one of them still has young snails inside. Oyster shells are found...
