The Clemson Experimental Forest will host Forest Fest from 9 a.m. to noon, April 6, at the Issaqueena Trail Head, E. Dam Road, Central, S.C., 29630.
Courtesy photo
PICKENS COUNTY — Forests have always held an enchanted place in the lives and imaginations of people.
Robinhood and his Band of Merry Men took shelter in Sherwood Forest.
The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings journeyed through a forest called Mirkwood.
The Hundred Acre Wood was the name of the charming forest in Winnie-the-Poo.
And Harry Potter encountered Voldemort and was hit by the Killing Curse in The Forbidden Forest.
Now Clemson University is welcoming the public to visit its own enchanted forest.
The Clemson Experimental Forest will host Forest Fest from 9 a.m. to noon, April 6, at the Issaqueena Trail Head, E. Dam Road, Central, S.C., 29630. The event is free and open to the public. Please note that Issaqueena Lake Road will be routed one way during the event.
“There is important research taking place in the Clemson Experimental Forest, and it serves as a training ground where Clemson students build skills necessary to become forestry and wildlife professionals. But it is equally important as a place where the public can engage with nature, and that is what we hope to celebrate with Forest Fest,” said Patricia Whitener, Clemson Extension 4-H Natural Resources Director.
Forest Fest will include activities for adults and children, including forest wildlife encounters, hikes led by Master Naturalists, South Carolina 4-H Shooting Sports, decomposers, food trucks, face painting and research presentations about vernal ponds and box turtles.
Exhibitors will include: Simpell Sammies Food Truck; Clemson Invasive Species Program; Box Turtle research; Greater Clemson Mountain Bike; Native Plant Club; Equestrian Trail Users; Leave No Trace; Walk S.C.; S.C. Forestry Commission; S.C. Department of Natural Resources; and S.C. Master Naturalist.
In the case of rain, Forest Fest will be held April 27, same time and location.