Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve
| Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve | |
|---|---|
| Location | Horry County, South Carolina , USA |
| Nearest city | Carolina Forest, South Carolina |
| Coordinates | 33°47′42″N 78°50′53″W / 33.795°N 78.848°WCoordinates: 33°47′42″N 78°50′53″W / 33.795°N 78.848°W |
| Area | 10,444 acres |
| Established | 1988 |
| Governing body | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | https://www2.dnr.sc.gov/ManagedLands/ManagedLand/ManagedLand/104 |
Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve is a 10,427-acre natural preserve near Carolina Forest, South Carolina. It is named for one of many Carolina Bays, whose origin story is not known.
The National Audubon Society considers Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve "a place of birding significance." It includes black bears, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and orchids. It is one of the few places to find Venus flytrap growing naturally, and Coastal Carolina University biology professor James Luken predicted that in South Carolina, where the species once was found in four counties, the Venus flytrap could soon be found only in the preserve. In the bays themselves, which dry up in the summer, are blueberry, huckleberry, fetterbush and zenobia, along with sweetbay, catbriar, gallberry, titi.pinweed, cowbane, bearded grass pink, buckeye, and balduina. Surrounding the bays are shrub bogs called pocosins with pond pine and loblolly pine. Other plants include mulberry bushes, wax myrtle bushes, and the pitcher plant. Other animal life includes bald eagles,raccoons, foxes, squirrels, and quail.Longleaf pine savannas can be found between the bays, though slash pine has been planted. Dwarf live oak and turkey oak are also found. Pottery provides evidence of Native American campsites. Biologist Steve Bennett said the people who camped here hunted deer, which are still hunted today.
...
Wikipedia