Canoe ride without getting wet? Two-state walk? York, Lancaster, Chester will get it.
Outdoor connections in Clover, Chester, Landsford Canal State Park and the Carolina Thread Trail are among dozens set to receive new cash for improvements.
Late last month, Duke Energy announced 33 new nature or parks and trails grants in South Carolina. The projects total more than $350,000 and will preserve or enhance natural spaces.
Money comes through the Duke Energy Foundation. It provides more than $2 million annually to South Carolina nonprofits, according to Duke, and more than $30 million annually in overall charitable gifts.
A grant to the Beautiful Places Alliance will create a virtual reality canoe ride to experience the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies at Landsford Canal State Park. The 448-acre Chester County park is home to the world’s largest collection of the endangered flowers, which bloom on stones in the Catawba River. The lilies are a popular draw to the park, but only hit peak bloom in a relatively short window in May and June.
“Our partnership with Duke Energy is exceptional and has helped us deliver our promise of wise stewardship of resources and service to our visitors,” South Carolina State Park Service director Paul McCormack said in a release. “The latest grants for Landsford Canal State Park and the Carrick Creek Trail at Table Rock State Park underscore the value of their significant support.”
Another nature grant will help pay to complete the South Carolina portion of the 140-mile the Carolina Thread Trail, that includes the cross-state segment in Lancaster and Chester counties. The trail, created in partnership with 88 local governments, eventually could connect more than 1,600 miles across the Carolinas. It stretches from Chester and Lancaster counties northward up to Iredell County in North Carolina. It goes from Cherokee County (South Carolina) eastward to Anson County, North Carolina.
Pieces of trail are common additions in this area with new home subdivisions. More than 27 of 128 miles planned for York County have been built. Lancaster County has almost 11 complete of what will be 110 miles. Chester County has more than seven miles complete of an eventual 66 miles.
Two nature grants reach statewide. One will pay to plant one million trees, with assistance from every school in the state. The other provides scholarships for educators to attend environmental education programs.
COVID-19 initially had people at home, but in time they ventured out and used state parks and other natural areas. Increased funding, grants of up to $10,000 each, from use at some of those sites led to additional parks and trails.
One such grant will improve access trails at Clover Community Park and New Centre Park in Clover. Another will clear out the nature fitness trail and update signs in Chester.
“These grants support programs and organizations that work to protect and restore the wildlife and natural resources that our communities depend on,” Duke’s South Carolina president Michael Callahan said in the release. “We think it’s important to work alongside our community partners to ensure these beautiful places around us can be enjoyed by nature lovers of all ages for years to come.”
