Historic Beaufort Foundation sponsoring rice plantation presentation
The Historic Beaufort Foundation is sponsoring an event that will explore “The Impact of 18th Century Rice Plantations on 21st Century Conservation” at Nemours Plantation on the Combahee River, according to a news release.
The field session is in conjunction with the foundation’s exhibit, “Remnants of the Rice Culture: Agricultural History as Art,” and will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 8. The session will include a riding tour of the plantation’s ancient rice fields and long leaf forest with lunch served at the DuPont family home prepared by longtime chef, Peachie Washington.
Nemours, at 10,000 acres, contains the largest extant rice fields in the Lowcountry. Comprised of five historic plantations, the fields were last planted in rice in the 1920s. However, during the remainder of the 20th century, the site became a popular hunting retreat for the DuPont family and friends because of its isolation and abundance of wildlife, especially waterfowl.
In 1995, the Nemours Wildlife Foundation was established dedicated to biological research and stewardship of the management area. The plantation lies within the ACE Basin, where the waters of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers flow, and what is called as “One of the Last Great Places” by The Nature Conservancy. Participants in the field session may see a variety of wading birds, bald eagles, harriers, roseate spoonbills and red-cockaded woodpeckers.
Historic Beaufort Foundation is supported by the SC Humanities Council, the Dorothy and Gaylord Donnelly Foundation and the Coastal Community Foundation. Participants should dress for the weather, provide their own transportation and bring binoculars if desired.
Reservations, at $125 per member and $150 per nonmember, are required by calling HBF at 843-379-3331 or emailing info@historicbeaufort.org.
This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Historic Beaufort Foundation sponsoring rice plantation presentation."