Port Royal to celebrate Cypress Wetlands birthday with bird bash

The town of Port Royal will put on a "Birthday for the Birds Celebration" on May 12 to mark the sixth birthday of the its Cypress Wetlands park, which opened in May 2012.

A bird parade at 8:30 a.m. begins the festivities.

The parade will form at Port Royal Elementary School and proceed up Paris Avenue to the wetlands amphitheater.

The birthday celebration will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. It will include tours of the wetlands, a scavenger hunt, an art show featuring local student art, wildlife on display such as baby alligators and snakes, live music with DJ Billy Drysdale and a cake-cutting.

Port Royal Town Manager Van Willis will provide opening remarks and speak about the park's history and future.

The Cypress Wetlands area is a natural hidden jewel right in the middle of Port Royal. It is a series of connected wetlands that were restored when the park was built.

Paths lead from the amphitheater next to the police station on Paris Avenue down to the wetlands, which are home to all kinds of birds, alligators and other Lowcountry creatures. You can get an up close look at many of them by walking the half-mile trail and boardwalks that go through the park.

In season, the wetlands are the home to a rookery where several species of wading birds nest and rear their young. Birds nesting in the rookery include egrets, herons, white ibis and wood storks.

Jay Karr: 843-706-8150

This story was originally published April 27, 2018 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Port Royal to celebrate Cypress Wetlands birthday with bird bash."