Visit meant to coincide with Earth Day events
In 1970, Rudy Mancke traveled from Fort Jackson, where he was stationed in the Army, to the USC campus to celebrate the very first Earth Day.
Thursday, 41 years later, Mancke celebrated the holiday a day early by leading a nature walk on the Horseshoe.
Mancke is a well-known naturalist most popular for his show on South Carolina Educational Television called “NatureScene,” which aired from 1978 to 2001. He said his now-famous nature walks began in South Carolina, but they expanded and eventually became international.
Along the walk, which began in front of McKissick Museum, Mancke discussed the various wildlife that can be found on campus. He started out noting that he could hear chimney swifts, which meant the birds were back from their winter migration to Central America. He also said that the birds’ singing meant the weather was overcast with a chance of rain.
Mancke is a South Carolina native, and when he described a Southern magnolia tree he sought to clarify the term “native.” He said Southern magnolias originally only grew along the coast, so the trees are native to South Carolina; however, they are not native to Columbia. Southern magnolias can now be found in the capital city because of human transportation.
“We’re the only species that really goes out of its way to rearrange things,” Mancke said.
Another species Mancke said was prevalent in downtown Columbia is the copperhead snake, which he added weren’t deadly. He said that a copperhead’s bite will probably put you in the hospital for four to six weeks with a lot of pain, swelling and numbness.
Throughout the walk Mancke brought up his grandmother. He discussed her enjoyment of nature and the delicious natural homemade recipes she would make.
Mancke pointed out that humans cook because they are consumers and have to find their food from other sources. He added that plants do not have to worry about finding foot because plants are producers and can make their own.
Mancke discussed the natural food chain, and when he pointed out birds eating worms from the ground, he said that the birds were “recycling” the worms.
“You can’t have a recycling system unless death is a part of life,” Mancke said.
The nature walk was put on by Myoung Su Ko, a graduate student who works at the West (Green) Quad Learning Center.
“I think it is awesome to know about the campus’s natural things,” Ko said. “If we know more, we love our campus more.”