The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is a 66,287 acre (267 km²) National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...

 in southeastern South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 near Awendaw

Awendaw, South Carolina

Awendaw is a small fishing town in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,195 at the 2000 census. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S...

 on South Carolina's only cape, Cape Romain. 28000 acres (113.3 km²) are designated as Class I Wilderness. The refuge's headquarters and visitor center are located on US Highway 17 about 30 minutes by car from Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

.

Established in 1932 as a haven for migratory birds, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is additionally managed for the protection of threatened and endangered species such as the loggerhead sea turtle, wood stork, and least tern. Every year loggerhead sea turtles bury their eggs on three of the refuge's barrier islands. The refuge supports approximately 23% of the northern subpopulation of loggerhead sea turtles, the largest north of Florida. For the past 30 years refuge employees have helped loggerhead turtles survive by identifying nests that are in areas subject to overwash and inundation, and moving them to a safer area on the island.

In years past, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge was the site of three lighthouses. Bulls Bay Light was located on Bull Island, a 5000 acres (20.2 km²) barrier island

Barrier island

Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...

 that is the largest of the many barrier islands that are part of the refuge. Regular ferry service to Bull Island is provided by a private charter service at Garris Landing. Although Bulls Bay Light was lost to the sea years ago, two historic lighthouses still remain on the refuge, both on Lighthouse Island. The Cape Romain Lighthouses

Cape Romain Lighthouses

Cape Romain Lighthouses are a pair of brick lighthouses on Lighthouse Island southeast of McClellanville, South Carolina. The lighthouses are on the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. They survived Hurricane Hugo that devastated the area....

 are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sewee Visitor & Environmental Education Center

The Sewee Center features displays about the various ecosystems, wildlife and heritage of the South Carolina Lowcountry

South Carolina Lowcountry

The Lowcountry is a geographic and cultural region located along South Carolina's coast. The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands...

. Exhibits include the marine ecosystems of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and the forest life of the Francis Marion National Forest

Francis Marion National Forest

The Francis Marion National Forest is located north of Charleston, South Carolina. It is named for revolutionary war hero Francis Marion, who was known to the British as the Swamp Fox. It lies entirely within the Middle Atlantic coastal forests ecoregion....

. Regularly scheduled environmental education programs draw thousands of school children every year. Visitors can view a pair of endangered red wolves in an enclosure on the Nebo Pond Trail behind the Visitor Center. Other facilities include a classroom/lab, an auditorium with an orientation film, local tourist information, a book store and trails. The Center is jointly operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, and offers nature education programs and activities.

The South Eastern Wildlife and Environment Education Association (SEWEE Association) is the Friends Group for the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and for the Francis Marion National Forest. The SEWEE Association supports the education and conservation activities for the refuge and the forest.

External links

• Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge Official Site
• Sewee Visitor & Environmental Education Center
• [Friends of Cape Romain] Facebook Page