TRANSCRIPT:
Hello this is Dr. Tom Mullikin with SCDNR for Into the Wild.
South Carolina is a growing state, but beneath that growth is something we all share: a remarkable natural landscape stretching from the Blue Ridge to the Atlantic.
Think of it as a garden. Forests, rivers, wetlands, marshes, fields, and coastal waters all work together to support the plants and animals that make South Carolina special.
And a healthy garden depends on more than its biggest trees or most familiar animals. A bee moving from flower to flower, a salamander beneath the leaves, and the grasses growing beneath a longleaf pine all have a role to play.
When we protect those small pieces, we protect the larger system. Healthy habitat gives deer and black bears room to roam, gives fish clean water, and gives coastal wildlife places to feed and raise young.
We do not have to choose between a growing South Carolina and a wild South Carolina. Stewardship means thinking about both, and remembering that the land and water we enjoy today will belong to another generation tomorrow.
The question is simple: when we hand this garden to them, will we have taken care of it?