TRANSCRIPT:
Hello this is Dr. Tom Mullikin with SCDNR for Into the Wild.
If one tree could tell the story of South Carolina, the longleaf pine would have quite a story to tell.
For generations, longleaf forests covered much of the Southeast. They shaped the landscape, supported communities, and provided timber, turpentine, and other resources that helped build the South.
But a longleaf forest is more than the trees. Sunlight reaches the ground, native grasses and wildflowers fill the open spaces, and wildlife such as gopher tortoises, quail, and red-cockaded woodpeckers depend on the habitat created beneath the pines.
Fire is part of that story, too. Longleaf ecosystems evolved with frequent, low-intensity fire, and carefully planned prescribed burns help maintain the open forest conditions many of these species need.
Today, restoring longleaf pine is about restoring an entire ecosystem. It is about bringing back a landscape that has supported wildlife and people for centuries.
When we restore the longleaf, we are not simply planting a tree. We are preserving a piece of the South Carolina story.