LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — They’re baaaaack!
The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina (TNC-SC) and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) announce the return of the iconic red cockaded woodpecker to the Columbia area. A red cockaded woodpecker, or RCW, was spotted recently in Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve in Lexington County, a short 30-minute drive from Columbia.
RCWs are considered an endangered species, according to the National Audubon Society. While RCW populations have rebounded significantly along the coastal region of the state following post-Hurricane Hugo management efforts, in the Midlands the numbers continue to lag because their mature, open pine forest habitat has decreased over the last century…