Web of Water

Web of Water

Listening to the Rivers, Making the Connections—

Quietly and softly by kayak—like our native ancestors— we will experience the great Saluda River watershed from its source in the mountains of South Carolina to the mouth of Charleston Harbor. Through the Piedmont, where loblolly pines once rode the river to small rural mill towns, the river continues through the Sandhills. There, whitewaters mark an ancient ocean shore as the river joins the Broad to form the Congaree River. As we paddle up the creeks along the Congaree, we experience the abundant treasure of wildlife and imagine music and stories left by Native Americans trading up and down the waterway. Similarly, we envision African Americans building the canals, and adventurers and mavericks logging the land. And this is only the beginning as we wind our way through the changing ecosystems running from the mountains of Table Rock, through the Piedmont and into the Sandhills, the Inner and Outer Coastal Plains and, finally, to the coastal zones of the sea.

More than outdoor adventure—
Although it is certainly that, the kayak expedition—led by LEEP's naturalist and executive director, Ian Sanchez—is an interactive, documentary film project that will present the complex networks of South Carolina's watershed for the benefit of nature enthusiasts. Its purpose is to directly engage school children, teachers, and others in preserving and protecting water for our citizens and wildlife.

Documentary production—
Yes, Web of Water is an outdoor adventure, designed as a documentary that promotes an appreciation of our natural and cultural heritage as well as demonstrating an understanding of the challenges we face with growth and change. Throughout the trip down this important watershed, we experience the connections of an interactive web of water, and plant and animal systems. In addition, we become acquainted with a web of diverse cultures and history. Above all, we learn how something in one area affects everything else. Stops along the way provide opportunities to bring contributors with historical and cultural knowledge into the adventure. A geologist, botanist and biologist will engage us in conversations about the natural and human ecosystem of this watershed emphasizing Charleston's economic place on the world stage.

Electronic field trip—
During the filming, students and teachers throughout the Heritage Corridor will join Ian and the crew via the Internet. They will record the expedition's progress, participate in its lessons, and pose questions for the tour guides. Designed in connection with science and social studies standards, Web of Water will take students to places many would never have had the opportunity to experience before. More than improving their test scores—as important as that is—the documentary field trip aims to improve their understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural legacy in which they live. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, students will encounter South Carolina's amazing watershed as ecology of a lived and living cultural heritage.