[RAVENEL, SC] – Caw Caw Interpretive Center was recently designated as a partner site for the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.
The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission was created to recognize the important contributions made to American culture and history by African Americans known as Gullah Geechee who settled in the coastal counties of the region. The commission also assists state and local governments and public and private entities in the region in interpreting the story of the Gullah Geechee and preserving Gullah Geechee folklore, arts, crafts, and music; and assists in identifying and preserving sites, historical data, artifacts, and objects associated with the Gullah Geechee for the benefit and education of the public.
The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor was designated by Congress in 2006 and extends from Wilmington, NC to Jacksonville, Fla. The unique Gullah Geechee culture was first shaped by captive Africans brought to the southern US from West Africa and passed on to later generations by their descendants. Commission partners assist in implementing the Corridor’s programs focused on education, economic development, and documentation and preservation of resources, in an effort to contribute to preserving Gullah Geechee heritage. For more information on the corridor, visit www.gullahgeecheecorridor.org.
Rich in natural, cultural and historical resources, Caw Caw Interpretive Center was once part of several rice plantations and home to enslaved Africans who applied their technology and skills to create and cultivate a series of rice fields out of prehistoric cypress swamps. In addition to former 18th and 19th century rice fields, visitors can experience an understory of thousands of naturalized tea plants from an early 20th century tea farm. Caw Caw Interpretive Center is also the only formally documented site of the 1739 Stono Rebellion. The site offers educational exhibits, interpretive displays, and natural and cultural history programs for all ages.
Other features at Caw Caw Interpretive Center include over six miles of trails, boardwalks, and bridges with exhibits along the way. This site is an exceptional wildlife preserve and birding hotspot because of its diversity of habitats. Caw Caw Interpretive Center is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pets and bicycles are not permitted at the property to preserve and protect the site’s natural resources.
