On Thursday night, locals trekked a boardwalk stretching one tenth of a mile across the floodplain of Butler Creek, leading them to the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park for the Phinizy Center for Water Science’s (PCWS) 26th annual Swamp Soirée.
PCWS’s Education Director, Camilla Sherman, said the boardwalk was purposefully designed to encourage the public to slow down and take in their surroundings.
“Walking across this beautiful boardwalk to come to the event is actually connecting them with nature,” she said.
Surrounded by Spanish moss and dozens of twinkling lights, guests enjoyed dinner, cocktails and live music while supporting environmental stewardship.
Crucial fundraising for environmental education
Sherman said that the goal of the center is to connect people with nature.
“We do a lot of hands-on, interactive science,” she said. PCWS offers summer camps, field trips and classes for all ages to further the public’s understanding of water systems.
The Swamp Soirée is one of PCWS’s largest fundraisers of the year. According to Executive Director Alicia Sweats, last year around $110,000 was raised.
Sweats said that they expect to bring in even more this year.
“We do a lot to raise money to do the education, to do the research and to maintain the park,” said Dan Troutman, chairman of the PCWS board.
Visitor and volunteer perspectives
One soirée attendee, David Jones, said this was his first time visiting the Swamp, although he’s been an Augusta resident for most of his life.
“I’ve never been out here,” he said. “It’s beautiful, it’s incredible. It’s definitely an asset for the city.”
