Old Santee Canal Park

     We went to Old Santee Canal Park today. We hiked on the trail and there were observation points where you get to look out over the marsh to see if there is any wildlife.  It was very hilly and bumpy.  We got to walk near the canal and we saw turtles on logs in the water, basking in the sun.    

    

     We also went to a herpetology class.  There we got to touch a Corn Snake, an Eastern Box Turtle, and a baby American Alligator.  The herpetologist taught us about each reptile.  All reptiles are cold-blooded which means they are the temperature of their surroundings.  They also like to bask in the sun to get warm.

         
     The Corn Snake is not poisonous, and it lives in cornfields.  The poisonous snakes have a triangular-shaped head while the Corn Snake has an oval-shaped head.  It is colored to look like red corn, but it does not eat corn, it eats mice.  He felt very soft and slightly scaly.  The Eastern Box Turtle does not live in the water, they live on land because they are tortoises.  They are very messy eaters, and eat lots of lettuce. 

     The baby American Alligator was 2 feet long and felt leathery and it's back was spiky.  When it is small, their body is striped for blending into the marsh, but when it gets big it won't need any protection, and it becomes all black.  They only live in fresh water.  It, when fully grown, could eat a deer.           

Fort Moultrie

         Fort Moultrie is in Charleston, SC.  It guarded the strait that led into the harbor.  It was used in the American Revolution when Adm. Sir Peter Parker of the British Royal Navy attacked the fort with a squadron of ships on June 28, 1776.  The fort repulsed the attackers and was named Fort Moultrie in honor of the commander of the fort, William Moultrie. 
        
         After the American Revolution, a second fort Moultrie was built, but it suffered from disrepair and was destroyed in a hurricane.  By 1809 a third fort stood complete.  In the Civil war,  it shelled Fort Sumter until it surrendered.  The Union attacked Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie.  Both withstood the attacks, but they were very damaged.  It remained in service through the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.  In 1947, the fort was removed from service. 

          When I went to Fort Moultrie, we walked into the fort and saw that Fort Moultrie was bigger than Fort Sumter!  We walked into the powder magazines and up to the batteries.  We also walked to the beach next to the fort.  I liked the fort because it had a lot of different rooms and it was almost like a maze.  My brother and I got junior ranger badges for completing the program by answering different questions about Fort Moultrie.

Don't smoke near the powder!