Community conservation groups and families gathered in Conway on Saturday for the inaugural Flytrap Fest, an event designed to raise awareness about rare species like the Venus flytrap, which can be found in South Carolina along the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve.
Event Highlights
The festival, hosted by Friends of the Lewis Ocean Bay, featured a 5K race in partnership with Horry County Parks and Recreation. Environmental groups were also on hand to educate attendees about various species in the area and how best to preserve them.
Jim Luken, an event organizer, emphasized the significance of the preserve, saying, “People actually travel from all over the world to come there. And they come usually for one reason: To see Venus flytraps growing in the wild.
He added that the Lewis Ocean Bay Preserve is home to the last viable populations of these unique plants in South Carolina, with about 100,000 of them across the preserve, though they can be difficult to find.
Upcoming Tour
The event began on Thursday and will conclude on Sunday with a Lewis Ocean Bay tour from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. along International Drive, offering a final opportunity for participants to explore the preserve and learn more about the region’s biodiversity.
