Hilton Pond

it’s “The Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History.” Even its name is a mouthful. Celebrated biologist and naturalist researcher, Bill Hilton, Jr., heads up this marvelous resource located in historic York, South Carolina. The center does original research and observes the unique flora and fauna of piedmont South Carolina, just at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Appalachian chain, widely known as some of the oldest mountain forms in North America.

For over ten years, the center has operated “Operation RubyThroat,” an effort that specifically focuses on those bird-feeder favorites, Archilocus colubris, or to those normal folks out there, Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. Hilton has also done major ornithological studies regarding Blue Jays and Finches.

The center has both research and educational objectives. Its mission is to “conserve animals, plants, habitats, and other natural components of the Piedmont Region of the eastern United States through observation, scientific study, and education for students of all ages.”

Your generous funding will help the center continue to reach those goals, which we here at nikflorida.org think are laudable.

All photos, incidentally, are the property of The Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History. You’ll have to ask permission from them to use the photos.