NEWBERRY — The third annual statewide South Carolina 7 (SC7) expedition made its way through Newberry last week, hiking part of the Newberry Passage of the Palmetto Trail.
Tom Mullikin, who leads the expedition, stopped at the Wells Japanese Garden during the day.
“I want to thank the mayor for inviting us out again this year for this hike. I tell you; you need to get down to Newberry, it is more than just the Newberry Opera House. This is the second year we have done this here in Newberry, they have figured out how to capture the value of ecotourism,” Mullikin said. “Experts tell us tourism is a $9.7 trillion industry, about 20% of that is ecotourism and it is growing. The City of Newberry is capturing that as an economic development tool.”
Following the hike, the expedition made its way to the Firehouse Conference Center for lunch, sponsored by the Newberry Electric Cooperative, and a screening of “Higher Ground,” a documentary exploring South Carolina’s Seven Wonders and the impact of a changing climate.
“Newberry Electric Cooperative is proud to be a sponsor of the SC7 Expedition Project. We believe it’s important to keep our state beautiful, as well as Newberry County. Not only is this project an opportunity to get out in the great outdoors and enjoy all the beautiful scenery South Carolina has to offer, but it’s also a great way to get exercise and stay healthy by walking, hiking, enjoying adventures across the state, as well as being environmentally responsible,” said Debra Shaw, vice president of member and public and government relations at NEC.
Following the screening, Mullikin thanked both the City of Newberry and the NEC for participating in the SC7 expedition.
“The public narrative is we have to choose between environmental sustainability and economic sustainability, the truth is you don’t have one without the other. These are complex times we are living in now; the purpose of this expedition is to begin to have that conversation on these environmental issues,” Mullikin said. “It is a conversation we need to have, and we appreciate the opportunities to be with people as we have those conversations.”
To learn more about the SC7 and to view “Higher Ground” visit their website, southcarolina7.com.
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