Anderson University President Evans P. Whitaker, Ph.D. and Juan Brown, M.D., chairman of the Rocky River Conservancy board, received the Sustainable Communities Champion award at the Forever Green annual awards luncheon presented by Upstate Forever Tuesday in Greenville.
The Rocky River Conservancy, Anderson University, Upstate Forever and several other stakeholders, have partnered to take a wonderful, but unused “city” swamp and turn it into a park containing incredible natural resources and educational promise.
The Rocky River Park is the largest swamp in any Upstate South Carolina city and is only two miles from downtown Anderson.
“The Conservancy is and will continue to be an invaluable, unique outdoor ecological laboratory for the University and a great recreational asset to us and the greater Anderson community,” said Anderson University President Dr. Evans Whitaker following the award presentation.
Anderson University is a critical partner, owning over 150 acres of wetlands and woodlands that has been dedicated to the park.
The Rocky River Conservancy did some initial trail clearing, and opened its gates to the public for the first time in Summer 2014. The park is open daily from dawn to dusk.