SEWE comes to town for the 33rd time

The Birds of Prey demonstration flights are always popular at SEWE.

The Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition — that three-day celebration of wildlife and nature (umm, more than folks drinking beer and partying outside) — comes to down on Valentine’s weekend with lots of stuff for families to enjoy. There’s fine art, conservation education, sporting demonstrations, food, drink and more. Upwards of 40,000 people are expected and will have a $50 million impact on our region.

You can find all of the scheduling information online here. Popular events include the 3 p.m. Friday Quick Draw and Speed Sculpt by local artists at Charleston Place; chef demonstrations throughout Friday and Saturday at Marion Square; the Dock Dogs competitions Friday and Saturday at Brittlebank Park; and Birds of Prey flight demonstrations at Marion Square throughout the event.

A special exhibit during SEWE will be “Estuary” photographs of the ACE Basin by Vincent J. Musi of National Geographic. The exhibit, featured in the magazine and shown here last year to great applause, will be at the Charleston Library Society, 164 King Street, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. It’s free. More.

Other good news:

Hats off to CARTA: The local transportation service set a ridership of just over 5 million passengers in 2014. It’s the first time the numbers have been over that mark and a 2.5 percent increase over the previous year. An average of 15,694 passengers ride the service daily, which eliminates up to 12,500 car trips daily.

In a press release, CARTA officials pointed to several factors in the record ridership, including: changes in perception toward public transportation and an increasing frustration with traffic conditions; a growing Lowcountry population fueled by individuals who are familiar with public transit; and the expansion of partnerships with large employers and the rollout of new services, such as the NASH Express, a $3, limited-stop route connects the airport to downtown Charleston and vice versa.

Save the date: McLeod Plantation Historic Site, which the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Department is turning into a county park, will have a by-invitation-only grand opening  from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 24. But don’t worry:  Members of the public are invited to a public grand opening on April 25.  Details are forthcoming.  The site is located on James Island at 325 Country Club Drive near the intersection with Folly Road. [This item  has been updated after first publication.]

Youth orchestra. The Youth Orchestra of the Lowcountry, which has roots in the 1970s, now has a new, official affiliation with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and has changed its name: Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra. Congratulations. More.