Dirty Bird Heads for Shem Creek

A spectacular marine sculpture created by Charleston County School of the Arts’ students will be unveiled on April 25 as part of Fleet Week. The unveiling ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. at the new Shem Creek Park on Coleman Boulevard.

SOA student Elsa Cline designed the sculpture. Sean Ahern of Anvil’s created the 3D frame and SOA students brought the outer coating to life with colorful marine debris collected from local waterways during the 2011 Beach Sweep.

From the tires at the base of the sculpture, to his bottle-capped beak, Pete the Pelican is covered by marine trash to raise awareness of the ever-growing problem of marine debris and how it affects local waterways and sea life.

Pete provides a glimpse of the trash that pervades coastal waterways. Trash that gets into the ocean eventually ends up ashore or trapped in ocean currents in a huge whirlpool created by converging currents.

These current convergences, or gyres, are places where garbage and wildlife both gather. Mixed with the seaweed are fragments of plastic which can entangle and hurt wildlife. When the plastic degrades and becomes brittle, it breaks down into smaller particles that are ingested by wildlife.

Did you know that according to the Ocean Conservancy, the top six items listed on the International Coastal Cleanup’s 2011 Marine Debris report include cigarettes, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bags, caps, food wrappers and plastic dinnerware?

Don’t miss the unveiling of Pete the Pelican during Fleet Week on April 25 and join us for the 25th Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival at Memorial Waterfront Park on Sunday, April 29!

IF YOU GO
Pelican Sculpture Unveiling
Wednesday, April 25, 5:00 p.m.
Shem Creek Park will be the permanent home for an educational art nine-foot tall Pelican Sculpture created by School of the Arts students using marine debris collected in local waterways. The unveiling will include SOA students who created the sculpture, along with Mount Pleasant residents and students who played a role in its creation.
Mount Pleasant Shem Creek Park, Shrimp Boat Lane
FREE Admission