SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Wofford College’s environmental studies program’s “Thinking Like A River”initiative and the Local Hiker will host a Hammock-A-Thon at the Goodall Environmental Studies Center at Glendale Shoals on Sunday, May 11, from 1-3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Visitors are invited to bring their hammocks and relax by the shoals, says Haley Briel, outreach coordinator for the environmental studies program and the Goodall Center. “Aside from the calming sounds of the Pacolet River, two music sets will be performed by Spartanburg musician Zac Parks and two Wofford students, Rachel Chalmers and Nick Hewson.”
She says Wofford students, who will be beginning their exam week, are encouraged to come out for a relaxing study break.
Free hot dogs and burgers off the grill will be provided, and there will be kids’ activity tables. The Local Hiker, located in downtown Spartanburg, will display and sell ENO hammocks at the event.
“The Hammock-A-Thon is an invitation for relaxation, but also an opportunity for the community to become aware of and familiar with Wofford’s environmental studies program and the Glendale community,” Briel says. “Bring a hammock and relax at the shoals.”
With the Goodall Center being located at Glendale Shoals on the Lawson’s Fork point of the Pacolet River, Wofford students and the community alike have daily opportunities to “have on-the-ground, real-time interactions with the natural and cultural issues they read about in the classroom,” Briel adds.
The center is the home of Wofford’s environmental studies program. It once was the mill office of Glendale Mills, and the renovated building now is LEED Platinum certified.
The environmental studies program created the “Thinking Like a River” initiative, a three-year initiative funded by a $383,000 grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation that aims to shape a culture of sustainability centered on local waters by offering unique, hands-on experiences with area rivers for students, faculty and area residents.