Santee State Park gets $10K grant

Santee State Park will soon see improvements to its educational exhibits thanks to a $10,000 grant from a utility company.

Dominion Energy awarded the grant through its philanthropic arm, the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as part of its efforts to support environmental education and stewardship projects across its footprint, according to a news release. The grant will be used to revamp the aquarium section of the exhibit in the park's visitor center and add emphasis on native birding at Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie.

Phil Gaines, director of the South Carolina State Park Service, said he is grateful to the electric, natural gas and solar energy provider for its "support of an important aspect of the visitor experience" at the park.

"The more visitors appreciate the natural significance of this lake, the better we can manage for future generations," Gaines said.

Santee State Park covers 2,500 acres around the 110,000-acre Lake Marion.

"Educating people about the environment is an important step in protecting South Carolina's natural resources," said Kristen Beckham, external affairs representative for Dominion.

Dominion serves nearly six million customers in 19 states with their heating and cooling needs for homes and businesses.

The education and stewardship grants support a variety of initiatives that benefit schools, organizations and communities across the country. In 2018, the utility service is awarding $1 million in grants to 129 organizations in 12 states working to improve natural spaces or encourage environmental stewardship. Since 2003, Dominion has donated nearly $32 million to a wide variety of environmental projects across its footprint.