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Mission
The mission of Clemson University’s Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science is to conduct research and education programs focused on the ecology and management of the natural resources of the coastal region of South Carolina for the betterment of the state’s citizens.
About Us
The Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science (BICEFS) was formally established on May 21, 1999, but its roots are over 30 years old. Upon her death in 1964, Belle Baruch, daughter of financier Bernard Baruch, established the Belle W. Baruch Foundation. The Foundation called upon the colleges and universities of South Carolina to use her land resource, Hobcaw Barony, and her financial resources to establish research and teaching programs in forestry, wildlife and marine science. Clemson University began a forest science program on Hobcaw shortly thereafter with the formation of the Belle W. Baruch Forest Science Institute. The program grew through the years and research topics increased in their diversity as the need for information about all aspects of the environment became increasingly important.
Today’s demands on the natural resources of the coast require research and education programs that address all aspects of coastal ecology. Air, water, soil, vegetation, and wildlife are inextricably linked with each other and with man’s needs for living space, food, recreation, and products used in our every day lives. BICEFS retains the research program established over the past 35 years by the Forest Science Institute and brings new expertise to address other aspects of the complex coastal environment.
In 1994 and 1998 the residents of DeBordieu Colony, Hobcaw’s northern neighbor gave land gifts to Clemson University amounting to 700 acres. As a result of the land gift, the Wallace F. Pate Foundation for Environmental Research and Education was established to honor the man that developed DeBordieu Colony in concert with the natural environment. The Pate Foundation is a subsidiary of the Clemson University Foundation with its own local board of directors and was established as a source of private funding for the research and teaching programs of the Institute. A nature trail and research demonstration sites are being developed throughout the DeBordieu land to be used in the public education and continuing education programs of the Institute.
University support provided through Public Service Activities, coupled with private support through the Pate Foundation, will be used to establish the Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science as a premiere natural resources research and education facility. The Endowment will provide annual funding for student scholarships, sabbatical stipends for visiting scholars, and project funds for on-site and off-site research and education programs.
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Questions or comments: Stephanie Beard ©2004 Clemson University Public Service
Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, PO Box 596, Georgetown, SC 29442-0596
Clemson University is an affirmative action and equal opportunity educational institution.