11/9 NEWSBREAK: Beloved S.C. naturalist Mancke dies at 78

Rudy Mancke, South Carolina’s naturalist who opened the world of the outdoors to many with his curiosity, patience and passion on his SCETV show NatureScene and one-minute nature segments on S.C. Public Radio, passed away at age 78 Tuesday night.

“The thing about Rudy Mancke that was so impressive was that he knew so much about so many different elements of South Carolina’s environment,” longtime environmental reporter Sammy Fretwell of Columbia told SCETV. “He could tell you about the smallest plants, the largest animals. He just was an incredible resource for this state, and his death is going to be a real loss.”

Mancke, a naturalist in residence at the University of South Carolina, was a household name in South Carolina and a beloved, well-known voice for decades on S.C. Public Radio’s NatureNotes program and SCETV’s NatureScene. The television show launched in 1978 and ran for 25 years with co-creator Beryl Dakers and, later, Jim Welch. Mancke also founded the South Carolina Association of Naturalists.

Funeral arrangements were not available yet, according to S.C. Public Radio.

In other news:

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