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>> My name is Jed [inaudible].

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I'm the assistant manager at the
Okefenokee Swamp Park in Waycross, Georgia.

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The Swamp is the public's window
into the Okefenokee Swamp,

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which is a truly unique ecosystem
only found in the Okefenokee.

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We do guided boat tours that'll
take you to our observation tower.

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That's 93 feet tall.

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It's the highest point in the swamp.

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We do guided train tours, which
takes you a swamp or homestead

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which will take you back a hundred years
to how they used to live in the swamp,

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and then we do nature shows that are hands
on with snakes and gators, if you so choose.

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As the assistant manager, I could be
weeding one day, creating lesson plans

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for educational programming the next day,
and then I could be your boat tour operator.

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In captivity, you'll see we have bears, we
have gators, and we have an otter and as well

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as I believe seven snake species, and
then we have some turtles [inaudible].

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Bobcats. Claim to be panthers there.

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Never seen one.

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I've heard one before.

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Never seen one.

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Turkeys, deer.

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Obviously, the gators.

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Lots of gators.

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There's about 15,000 gators in the swamp.

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So it, the research shows.

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So. OK, well, we have an
osprey [phonetic] society.

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That's our donor foundation.

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We're a 501(c)(3).

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We're privately owned and operated.

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We don't receive any local,
state, federal funding,

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and there are osprey society is big
for, you know, improving the park.

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We can maintain on ticket
sales, but the improvements come

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from our osprey society and our donations.

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And we have big osprey events quarterly,
and, I mean, we go all out for those.

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We, you know, big spread food, I mean,
everything so it'll be just perfect.

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Everything.

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I mean, it's, like, [inaudible] going
around scissors and cut everything out,

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and it's a big task to get ready for.