In the early 1980s, the wood stork was designated as an endangered species.
A year ago, the bird was removed from that list, much to the delight of Paul Koehler, director of the Silver Bluff Audubon Center in the Jackson area.
Still, the work stork remains "threatened," and that status is why the center will host is annual Storks and Corks benefit event, Koehler said.
It will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. today.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see the storks and enjoy a buffet dinner and wine. Tickets are $50, and proceeds will help the center's operations.
In 2014, the Associated Press described how wood storks are the only stork species that nest in the U.S. Its population for many years was centered in Florida. Due to destroyed habitats there, about 50 percent of storks can be found in the Carolinas and Georgia.