News
We share our state with wild creatures who inspire wonder. Maybe you have paddled through the Sparkleberry Swamp and seen the vivid yellow of a Prothonotary warbler, or hiked in the forest when a white-tailed deer has scampered ahead of you, or quietly waited in your tree stand when a Barred owl has flown by. Experiences like this make us feel a deep and powerful connection to the Earth, to the ancient rhythms of nature. We feel humbled to be a tiny part of it, and the urge to protect it grows stronger with each new encounter.
In 2019, SCWF launched Project Prothonotary, a state-wide conservation effort to install nest boxes for a beloved, yet declining bird species known as the Prothonotary Warbler. As habitat specialists, these birds seek out existing cavities in trees to build nests and raise their young. However, habitat destruction has led to less and less trees available for nesting, and that’s where nest boxes come in.
“Next time”, said Representative Heather Bauer after climbing out of the deer stand recently. Although she did not harvest a deer on that hunt, Representative Bauer spent the day learning about deer hunting including safety, types of gear, what to wear, how to prepare, and more. Representative Bauer, a state representative from Richland County is co-chair of the Sportsmen’s Caucus and serves on the Wildlife subcommittee of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and sponsored the bill to designate the third Saturday in November as “Women in Hunting and Fishing Awareness Day” each year.
November is seen as the best time of year to be in the deer woods, and for good reason. Absolutely anything can happen. A big-bodied 10-point that you’ve never seen before could leave his home range three miles away and stroll by your stand at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. This is the allure of hunting the rut.
We are grateful to the 30 volunteers from Capgemini who joined SCWF staff for a litter sweep at Harbison in Irmo, SC on Thursday, October 12th. This was the second litter sweep that Capgemini has done with us!
Did you know that we have a native tortoise species in South Carolina? The Gopher tortoise is the only species of tortoise found in the southeast and one of only four tortoise species found in the entire U.S.! They dig large underground burrows that hundreds of other animals use for shelter and protection from predators. Gopher tortoises play an important role in the ecosystem as a keystone species, and this makes the protection of this species critical to the entire food web.
At our recent POWR+ Inshore Fishing with Artificials day, women learned how to fish for inshore saltwater fish using lures and other artificial bait. In the summertime when baitfish are plentiful, it can be easier to catch fish on live bait. But over the cooler months, baitfish isn’t as common in our local waters.
“My son and I had so much fun competing against each other on its (the SCWF Plishing Challenge) opening day”, messaged James Bateman, a 2023 Plishing Challenge participant. SCWF hosted our second annual SCWF Plishing Challenge over the summer of 2023. We shared information about fishing, litter, conservation, best fishing practices, and more with our participants to help them make the most of the challenge and their time on the water.
On Saturday, September 30, an estimated 2,000 youth and adults attended the annual National Hunting & Fishing Day event at Oconee County’s South Cove County Park near Seneca. This free event offers many hands-on opportunities to learn the basics of outdoor skills like fishing, archery, and shooting with an air-rifle.
The first year of “Wildlife Connections from the Mountains to the Sea” program was a success! This unique science-based curriculum, developed by SCWF staff, teaches students how wildlife is intricately linked to their habitats and how South Carolina’s habitats are connected. Students were engaged through hands-on activities, class visits from SCWF education staff, and received take home materials to encourage outdoor exploration.
“Oh Deer!”, shouted the instructor as several educators ran across a field recently to find what they needed to survive as a white-tailed deer. This classic activity from Project WILD gives a hands-on demonstration of what white-tailed deer, or any animal for that matter, need to survive in a habitat, which is food, water, shelter, and space.
Thank YOU to the South Carolina Wildlife Partnership (SCWP) for facilitating last weekend’s dove hunt with our Academics Afield students from Clemson University. We truly appreciate SCWP working with the landowner who allowed these students to participate in a dove shoot on their property. This group is made up of student “guides” and student “participants” learning to hunt. It was especially nice for those participants who harvested their first dove.
Red knots are listed as federally threatened, and have had an 87% decline since the year 2000. These amazing birds fly more than 18,600 miles during their annual migration. SC’s coast plays a significant role as a stopover site for the birds to rest and recharge during their trip. Red knots have a special link to horseshoe crabs because they depend on their eggs for food during migtation stopover. Their journey of 9,300 miles each spring and each fall makes the red knot one of the longest-distance migrants in the animal kingdom.
