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Carolina Bay Training

  • Savage Bay Heritage Preserve State Road S-28-835 Cassatt, SC, 29032 United States (map)
Sweet Pitcher Plant by AJ.jpg

This one-day class will focus on Carolina Bays, a unique anomaly present in the Carolina Sandhills and Coastal Plain. These odd depressions in the landscape have puzzled naturalists for many decades. They host an important and unique ecology because of their hydrology. While isolated from any tributaries, they often hold water for long periods of time. Many plants and animals have come to specialize on these conditions. Savage Bay presents a unique opportunity for observation because of its accessibility and the beautiful Pond Cypress Savanna within. After our saunter through the bay, we’ll travel down the road to Goodale State Park and explore the pond edge for some Sandhills aquatic plant life and search for critters in the black water of Big Pine Tree Creek.

Where:  This training will take place at Savage Bay Heritage Preserve and Goodale State Park.  Both sites are near Camden, SC.  Registered participants will receive specific directions for the class.  More information about each site can be found on their websites here:  Savage Bay Heritage Preserve and Goodale State Park.
 
When:  Friday, April 6, 2018
9:00 am until 2:00 pm
 
Who: This training is open to the public. No prior knowledge is required. Minimum age is 16. For SC Master Naturalists, this event can count as Advanced Training for the Sandhills Region.  If you are not a Master Naturalist, just come have fun with us. Participants will receive contact info of other participants to allow for carpooling to the area.  

This class will be taught by Austin Jenkins, who teaches and facilitates the popular Midlands Master Naturalist class for the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.  Jenkins teaches Natural History of South Carolina at USC Sumter.

IMPORTANT: Participants should be in good physical shape. Savage Bay & Goodale State Park have relatively flat terrain, but we may cover some distance. Savage Bay does not have trails, so we will be walking through vegetation on uneven ground.  You should be prepared to encounter briars, mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, etc.  PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU CAN HANDLE THESE CONDITIONS.  

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Other Important Notes:

•    If available, bring binoculars
 
•    Restrooms are available only at Goodale State Park, not at Savage Bay HP.

•    Participants should bring a bag lunch and water and be prepared for a day in the field. 

•    There is no rain date for this event.  We will make every effort to hold it, even in a few rain showers.  If weather necessitates cancellation, we'll notify you and refund your money.  It is also possible that the bay could fill with water from spring rains, making entry too difficult for a class.  In that case, we will cancel and refund your money.

•    After registering, you will receive important correspondence via email.  If you change your email between now and then, make sure to notify us.

Cost: The cost is $60.00 per person and limited to the first 15 people that register.  

Questions?   Contact Sara Green through email.

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Photos by Austin Jenkins

 

If class fills up, you can add yourself to the waiting list by submitting the form below: