On March 28th, SCWF assisted students from Irmo Middle School in planting native milkweed for monarchs, with help from the Midlands Master Naturalist Association, at Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia.
Month: March 2017
Carolina Fence Garden at Andrew Jackson State Park
On March 25, 2017, SCWF was invited to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the birthday of President Andrew Jackson at the Lancaster County South Carolina State Park honoring the seventh President of the United States of America. Andrew Jackson State Park combines history, art and community activities into a setting that details the boyhood of the former president in the South Carolina backcountry.
Fittingly, the Leaf & Petal Garden Club Garden Club and York County Master Gardeners created a Carolina Fence Garden on the grounds of an 18th-century replica schoolhouse. The Carolina Fence incorporates both natural and cultural elements, which have been designated as symbols of our state. The split rail fence represents a commonly used device by South Carolinians in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The Fence can function as a valuable habitat element while showcasing the state symbols of natural and cultural history. SC’s State Flower, Yellow Jessamine, can easily be trained across the split rail fence to form a dense and attractive year-round foliage cover. Blue Granite, the SC State Stone, adds another aesthetic and official state symbol to the CFG. A Carolina Wren House, mounted on the fence or on a post nearby, creates a home for our state bird. Wrens are one of the most common visitors to backyards and readily adapt to man-made nest boxes. Additional SC state symbols such as the state grass, wildflower, and plants for the state butterfly may also be added to the CFG.
At the Anniversary Party, Laura Blake-Orr , Wildlife Habitat Manager with the SCWF, helped showcase the Fence which functions as a valuable habitat element and educated park visitors about the benefits of Gardening for Wildlife and the Certified Wildlife habitat programs.
Lake Murray Osprey Nest Webcam
The first egg has been laid! Ospreys Ricky and Lucy have made their home on this slice of Lake Murray, South Carolina heaven for the last 4 years. Join us as we watch them up close and LIVE on this Lake Murray Osprey Webcam:. Also catch up on their last four years by going to the Lake Murray Osprey Facebook Page.
Annual Donation Drive 2017
Dear SC Wildlife Advocate:
From Day One in 1931, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation has been powered by individuals who believe the wildlife heritage of South Carolina is irreplaceable and must be preserved for future generations.
In the beginning of each year, we make a big push to renew memberships so everyone can keep up with our varied education and habitat offerings, as well as track and take action on conservation concerns that impact us all.
Having been with the Wildlife Federation ten years now, I have seen the ebb and flow of public opinion and like you, observed the increasingly polarized dialogue over controversial issues. Throughout though, there has been little or no disagreement over the love and respect South Carolinians have for wildlife and keeping wild places wild.
This devotion to the wild is what motivated our founders, and this is what motivates our loyal supporters today. In light of increasingly serious threats, South Carolinians of all stripes must say loud and clear “Healthy and prospering wildlife populations mean healthy and prospering South Carolina citizens.”
But we can’t just say it to ourselves. We must say it to our decision makers, especially state legislators who hold so much power in their hands. SC Wildlife Federation will do everything possible to keep you informed and to make it easy for you to contact those who are elected to represent you – and to be your “eyes and ears” for wildlife at the State House.
Lawmakers went back into session several weeks ago. SCWF priorities this year include permanent re-authorization of the State Conservation Bank that has protected thousands of acres for wildlife and wildlife enjoyment at a bargain price.
Our lobbyist Trip King is at the State House every day the legislature is in session. Other items on our “To Do” list include:
- Protect and preserve citizens’ rights to question government actions that may cause harm to our natural heritage
- Push for expansion of the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge
- Fight to prevent a proposed weakening of the state’s coastal zone protections
- Pass a resolution recognizing the importance of native plants for wildlife survival
- Educate decision makers about the importance of preparing for both drought and flooding.
We will be sending you periodic legislative updates and at critical points we will let you know how YOU can make a difference by contacting legislators.
Sara Green, our education director, is expanding our popular Palmetto Outdoor Academy, and adding new citizen science training programs as fast as possible. The academy is putting more boots on the ground to collect data and monitor populations of plants and wildlife across the Palmetto State. Good science is the foundation for good stewardship.
On the habitat front, our Wildlife Habitat Manager, Laura Blake-Orr, continues to directly engage and educate thousands of South Carolinians about the benefits of Gardening for Wildlife. In unprecedented ways, development and other pressures are stressing wildlife populations. You can make a difference. Creating and restoring habitat for pollinators and birds by growing native flowers, shrubs and trees has never been so important.
2017 promises to be an exciting year for South Carolina and its wildlife. SCWF does not endorse political candidates, but I would like to say that many outdoor enthusiasts are optimistic about the conservation potential of the new Governor Henry McMaster. Governor McMaster has been a steady supporter of several important wildlife conservation initiatives. Also, he speaks from the heart about the natural splendor of South Carolina. We hold out hope that he will be a strong voice for wildlife and wild places.
In closing, we are deeply appreciative of your support through the years. Now in our 86th year, I often wonder how many current supporters of SCWF had grandparents and great-grandparents who believed in the Federation and were members. Support over the decades made today’s South Carolina a more livable, healthy and fun place to live, work and play. And your gift today can assure we leave things in better shape for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Many, many thanks for your continuing support as we start 2017 on a positive note. Feel free to contact me any time.
Most sincerely,
Ben Gregg
SCWF Executive Director
ben@scwf.org
(803) 256-0670
P.S. Your tax-deductible gift NOW will provide us a boost to wildlife and to our efforts to protect wildlife and its critical habitat needs.
Palmetto Pro Birders is Expanding!
We are thrilled to announce the addition of two new instructors to the program! Tim Lee has studied and taught as a naturalist and biologist throughout the southeast for more than 26 years and is an instructor for the Upstate Master Naturalist program. Steve Patterson is a former president of the Carolina Bird Club and an instructor for the Midlands Master Naturalist program. See full bios on our two new instructors below. Welcome Tim & Steve!
Two Upcoming Events:
Two-day Pro Birder Training Module: Friday, April 28 & Saturday, April 29, 2017 – $150.
Sassafras Mountain/Southern Appalachian Foothills, Pickens County
Instructor: Tim Lee (see bio below)
Join us as we bird South Carolina’s Blue Ridge! This time of year, we could see a variety of migratory birds as well as resident birds and maybe a few winter residents, such as kinglets and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, that have not departed. We will spend part of our time birding at Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina’s highest point, were we may see Common Raven and Dark-eyed Juncos. We will also hit other area hotspots in the southern Appalachian Foothills.
Times: Friday 9am-3pm, Saturday, 7am-12noon
One-day Pro Birder Field Day: Saturday, May 6, 2017 – $60.
Silver Bluff Sanctuary, Aiken County
nstructor: Steve Patterson (see bio below)
his trip will investigate the Audubon Center & Sanctuary at Silver Bluff. We will begin at the Visitor’s Center and the nearby trails. This area includes varied habitat and longleaf pine/wiregrass stand that could contain Bachman’s Sparrows while we’re there. After lunch, we will explore the ponds managed for the endangered Wood Storks.
Times: 8am-2pm
To ensure a quality experience for all, space is strictly limited. Classes fill quickly, register today! After registration, you will receive an email with lodging recommendations, directions, and any other details pertinent to the class.
Tim Lee
A native South Carolinian, Tim has studied and taught as a naturalist and biologist throughout the southeast for more than 26 years. For the past 16 years he has been the Interpretive Ranger/Naturalist for South Carolina State Park Service’s Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area where he conducts research and provides educational programs for children and adults. He also teaches the Upstate South Carolina Master Naturalist Program and is an Educational Leadership Partner for the South Carolina Aquarium. Tim contributes data to the National Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey and to regional and local bird counts.
Steve Patterson
Steve began birding in 1981 shortly before entering Erskine College as a freshman. He learned all he could about how to identify what he found and started keeping a list. Since then he has birded in 1,050 counties in the United States, including every county in North Carolina, Florida, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, and of course South Carolina. Steve is the past compiler of the Long Cane and Rocky River Christmas Bird Counts, having founded Rocky River in 1991. He is a member of the American Birding Association, the Greenville County Bird Club, Aroostook Birders (Maine), and a lifetime member and former president the Carolina Bird Club.