Keep South Carolina Wild
We had a wonderful “Day of the Dragon” class led by Naturalist Austin Jenkins at Goodale State Park yesterday. Thanks to Austin for sharing his expertise and passion, and also thanks to Andrew Lazenby for sharing these great photos! More photos in our Flickr Album HERE.
Read our op-ed in the Post and Courier about the act granting presidents the authority to designate public lands as national monuments. Earlier this year, President Trump signed an Executive Order that put a number of National Park Service monuments on the chopping block to be examined for possible sale or transfer. This unprecedented action threatens the integrity of 27 monuments and is a first step towards a broader attack on national parks, refuges, and forests. July 10 is the deadline to submit comments to the Trump administration in support of our public lands. You can email us at mail@scwf.org and we will relay your comments to the Department of Interior.
Our public lands and waters are an American birthright and are the foundation of America’s $887 billion outdoor economy. Almost a dozen groups representing more than 100,000 sportsmen in South Carolina sent this letter to our senators and representatives in support of public lands across America. Please read and share.
Congratulations to our graduates of the Midlands Master Naturalist Class of 2017!! Huge THANK YOU to Austin Jenkins for coordinating and teaching, and to the many partners, site hosts, and guest instructors who made this class possible, including: Joanna Weitzel & Camp Discovery, Matt Kip, Andrew Lazenby, John Nelson, Nancy Jordan & Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, David Shelley & Congaree National Park, Steve Patterson, Kevin Kubach & Drew Gelder & SCDNR, Ann Bennett, Matt Schnabel & Harbison State Forest, David Jenkins, Vaughan Spearman & SC Forestry Commission, Stacey Jensen & Sesquicentennial State Park, and the Midlands Master Naturalist Association.
The Midlands Master Naturalist course is part of a statewide Master Naturalist Program coordinated by Clemson University. The mission of the program is to create a corps of citizen volunteers well-trained in the fundamentals of natural history, nature interpretation, and the interface of humans and nature in order to empower them to contribute their time and talents to responsible, science-based environmental stewardship. The Midlands course is hosted by the SCWF and taught by experts in the fields of natural history, botany, biology, forestry, and geology.
Students learn identification skills, ecological concepts, and natural history of the plants, animals, and ecosystems encountered. Students will see how this knowledge can be applied to manage for wildlife and to ensure that human impacts on our Earth are sustainable. Through the established connections, participants will develop the skills necessary to become lifelong students of nature and environmental volunteers in their community.
Participants completing the course and 30 hours of approved volunteer service will receive Master Naturalist certification and will be eligible to join a local chapter and participate in advanced training courses.
For information about future classes: http://www.scwf.org/midlands-master-naturalist
The South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) has re-certified 30 Wildlife And Industry Together (W.A.I.T.) sites for 2017. The W.A.I.T. program recognizes industries in South Carolina who are dedicated to protecting the environment and who keep wildlife needs in mind when making their land management decisions. Requirements for certification include wildlife habitat enhancement projects, environmental education for employees, and community outreach.
Wildlife habitat enhancement projects at this year’s certified sites include wildlife food plots for deer, turkey, and quail, butterfly gardens, wildlife meadows, and wetlands buffers and preserves. Employee education has been achieved through nature trails, newsletter articles, internal websites, brochures and common space bulletin boards. These industries have also established partnerships with local schools, scout groups, garden clubs, 4H clubs, and conservation organizations.
2017 Certified WAIT Sites:
Any company interested in the W.A.I.T. program should contact Laura Blake-Orr at 803-256-0670 or laura@scwf.org to find out more information. SCWF will do a site visit to help companies get started.
The South Carolina Wildlife Federation facilitates effective habitat conservation and respect for outdoor traditions for current and future generations through statewide leadership, education, advocacy and partnerships. More information can be obtained about the organization by visiting www.scwf.org or calling 803-256-0670.
