July 2022 - South Carolina Wildlife Federation

Camp Wildwood Second Year Program dives deeper into conservation and the outdoors

Posted on July 29, 2022November 29, 2024 by admin

“Fish on!” Recently I had the honor of introducing 21 Camp Wildwood second year campers to our incredible upstate, including an opportunity to fly fish in the spectacular Chauga River where we caught brown trout and rainbow trout on the fly.

Camp Wildwood is a natural resources camp sponsored by the SC Wildlife Federation, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund, and the Garden Club of South Carolina. As a former Camp Wildwood camper, this program is very close to my heart. I look forward to attending this incredible week every year and getting to introduce many conservation and natural resources ideas to campers.

During this year’s camp, the second year campers toured and learned about our freshwater trout species at Walhalla State Fish Hatchery, rafted the Chattooga River, fly fished the Chauga River with the Chattooga River Fly Shop, had an in depth introduction to wildlife in South Carolina and how to protect it, boated on Lake Jocassee, visited Stumphouse Tunnel, Isaqueena Falls, Sassafras Mountain, and helped the 80 first year campers go fishing at King’s Mountain State Park. Camp Wildwood helps high school students develop a more in-depth knowledge of South Carolina’s natural resources and introduces them to careers in the outdoors. It also helps them develop leadership in conservation for them to take back to their school and community.

Our campers this year showed a particular interest in how natural resources help our state’s economy. They made the connection with natural resources, conservation, and economic impact on South Carolina. They asked thought provoking questions of our speakers and fully engaged with every activity. The next step for these campers will be the Third Year Coastal program next summer and then selected campers will become counselors.

No matter whether the campers go into a natural resources related field or not, most Camp Wildwood campers show support for conservation in whatever field they choose. Many former campers in nursing, politics, engineering, and more stay connected and find a way to support conservation through community actions and by supporting organizations like the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

New Plishing program inspires families to clean up waterways while fishing

Posted on July 28, 2022May 14, 2025 by admin

Through experiencing the beauty of a lake, river, or ocean, sharing exciting moments with friends, and being present to the peace that only the outdoors can produce, fishing can inspire us to connect to our planet and become the stewards we were meant to be.

Our beautiful SC roadsides, forests, and waterways are becoming filled with litter. The first step in reducing the amount of litter in SC is to simply notice it exists and it is a problem. That’s why we created the “Plishing” challenge, where we are asking anglers to pick up litter while they are fishing anywhere in SC.

PLISHING, a combination of the Swedish phrase “plocka upp”, meaning litter pick up, and fishing, is our new effort to conserve and enjoy South Carolina’s aquatic resources. Even if you don’t fish, we encourage you to pick up litter wherever you see it, but we also encourage you to pick up a fishing rod and gather with friends and family to enjoy the excitement and beauty that a shoreline fishing trip can provide.

Enhancing Nesting Habitat for Prothonotary Warblers

Posted on July 26, 2022April 29, 2025 by admin

Project Prothonotary is a joint conservation effort to enhance nesting habitat for Prothonotary Warblers in South Carolina. Last month, SCWF staff Jay Keck and Savannah Jordan joined Zach Steinhauser and the US Forest Service to check Prothonotary Warbler nest boxes previously installed at Sumter National Forest. Out of the 9 boxes they checked, one had a large nest and another had chicks that were being fed by their parents!

SCWF is partnering with Duke Energy’s Habitat Enhancement Program to install 80 more nest boxes in the Catawba-Wateree watershed. After the nest boxes are installed this winter, they will be checked in late spring to early summer for nesting activity. There will be great opportunities to learn about bird conservation and SCWF is looking for volunteers to assist with this project. You can sign up on our website HERE!

Monarch butterflies are now endangered – here’s how SC residents can help them

Posted on July 25, 2022November 29, 2024 by admin

The popular migratory monarch butterfly has been listed as endangered, but South Carolina residents can help save the species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced on Thursday it had added the insect to its endangered species list due to dwindling population numbers in North America. The IUCN is the world’s most comprehensive scientific authority on the status of species.

The announcement comes after populations of the colorful butterfly have dwindled for decades. The monarch is known for its migrations from Mexico and California in the winter to summer. It regularly stops alongside Lowcountry beaches to get nectar in the fall and even sometimes travels to the Midlands and Upstate.

The IUCN attributes the decline to a combination of legal and illegal logging and deforestation, use of certain pesticides and herbicides for agriculture and climate change. Such actions have led to a loss of milkweed, the host plant that monarchs lay their eggs on.

“The western population is at greatest risk of extinction, having declined by an estimated 99.9%, from as many as 10 million to 1,914 butterflies between the 1980s and 2021. The larger eastern population also shrunk by 84% from 1996 to 2014,” a statement for IUCN reads.

But there is hope.
According to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, residents can help monarchs by planting milkweed wherever they can.

“At home, school, work, church, the library, the local park – anywhere in your community! Just one mating pair and a good supply of milkweed could produce many healthy fluttering friends for your community,” the federation states on its website.

Check with your local plant nursery to see if they carry native milkweed.

“So many people and organizations have come together to try and protect this butterfly and its habitats. From planting native milkweed and reducing pesticide use to supporting the protection of overwintering sites and contributing to community science, we all have a role to play in making sure this iconic insect makes a full recovery,” Anna Walker, member of the IUCN SSC Butterfly and Moth Specialist Group and Species Survival Officer at the New Mexico BioPark Society, said in a Thursday statement.

For details on the types of milkweed native to South Carolina, click here.

For information on how to plant milkweed seeds, click here.

South Carolina residents can request a free packet of native milkweed from the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. Do so by clicking here and filling out the form at the bottom of the website page.

This story was originally published July 21, 2022 11:26 AM.

PATRICK MCCRELESS 803-771-8353

Patrick McCreless is the service journalism editor for The State, where he and a team of reporters write about trending news of the day and topics that help readers in their daily lives and better informs them about their communities. He attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama and grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL.