Keep South Carolina Wild

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2023 Milkweed for Monarchs Project a resounding success!

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Monarch butterfly on Asclepias Tuberosa.

We are thrilled to announce the mailing of 5,000 packets of native milkweed seeds to SC residents, thus completing the 2023 Milkweed for Monarchs Project! We were able to send these packets completely free of charge thanks to the sponsorship of Wells Fargo. This project was a huge success due to the statewide support of South Carolina residents and the dedicated volunteers who gave their time and expertise to hand-mix seeds and prepare each packet for mailing.

This is the eighth year that the SC Wildlife Federation (SCWF) has completed this project, which is vital for the survival of monarch butterflies. Over the past twenty years, there has been a sharp decline in the monarch butterfly population along their normal migration routes from Canada to Mexico. In fact, these important pollinators have dwindled by almost 97 percent. Native milkweed plants, however, are the key to helping these beautiful butterflies continue to thrive in North America.

This image shows a monarch caterpillar and the three native milkweed varieties included in the seed packet.

SCWF was able to assist in increasing crucial habitat for our fluttering friends by distributing over 5,000 milkweed packets throughout the state! Native milkweed seed varieties were purchased in bulk from Ernst Conservation Seeds, then packaged and shipped by SCWF staff and generous volunteers. These seed packets were paired with informational cards that SCWF created for recipients to learn how to successfully raise the plants, how essential the plant is to the monarch species, and additional steps to take to certify their yards as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Read more about how to certify your yard on our habitat page, or contact Savannah Jordan at savannah@scwf.org.

South Carolina residents were excited by the opportunity to support the butterflies, and it showed through their participation. In addition to requests from individuals, SCWF also distibuted over 700 seed packets to schools, garden clubs, and other organizations in the state. We received several comments from SC residents who wanted to do “their part” to help monarchs. This energized support from those who requested the seeds is part of what made this project so successful! We also asked recipients to consider donating to offset program costs, and many of you did. Thank you!

Because of this project, thousands of migrating monarchs will now have places to lay their eggs and food for their caterpillars before they become butterflies and begin their journey to Central Mexico. Hopefully, we will see an increase in monarchs in the coming years! This program also allows SCWF to educate, advocate, and build our network with new supporters by connecting them with the wildlife in their own backyards. We’ve already received requested for next spring’s distibution, and we can’t wait to build upon the success of this year’s project.


Although monarchs need native milkweed to survive, it can be hard to capture a picture of them on it! These beautiful photographs were all entered in SCWF’s annual photo contest. Image Credits from L to R: Monarch butterfly by Candy Jones; Monarch butterfly on lantana by Joanne Wuori, and Monarch butterfly on a zinnia by Janie Sigmon.

We couldn’t complete a project of this magnitude without the help of many volunteers. In particular, we would like to say thank you to Barbara & Jimmy Watson for their MANY hours dedicated to processing the seed packet requests this year as well the previous years. We would like to send a HUGE THANK YOU to our Community Outreach Assistant, Ari Hippensteal, for all her work on this program!

Barb and Jimmy Watson and Ari Hippensteal are excited to mail the completed packets!

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped with this project, especially the members of Omega Phi Alpha and Tami Kyre.

We are grateful to Wells Fargo for their sponsorship of this project for the second year in a row! Their generosity allows us to send these packets to SC residents completely free of charge.

If you or your company are interested in sponsoring this program in 2024, please contact Angi Fuller Wildt at angi@scwf.org or 803-256-0670, or use the donate button to make your gift in support of this program.

Banner Image Credit: Monarch butterfly by Teri Carter.

Midlands Master Naturalist Graduation

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Congratulations to our newly minted class of Midlands Master Naturalists! We recently celebrated their achievement with a nature hike at Congaree National Park, where we saw the largest loblolly pine in the nation.

The graduates of this 12-week course have traveled around the midlands learning identification skills, ecological concepts and the natural history of the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the midlands. They have also learned how this knowledge applies to wildlife management and to ensure that human impacts on the environment are sustainable.

SCWF offers a variety of naturalist programs through out the year, covering the fundamentals of natural history, nature interpretation, and conservation in order to empower citizens to donate their time to positively impact our natural resources. You can learn more about these programs here.




THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS, INSTRUCTORS, VOLUNTEERS & HOSTS WHO MAKE THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE!

First & foremost, thank you to Austin Jenkins who developed the program and course materials for the Midlands class, and to James Blake who coordinates the statewide program. 

We are proud to have the support of the following organizations for the Midlands Master Naturalist Program:

Clemson Extension, Camp Discovery, Richland Soil and Water Conservation District, Goodale State Park, Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, Congaree National Park, SC Dept. of Natural Resources, Landsford Canal State Park, Harbison State Forest, SC Forestry Commission, and the Midlands Master Naturalist Association.

These many partnerships enable us to provide a high quality program conducted by a diverse group of expert instructors, including: Austin Jenkins, Chanda Cooper, Jay Keck, Andrew Lazenby, John Nelson, Kevin Kubach, David Jenkins, and Vaughan Spearman.

Thank you also to all of these folks for behind-the-scenes logistics assistance:  BeBe Dalton Harrison, Dee Dee Williams, Lyne Askins, Nancy Jordan, Grant & Sara Fordham, Matt Schnabel, Beth Foley, John Wells, David Groh, Sara Green, and Beverley Roberts.

POWR+ : On the Water Boating Orientation Recap

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On April 17th, we held our second POWR+ class–On the Water Boating Orientation at Lake Moultrie. POWR+ classes are an extension of our annual Palmetto Outdoors Women Retreat (POWR) designed to offer in-depth instruction on a particular topic. We aim to build confidence and encourage participants to try these activities themselves when they leave the event. Since Boating and Trailering was a popular class at last year’s retreat, we wanted to offer this opportunity for women to have even more hands-on experience with this topic in a supportive learning environment.

This class was taught by Captain Robert Wiggers, owner of Waterways Instructional Guide Services (WIGS), and BeBe Dalton Harrison, SCWF Director of Education. Participants learned valuable skills such as trailering, boat handling, boat safety, and vessel orientation. The event was offered on beautiful Lake Moultrie so that participants could get comfortable operating the vessel and backing the trailer in a public location accessible to anyone. Participants left the event feeling more confident and knowledgeable about spending time on their own boats this summer. Be safe on the water this summer!





SCWF featured on SCETV’s “Making it Grow”

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SCWF Executive Director Sara Green was honored to appear on the popular South Carolina ETV program, “Making it Grow” to share some of SCWF’s programs including, Plishing, Community Habitats, Wildlife And Industry Together (WAIT), and others! We’d like to send a huge THANK YOU to Host Amanda McNulty and Producer Sean Flynn for the invitation and being such great partners of SCWF!

watch the video here


🌱Making It Grow is an award-winning program produced by SCETV and Clemson University. Host Amanda McNulty from Clemson Extension along with Clemson Extension Master Gardener State Coordinator Agent Terasa Lott plus other Extension Agents and featured guests offer research-based information on a variety of gardening, agricultural, and environmental topics, while also highlighting interesting places and products from around South Carolina.

Wildlife Habitat Certification

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SCWF was honored to be featured in the SC Sea Grant Consortium’s Coastal Heritage Magazine in their Spring 2023 issue. Check out the full article by Erica Hussey on their website HERE – it contains TONS of great information about conservation in your backyard!

Below is an excerpt about SCWF and how to certify habitats throughout your community:


The South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) offers individuals and communities wildlife habitat certifications for their yards, balconies, schools, churches, and just about any other green space. Businesses and corporations can also apply for similar certification to create dual-process business land spaces. The certification encourages a commitment to local environments and education about declining habitats.

The SCWF has been around since 1931 and affiliated with the National Wildlife Federation since 1946. The SCWF’s goal: to conserve and restore South Carolina’s wildlife and wildlife habitat. The certification program offers one way to meet that goal. Currently, South Carolina is ranked eleventh across the nation in the number of certified lawns per capita; the SCWF has logged 10,957 certified yards in its fifty-year history. A portion of the proceeds garnered from the program is fed directly back into local programming in South Carolina.

The United Nations estimates that one million plant and animal species are threatened by extinction. Worldwide species are being lost alongside disappearing habitats. According to Savannah Jordan, SCWF’s habitat education manager, it can be overwhelming to think of the magnitude of loss. “But you can start in your own yard, your own community, and it can make a huge difference,” says Jordan. “It all starts with one person getting interested and then it just spreads. It’s really cool—seeing people [who] want to learn and then teaching others as well. I think that’s super.”

Wildlife habitat certification is straightforward. The requirements are food, water, cover, places to raise young, and sustainable practices. Certification requirements encourage using native plants, capturing rainwater, installing pollinator or rain gardens, reducing lawn areas, and reducing erosion—all of which lessens stormwater pollution and flooding.

Pipevine Swallowtail on a Zinnia by Charles Rucinski.

“Native plants reestablish the ecosystems that are already there. The plants are adapted to the climate. They go hand in hand; they’re made for each other. They’re more drought resistant and generally easier to grow,” says Jordan. If rewilding or certifying a backyard is too daunting, Jordan suggests starting small. A native plant pollinator container garden allows for portability and the reduction of space requirements, but the benefits remain in providing colorful flowers for local pollinator species. A nest box or bird feeder can act as a low-stakes gateway to wildlife in green spaces. For Jordan, it all started in her own backyard, birdwatching and noticing birds she had never seen before. “It could develop into a love for something that somebody never even knew they would love. That’s all it takes. Just one small step could lead to something amazing.”

From Francis Beidler Forest to the Congaree National Park, to the Upstate mountains or the Sea Islands, or to your own backyard, wildlife and native plants are integral to the character of South Carolina. Where else can you walk among the dwarf palmettos in the shade of towering oaks and hear: “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”

Senator Graham Backs Bipartisan Bill To Help SC’s At-Risk Wildlife

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COLUMBIA — Senator Lindsey Graham has signed onto a bipartisan wildlife conservation bill, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, that will dedicate $1.4 billion annually to locally-led efforts to help at-risk wildlife species nationwide.

“America’s wildlife are in crisis. This ground-breaking legislation tackles the problem at the scale necessary,” said Sara Green, Executive Director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. “We thank Senator Graham for cosponsoring this fiscally responsible effort to help at-risk wildlife with collaborative, conservation measures across every state, territory and Tribal nation.”

The bill would send $15.4 million to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources which the agency will use to implement its wildlife action plan. The plan identifies 825 priority species, including the prothonotary warbler, black bear and northern bobwhite quail.

Bobwhite quail, photo by James Edwards.

“This bill is modeled after historic laws passed decades ago that have long helped keep our game and sportfish populations healthy,” said Robert H. Boyles, Jr., Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “Today, most people don’t know that wild turkey or inland striped bass were ever in trouble. Funding from this bill will allow us to do the same kind of work on behalf of South Carolina’s at-risk species like gopher tortoises, wood storks, and loggerhead sea turtles. We wholeheartedly thank Senator Graham for supporting this legislation that will benefit our state’s wildlife and our way of life.”

Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings, photo by Peggy Lucas.

“Saving the thousands of at-risk wildlife species will require bold, bipartisan leadership,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We are so grateful to Senator Graham for leading the way on the historic Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. This bill will have an immediate impact – saving species, creating jobs and protecting our way of life in South Carolina and all across the country.”

A similar bill passed the House last session, with support from Representative Jim Clyburn. Senator Graham also cosponsored a Senate version last session. It passed out of committee but never received a floor vote, despite having 47 bipartisan cosponsors.

“Preserving the wildlife and natural resources of South Carolina is crucial not only for the benefit of future generations, but it’s a vital source of local economic growth. Furthermore, by providing important resources, this legislation will support habitat restoration across South Carolina by voluntarily bringing together private and public stakeholders,” said Senator Graham in a press release put out by Senator Heinrich’s office.

Federally recognized tribal nations, including South Carolina’s Catawba Indian Nation, would share $97.5 million annually to fund wildlife conservation efforts in the lands they manage.

“Wildlife conservation is an issue that unites all Americans. We hope Senator Scott and the rest of the South Carolina delegation will join Senator Graham in cosponsoring this commonsense bill and help it get across the finish line,” said Green.

Shelter from the Storm

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SCWF was honored to be featured in the National Wildlife Magazine’s recent article about our Project Prothonotary! Read more through the links below…

Photographs by Zach Steinhauser, a South Carolina-based photographer and filmmaker. Text by Laura Tangley, senior editor for National Wildlife Magazine.

Published in National Wildlife’s Magazine Spring 2023 issue, and on their website HERE.

A female prothonotary warbler peers out from a nest cavity in a cypress knee. Development, timber harvests and competition with other bird species have significantly reduced the number of such natural nest sites.

A BRIGHT SPLASH OF COLOR amidst the muted tones of a flooded forest, the prothonotary warbler is nicknamed “swamp canary” for its vivid golden feathers and the male’s lyrical springtime song. “That sweet, sweet, sweet song is a sound that says you’re in a Carolina swamp,” says Jay Keck, a habitat manager for National Wildlife Federation affiliate South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF).

Sadly, the bird’s song has faded in recent years as timber harvesting and development destroy its habitat. The species’ numbers fell 42 percent from 1966 to 2015. Since 2019, Keck has been working to bring back the birds across his home state through Project Prothonotary, an effort to install nest boxes that replace lost nest sites in trees. The project also features public education. “If we can get landowners to fall in love with this bird,” he says, “they may say ‘no’ when a developer offers to buy the land.”

Read more here





Endangered Species Day: Red-cockaded woodpecker

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May 3rd is National Endangered Species Day and we are recognizing the importance of wildlife conservation and restoration efforts for imperiled species like the federally endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, a landmark piece of legislation that institutionalized our national commitment to the conservation of wildlife and their habitat.

Join in the celebration by learning more about Red-cockaded woodpeckers here or download this fun Endangered Species coloring book created by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Image Credit: Red-cockaded woodpecker by Savannah Jordan.

22-23 Scholarship Award Winners

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The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is honored to be in a position to distribute educational grants to full-time students pursuing environmental education at South Carolina schools of higher education. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible, based on their performance in academia and in related community activities.

THE WINNERS OF THE 2022-2023 SCWF SCHOLARSHIPS ARE:

Virginia Kackley, Environmental and Natural Resources Major at Clemson University

Virginia aspires to pursue a career in wildlife habitat research or in the political world to protect the environment, agriculturalists, and consumers alike. Her work experience shows a strong connection to research, the environment, and educating her community about agriculture and conservation. She has volunteered with many organizations and participated in Adopt-a-Highway, Adopt-a-River, FFA, and several other agricultural organizations, including planning and participating in “Agricultural Awareness Week”. Virginia is dedicated and has a clear passion for helping others understand and appreciate agriculture and the environment.

Evan Renshaw, Environmental Studies and Geography Major at the University of South Carolina

Evan plans to enter the workforce upon graduation seeking a role dealing with environmental policy and sustainability. After gaining some experience, he plans to attend graduate school to further his studies to gain the knowledge and experience to make a difference on sustainability issues on a national level. His work experience includes an internship with the Central Midlands Council of Governments where he compiled research on natural resources and climate resilience to help make the public and political entities more aware of natural hazards and their impacts. It is also clear through his numerous volunteer roles that he is passionate about sustainability and educating others on the topic. His volunteer work includes working to educate classmates on green practices, working to install a rooftop solar station on a university building, and sustainable gardening. One of his courses is also allowing him to explore the advantages of using electric vehicles for the University’s transit system.

Ramie Thompson, Environmental Studies Major at Wofford College

Ramie plans to get her masters in environmental science and work in this field combining data analytics with her other passion, writing. Her hope is to be able to convey complicated technical data to the general public in a way that is understandable to everyone. This can be critical in gaining public support for environmental issues. Her work experience includes working with water quality monitoring and quantitative environmental methods and models, including GIS. Her volunteer work includes working with young students as a tutor/mentor, fundraising to buy bikes for young students in her community, and organizing a beach sweep. She has even written a book entitled “The Aftermath of Human Impact” which has helped push her to creatively write and be more conscious of how people see complicated scientific information.

Kaitlyn Meadows, Graduate student in Biological Sciences at Clemson University

Kaitlyn received her undergraduate degree in Tennessee and is attending graduate school at Clemson University. She is passionate about wildlife conservation and sharing it in an educational setting. She has held positions educating students ranging from early childhood all the way through college age about conservation education, at the Knoxville Zoo, Sylvan Learning, and at Clemson University. She is a very active volunteer in her school and community. At Clemson, she wants to use this scholarship to help her work with herpetofauna, specifically to determine the effect of host-density on host-associated microbiomes using Eastern Newts.

SCWF is proud to award Kaitlyn Meadows with the Nicole Chadwick Memorial Fund Scholarship.

SCWF Scholarship Program:

The SCWF receives contributions from our members; however, a large portion of the funds for these scholarships are received from these three funders:

  • Nicole Chadwick Memorial Scholarship Fund – honoring the legacy of an endangered species biologist who made a long-lasting impact on wildlife conservation in South Carolina, this fund was created in 2019 out of a desire by community members to honor the enduring impact of Nicole Chadwick’s work for wildlife conservation. This scholarship fund will specifically be awarded to female students studying environmental fields in South Carolina.
  • D. L. Scurry Foundation – In 1969, Mr. D. L. Scurry and his CPA, Mr. J. F. Burgess, created a non-profit foundation which emphasized providing educational scholarship funds for individuals attending colleges, universities and technical schools in South Carolina. Since that time, the D. L. Scurry Foundation has helped further the educational goals of thousands of students and many organizations within the state.
  • The Riverbanks Conservation Support Fund (CSF) – This Fund was created to provide financial assistance for conservation oriented projects/programs worldwide that promote preservation of the Earth’s biodiversity.

A strong knowledge of the many aspects of our natural world is required for analyzing environmental problems, resolving conflicts, and preventing new problems from arising. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is committed to supporting future leaders by helping to provide the financial resources necessary to lay the groundwork for more responsible decision-making tomorrow.

Scholarship applications are accepted online through our website each year until October 31st.

Banner image by Judy Drew Fairchild.

Endangered Species Act: Wood Stork

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The Wood Stork represents a significant milestone as we continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. These large wading birds are the only species of stork breeding in the U.S. and can be found roosting in colonies within the forested wetlands, cypress swamps, and marshes of the southeastern coastal plain. Once listed as federally endangered, the species is now making a comeback and has been proposed for delisting thanks to increased protection of their habitat and the critical ecosystems that they rely on.

Image Credit: Wood Stork Party by Sue Vogel.