Keep South Carolina Wild

Category: Conservation

Sporting Clays Competition Fundraiser: A Shared Passion for Conservation

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On a beautiful fall day in October, nine four-person teams from across South Carolina competed in a friendly sporting clays competition at the Palmetto Outdoors Shooting Facility in Swansea. The challenging 15-station course offered a variety of high and low shots that a shooter  might need to make while hunting. After the competition concluded, everyone came together to enjoy a BBQ lunch from the Palmetto Pig.

This year’s competition included teams who shoot sporting clays regularly as well as some experienced shooters who were newer to clay shooting. We were also glad to have staff from several of our WAIT (Wildlife And Industry Together) partner sites join us. The Mid-Carolina Gun Club edged out the Bebber Boys by just one point to win this year’s inaugural event, with the team from Whiting-Turner coming in third place. We hope all the participants were inspired to spend time on the range with fellow shooting sports enthusiasts.

 

An important cause like wildlife conservation has a way of bringing us together, and it was great to see long-time supporters and meet new friends who came out to support our mission. Thank you to all the outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen who participated in and sponsored this fundraiser. Proceeds will directly benefit SCWF’s ongoing conservation efforts, including habitat enhancement, land conservation, and educational programs that teach South Carolinians of all ages how to responsibly enjoy and protect the outdoors.

 

 

Winning teams:

1st Mid-Carolina Gun Club – 306 points

2nd Bebber Boys – 305 points

3rd Whiting-Turner – 239 points

Honorable mention team: National Land Realty/Jim Taylor – 238 points

Highest individual scores:

1st Rich Gadbois, Mid-Carolina Gun Club – 87 points

2nd (tie) Rodney Rained, Mid-Carolina Gun Club – 82 points

               -Matt Bebber, Bebber Boys – 82 points

3rd (tie) Rick Scholz, Mid-Carolina Gun Club – 79 points

               -Tony Bebber, Bebber Boys – 79 points

 

We are especially grateful to our sponsors for helping us increase our impact.

Birds of a Feather Paddle Together

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Thursday, October 2 was an incredible day on the water for our Palmetto Pro Birder Paddle, led by our Industry Habitat Manager and resident bird guru, Jay Keck. From the first push off the bank to the final call through the trees, the day was a reminder of how good it feels to slow down and enjoy nature with others.

 

 

 

We tallied 37 bird species, including favorites like the wood duck, red-headed woodpecker, black-throated green warbler, and a clapper rail.

 

 

We also heard a few species that stayed hidden in the trees, such as pileated woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this fun and rewarding day in the field.

 

 

 

This paddle is part of our Palmetto ProBirder Program, which is at the heart of what we do at the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. By combining outdoor adventure, connection with others, and hands-on learning, we hope to inspire more people to become advocates for healthy wildlife habitats. Each time someone logs a bird sighting, plants a native plant, or supports conservation through a Duck Stamp or donation, it adds up to real and lasting change for the landscapes and species we love. We hope to see you on the next one! Until then, happy birding!

 

 

 

 

 

The 2025 Milkweed for Monarchs Program: a decade of impact in South Carolina

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“One reason this program is valuable is because it is accessible for all residents of our state. Also, because SCWF sends these seeds statewide, we are able to offer monarchs many options along their long journey!”

–Connor Chilton, 2025 Monarchs & Milkweed Program Lead

We are thrilled to announce the successful mailing of 5,000 packets of native milkweed seeds to residents across South Carolina, marking the tenth year of the Milkweed for Monarch’s Program! This program allows residents of our state to sign up to receive packets of free native milkweed seeds (Common, Swamp, & Butterfly Milkweed).

Because monarchs only lay eggs on milkweed plants, they must have native milkweed along their 3,000-mile journey to survive. 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. During this time, these important pollinators have dwindled by almost 97 percent. Native milkweed plants, however, are the key to helping these iconic pollinators thrive.

This program helps SCWF make a statewide impact for monarchs, and we are so grateful to every single person who signs up to receive a seed packet. We recently received some photos from our milkweed seed recipients, and that is one of our favorite parts of this project! If you have any photos of monarchs that you would like to share with us, you can email us at mail@scwf.org.

Thank you to Comporium for sponsoring the 2025 Milkweed for Monarchs Project!

SCWF EcoLeaders: the future of conservation is here!

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SCWF held an EcoLeaders event at Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia on Monday, July 21st, where youth planted 750 native plants for wildlife habitat, installed a nesting box for Eastern bluebirds, and installed four interpretive signs. From start to finish, this was a youth-led event.

SCWF’s Education Assistant, Mason Eslinger, planned and executed this ambitious project. At age 20, Mason is already making an impact for conservation, and we know that his passion will also inspire other young people to get involved in the stewardship and protection of our natural resources.

 

“It is truly a privilege to find myself in a position that can make such profound impacts on not only the environment, but also on communities. This event in particular carried a different gravity to it, having just become an uncle. Being able to hold the “future generations” that I work so hard for allowed me to utilize my renewed sense of purpose on this project. Thank you to all that made something of this magnitude possible and I look forward to watching that little piece of me prosper at Sesqui!” – Mason Eslinger

 

The native plant garden covers approximately 300 linear feet and will be certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. In addition to helping wildlife, these plants will also serve as carbon storage. Carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is a leading cause of climate change and plants are great at taking CO2 out of our atmosphere and storing it in the ground. Click on the “Learn More” button below to see a list of the plants that were planted and how these plants benefit wildlife. The plants for this project were sourced from Charleston Aquatic and Environmental, Creekside Native Grass & Design, and Primitive by Design.

Learn More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Mason for leading this effort! We would also like to thank staff from Sesquicentennial State Park, the Palmetto Trail, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for assisting with this project. 

 

Thank you to the Bloomberg Philanthropies & the City of Columbia for sponsoring this project!

 

 

SCWF holds record-breaking auction in support of wildlife conservation and education

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Thank YOU to every single person who participated in Wild Summer Nights Online auction. You were vital to making this year’s auction our best yet!

This year’s auction was record-breaking, raising $118,044 in support of our education and conservation programs—making it our most successful auction to date! We’re incredibly grateful to all our bidders, sponsors, auction item donors, and to everyone who helped spread the word by sharing our social media posts, forwarding our emails, or telling a friend.

As always, all auction proceeds will support our mission to conserve and restore wildlife right here in SC through education and advocacy. SCWF’s inspirational education classes and events connect people of all ages to nature. We hope you can join us at one – or several – in the coming year! Check out our event page here to see current offerings.

 

 

 

Image Credit: “Sleeping Alligator” by Pamela Tennant.

 

 

 

 

Thank you to all of our sponsors who help us increase our impact for local wildlife!

 

 

Camp Wildwood

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The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is proud to have been one of the sponsors of Camp Wildwood for more than 70 years! This annual event is an outdoor environmental camp that is a fun-filled week during which high school students can experience the many aspects of their natural environment. This year’s Camp was held June 15th through the 21st.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures from this year’s camp show how Camp Wildwood helps the campers to  discover that we are part of nature and everything we do in some way affects the natural balance. At Camp Wildwood, you acquire the knowledge and appreciation needed for the protection and wise use of our natural resources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Camp Wildwood is also sponsored by the Garden Club of South Carolina, Inc., the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund, South Carolina State Parks, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Camp Wildwood is held annually in June at Kings Mountain State Park and you can find out more information about it by visiting https://www.campwildwoodsc.com/.

 

 

WAIT Partner Update: Honda

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For nearly 20 years, Honda’s S.C. Manufacturing (SCM) facility has been committed to wildlife conservation, completing over 175 activities for Wildlife & Industry Together (WAIT), a South Carolina Wildlife Federation program.  From planting and relocating trees to creating food plots and installing birdhouses, wood duck boxes and beehives, we’re helping to enhance biodiversity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In May, SCM teamed up with WAIT for a fishing day event, bringing together youth and SCM associates to fish from the shore of the stocked pond on property while enjoying the great outdoors with family and friends. Participants enjoyed a complimentary lunch, and all youth took home their catch along with door prizes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Honda South Carolian Mfg for this update.

Why WAIT?

SCWF partners with conservation-minded businesses throughout the state who want to help wildlife thrive by enhancing their properties and providing educational opportunities for their employees and communities. Read more about the WAIT Program and how to join here.

2024 – 2025 Scholarship Recipients

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A committee of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation board is proud to announce the selection of the 2024/2025 scholarship recipients. Congratulations to Kejsi Gjini, Christopher Pettengill, and Jada Bollmeyer for their selection as SCWF scholarship winners and to Leah Roberts for being selected for the Nicole Chadwick Memorial Scholarship.

 

 

SCWF is honored to be able to distribute educational grants to full-time students pursuing a degree in any environmental field 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. These scholarships are funded by contributions from generous individual donors in addition to the ongoing support received from these funds:

  •  D. L. Scurry Foundation provides educational scholarship funds for individuals attending colleges, universities and technical schools in South Carolina.
  •  The Riverbanks Conservation Support Fund (CSF) provides financial assistance for conservation oriented projects/programs worldwide that promote preservation of the Earth’s biodiversity.
  • The Nicole Chadwick Memorial Fund honors the legacy of an endangered species biologist who made a long-lasting impact on wildlife conservation in South Carolina.

WAIT Partner Update: Lonza

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I visited Lonza for the first time at their facility in Greenwood, SC, shortly after they joined the WAIT program in 2018. While taking a walk on their nature trail, which passes by some of the 70 acres of mixed hardwood forest that surrounds their property, I forgot that I was still on a property where hundreds of employees worked.

 

 

 

The pollinator garden that was created 7 years ago is still going strong and supports many types of insects and arachnids, which in turn, supports an abundance of native wildlife on the property.

Image caption: The spiny oakworm caterpillar and the walnut sphinx moth caterpillar are both good examples of species that are supported by the mixed hardwood forest on Lonza’s property.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To better connect employees to the outdoors, a courtyard was created to give the employees a safe and natural place to relax and enjoy the fresh air and sunlight the area offers. Two outdoor seating areas, where furniture using recycled materials were used, create additional areas for employees to connect with the outdoors during breaks. A solar powered charger was even installed for employees needing to recharge their devices. With plans to install interpretive nature signs at these outdoor break areas, Lonza’s WAIT team looks to further educate employees about native wildlife and ways to connect with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Lonza for all of your hard work and dedication to wildlife conservation on your property!

 

Why WAIT?

SCWF partners with conservation-minded businesses throughout the state who want to help wildlife thrive by enhancing their properties and providing educational opportunities for their employees and communities. Read more about the WAIT Program and how to join here.

Banner image credit: Ruby-throated hummingbird on salvia by Susan Stamey.

SCWF Partnership Gives Calhoun County Fourth Graders Outdoor Experience

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“I’ve got one! It’s my first fish!” SCWF recently partnered with the Calhoun County Soil and Water Conservation District and Interlaken Wildlife Foundation to engage all fourth graders in Calhoun County in an outdoor experience that included many students catching their first fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four schools in Calhoun county were able to participate in this program allowing fourth graders to learn about aquatic ecology, local wildlife habitat, and even get a chance to catch a fish! Conservation district staff visited the schools to help them prepare for their onsite visit to Interlaken by teaching them how to cast a fishing rod and introducing them to the aquatic habitat.

 

 

During the field trip to Interlaken, SCWF staff and volunteers joined conservation district staff, Interlaken staff, and a wonderful group of supportive volunteers to help these fourth graders have an amazing time in the outdoors. Students were briefed on fishing safety and fish handling and then had the opportunity to try and catch a fish at the pond.

In addition to this, SCWF Midlands Master Naturalists also led students on a nature walk where they learned about many native plant and animal species in the area that they can look for near their home and school. Interlaken also provided a fun wagon ride across the property where they were able to see even more wildlife and plant species.







 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with these incredible organizations as we introduce more students to the outdoors and hopefully spark their interest in conservation.