Keep South Carolina Wild

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POWR Up 23 Launches in Santee

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“Best class”, “learned new stuff”, “awesome instructors”…these are some of the comments from our new POWR Up retreat held at Santee State Park and the surrounding area October 13 – 14, 2023. We were excited to have over 70 participants attend this event!

POWR Up is part of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Palmetto Outdoor Women’s Retreat series. We have recently partnered with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to enhance the POWR program and are thrilled with this new partnership. During the POWR Up event, participants are able to choose three classes that are three hours long for a thorough introduction to the topic. Our volunteer instructors are extremely knowledgeable and patient making POWR Up an incredible experience.


Boating and Trailering was a very popular class that fillled quickly! Participants practised backing the boat into the water, driving the boat on the water, and driving the truck pulling the trailer .

Allie Frierson is pictured holding one of the many bass she caught in Bass Fishing class! She commented, “I learned I had been using the fake worms (soft plastic worms) all wrong. Our instructor, Dearal, showed us some of the best ways to rig them for the greatest chance to catch fish. He said that I ‘made the instructors look good’ since I caught so many fish! Dearal, April, and Scott were wonderful instructors.”

L to R: Ashley Carothers teaching Scouting and Hunting SC. Kayak Fishing class participants enjoyed being out on the water and learning how to manage fishing equipment as well as paddling.

We would not be able to offer this amazing event without the support of our wonderful instructors and supportive sponsors. We want to thank Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Nature Adventure Outfitters, Clemson Sandhills Research Station, Santee Cooper Country, Angling Women, and all of our instructors. These sponsors enabled us to provide a wide variety of activities conducted by a diverse group of expert volunteer instructors. A special thank you is due to the numerous individual volunteers who so willingly donated their time to share their knowledge and expertise. We thank them for their contributions to our event and encourage participants and others to support their businesses.

Event Organizer: BeBe Dalton Harrison

Check out all the great classes that we were able to offer with the help of our volunteer instructors!

Backpacking, Outdoor Photography – Glenn Gardner

Bass Fishing – April and Dearal Rodgers, Scott Faile

Birding – Annette Gibert

Boating and Trailering – Dennetta Dawson, Elise Still, Jim Shelton, Rhett Bissell, Brittney Washington, Ray Lewis

Scouting and Hunting SC – Ashley Carothers

Kayak Paddling – Elizabeth Anderegg, April Childress

Kayak Fishing – Jennifer and Jason Schall

Wilderness Trek, Hiking with a Master Naturalist – Tami Kyre, Jessica Holm

Please check out the pictures below of the classes we were able to offer at this year’s retreat.

Support Staff: Sara Green, Beverley Roberts, Angi Fuller Wildt, Ari Hippensteal, Susan Dalton, Abigail Sharpe, Paula Mills, and Cody Bishop.

It was rewarding for the staff to have the opportunity to see so many participants connect with each other, connect with the outdoors, and gain valuable experience at POWR Up. Building confident, conservation-minded outdoor enthusiasts is what this event is all about and participants definitely fit the bill. One excited participant commented, “Thanks for a great weekend. I can’t wait to come again and try more classes!”


For more information on the POWR series of events, click here . We invite you to join the “Palmetto Outdoors Women” page on Facebook and scwf_powr on Instagram to stay connected to SCWF, each other, and the outdoors.

POWR Up participants and instructors gathered for a photo before the last class!

Harbison Community Litter Sweep

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We are grateful to the 30 volunteers from Capgemini who joined SCWF staff for a litter sweep at Harbison in Irmo, SC on Thursday, October 12th. There are so many areas of our state that could benefit from a litter sweep, and you probably pass by many in your daily life without even realizing it. As Ari Hippensteal, our Community Outreach Manager, commented “This is an area I often go through but never really took the time to see how much litter had accumulated here, once you focus on an area you can really improve it, and once we started going we really made a huge difference to the space.

This was the second litter sweep that Capgemini has done with us! This project was also in partnership with the South Carolina Aquarium. The litter that was removed was recorded on SCWF’s page on the SC Aquarium’s “Litter Free Digital Journal” program. Check out the links below to see the impact of this litter sweep. Much of the litter we picked up would have made its way into our local streams and rivers and would eventually end up in the ocean. Thank you to everyone for making our state a safer and cleaner place for wildlife and people!

https://anecdata.org/posts/view/220470


Capgemini employees with all the litter that removed during this sweep!

Endangered Species Act: The Gopher tortoise

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act! Join us as we highlight species throughout the year that have benefited from this landmark legislation.

Did you know that we have a native tortoise species in South Carolina? The Gopher tortoise is the only species of tortoise found in the southeast and one of only four tortoise species found in the entire U.S.! They dig large underground burrows that hundreds of other animals use for shelter and protection from predators. Gopher tortoises play an important role in the ecosystem as a keystone species, and this makes the protection of this species critical to the entire food web.

Read more about the Gopher tortoise and efforts to protect this species here.

LitterSweep
Image Credit: Gopher tortoise by Renee Bodine.

SCWF Plishing Challenge 2023 Winners Announced

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The overall points leader for fish, Colton Bateman, caught over 200 fish!

“My son and I had so much fun competing against each other on its (the SCWF Plishing Challenge) opening day”, messaged James Bateman, a 2023 Plishing Challenge participant.

SCWF hosted our second annual SCWF Plishing Challenge over the summer of 2023. We shared information about fishing, litter, conservation, best fishing practices, and more with our participants to help them make the most of the challenge and their time on the water. We increased our registrations in the program by about 75% over last year and are excited to see it grow. Nearly 100 bags of litter were removed from our waterways and over 1,200 fish were logged into the challenge, most of which were released.

This initiative was also an opportunity to partner with conservation-minded local organizations and businesses. For example, Wateree Dive Center invited us for their Lake Murray dive cleanup, and Keep the Midlands Beautiful, provided gear for us to do our own litter sweep!

We have been sharing photos and videos of participants and sponsors on our social media channels and have seen wonderful engagement, especially on one of the videos from Palmetto State Armory, one of our major sponsors. We also shared valuable information on litter prevention in South Carolina from another major sponsor, Palmetto Pride. With our product sponsors (including AFTCO and Local Boy) sharing the challenge on their social media, we actually had participants in 14 states this year!

We also want to thank our sponsors South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Angling Women, South Carolina Boating and Fishing Alliance, and Riverwinds Landing. SCWF director of education, BeBe Dalton Harrison shared, “This is truly helping engage anglers to understand safe fish handling, conservation, and habitat protection while keeping casual anglers engaged in fishing fun.

For more information on the SCWF Plishing Challenge and how to be a part of the fun next summer, please contact Harrison at bebe@scwf.org


Banner image credit: Fishing at Myrtle Beach Pier by Ryan McRae.

Wildlife Connections from the Mountains to the Sea

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The first year of “Wildlife Connections from the Mountains to the Sea” program was a success! This unique science-based curriculum, developed by SCWF staff, teaches students how wildlife is intricately linked to their habitats and how South Carolina’s habitats are connected. Students were engaged through hands-on activities, class visits from SCWF education staff, and received take-home materials to encourage outdoor exploration.

We are grateful to the ten upper elementary teachers from Title One schools who participated in this pilot program for the 2022-2023 academic year and to Dominion Energy for their financial support. Teachers around the state applied to participate in this program and applicants were selected based on need and geographic location. Once selected, the teachers attended a virtual meeting with SCWF education staff to introduce them to the kits they would receive, help them understand the activities, and learn what to expect from the program.

The kits that the teachers received contain three hands-on activities for every student related to owls, oysters, and fish, that align with the upper elementary science standards. After the kits were completed by the class, a SCWF education staff member visited the class and made a presentation tying together the lessons learned from these activities.

Students at Whitmire Community School were enthralled by the owl pellet dissection activity. Each student received their own owl pellet to disect.

Students were also provided take-home items including a certificate of completion, multiple field guides, a magnifying glass, reusable zippered tote bags, and other items to encourage outdoor exploration and to inspire them to become future conservationists.

The Fashion a Fish activity, which ties in with the science standards, teaches students about fish adaptations and also allows for creativity.

Please contact BeBe Dalton Harrison, SCWF’s Director of Education, if you would like to apply to be a part of this program in the future. You can email her at mail@scwf.org or call the office at 803-256-0670.

SCWF is able to offer this program completely free of charge thanks to the support of Dominion Energy. Thank you again to the teachers and schools who participated in this year’s program! We look forward to incorporating their feedback as we grow the program.

  • Ashley Williams, Bridge Creek Elementary School
  • Tracy Mitchell, Killian Elementary School
  • J’Nai Whitehead, Jackson Creek Elementary School
  • Michelle Hawkins, Pontiac Elementary School
  • Susan Lester, Gallman Elementary School
  • Huger Caughman, Boundary Street Elementary School
  • Morgan Rhoney, Saluda Elementary School
  • Sabrina Martin, Whitmire Community School
  • Sarah Hobert, Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary School
  • Latonya Hall-Gibson, Conder Elementary School

Project Wild Workshop

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“Oh Deer!”, shouted the instructor as several educators ran across a field recently to find what they needed to survive as a white-tailed deer. This classic activity from Project WILD gives a hands-on demonstration of what white-tailed deer, or any animal for that matter, need to survive in a habitat, which is food, water, shelter, and space. Not only do the educators learn how to carry out this activity, they get valuable background information in an easy to use format for their classes whether it is formal or informal education.

BeBe Dalton Harrison, SCWF Director of Education recently had the pleasure of training the environmental educators of Camp Leopold in Project Wild to help them prepare lesson plans for the many students who receive education through their onsite programs.

Camp Leopold hosts more than 2,500 students on site a year and this workshop provided certification and access to Project WILD and Project Learning Tree programs that are full of educational and fun workshops to be shared with their students! Project Learning Tree is hosted by the South Carolina Forestry Commission who shared this valuable training workshop with SCWF.

Difficult environmental subjects such as habitat fragmentation, food webs, and carrying capacity all have activities associated with them that make these topics easier for studentsy and fun to understand through hands-on lessons that can be done in or outside of the classroom at a variety of different age levels.

To best understand how to run some of these activities, Camp Leopold educators tried them out for themselves! Educators enjoyed their time playing games like “Oh Deer” and took turns teaching activities for the rest of the group. After doing these activities for themselves, educators were able to “debrief” about how to best run them and how they could change them depending on different settings, age ranges, or needs.

Creating these hands-on experiences and out-of-class experiences gives children the opportunity to engage with the environment in fun ways that they will remember and enjoy. A huge thank you to Camp Leopold for all the work they have done and for taking the time to learn a little more to give back to students!


Dove Hunt with Academics Afield Students

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Thank YOU to the South Carolina Wildlife Partnership (SCWP) for facilitating last weekend’s dove hunt with our Academics Afield students from Clemson University. We truly appreciate SCWP working with the landowner who allowed these students to participate in a dove shoot on their property. This group is made up of student “guides” and student “participants” learning to hunt. It was especially nice for those participants who harvested their first dove.




Endangered Species Act: Red Knot

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act! Join us as we highlight species throughout the year that have benefited from this landmark legislation.

Red knots are listed as federally threatened, and have had an 87% decline since the year 2000. These amazing birds fly more than 18,600 miles during their annual migration. SC’s coast plays a significant role as a stopover site for the birds to rest and recharge during their trip. Red knots have a special link to horseshoe crabs because they depend on their eggs for food during migtation stopover. Their journey of 9,300 miles each spring and each fall makes the red knot one of the longest-distance migrants in the animal kingdom.

You can read more about the symbiotic connection between red knots and horseshoe crabs here.

jenion
Image Credit: Migrating Red Knots by Jenion Tyson.

Don’t Buy into The October Lull by Alex Killman

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Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for conservation – all through hunting.

There are few misconceptions more common in the world of deer hunting than the October Lull. Ask 10 field-edge-hunting, rifle-toting deer hunters about hunting in early- to-mid-October, and you’ll likely hear from several of them to stay home. But within the mobile hunting community, October is seen as one of the absolute best times to tag a buck, or any deer for that matter. But why do so many people feel that there is a lull in deer movement in the month of October? It’s because much of the conventional deer hunting wisdom has been passed down through the generations by rifle hunters overlooking feeders or food plots. And from that perspective, they are right. There is an extremely noticeable lull in activity within open areas. But back in the timber, things really start heating up in October.

Why There Is a Lull in Fields, Food Plots, and Feeders

The lull in activity seen in fields, food plots, and around feeders boils down to one word – acorns. Acorns begin falling around mid-September and extend into October as well. Acorns, particularly white oak acorns, are one of the whitetail’s most preferred foods. It doesn’t matter how green and palatable a food plot is. When acorns start falling, sightings in that plot are going to drastically reduce.

Why Deer Prefer Acorns

It’s easy to see why deer who only have natural browse to munch on would want to switch it up when acorns fall, but why would deer leave easy-to-access corn or planted brassicas? It’s because of the nutrient makeup of acorns. Acorns are extremely nutrient-dense, being full of protein, carbs, fats, and minerals. These nutrients are vital for deer as they begin preparing for breeding and winter.

Science Busted the Myth

One could possibly argue that just because deer are feeding on acorns, it doesn’t mean it makes for good hunting. And that’s true, but there’s also something else at play. Daytime deer movement, as well as the hormonal changes that bring on the breeding season, is controlled primarily by photoperiod. Photoperiod is the amount of daylight present in a 24-hour period. As the breeding season approaches, there is more daylight with each day that passes, and studies have proven that daylight buck movement increases throughout the month of October, hitting its peak during the Rut in November. So, there’s no denying that there is more daylight buck movement in October, and their movement revolves around acorns for the first half of the month.

Not All Acorns Are Created Equal

White oak acorns are by far the most desirable to deer. The reason is in their low level of tannins. Tannins are responsible for the bitter taste in acorns. But different species of oaks have different levels of tannins. As you move from white oaks to red oaks, the tannin levels increase drastically. For that reason, red oak acorns are some of the least desirable to whitetails. So, if you’re planning on hunting an oak flat, make sure it’s not full of red oaks or pin oaks, which are in the red oak family, or you might not get the show you’re looking for. It’s important to study oak tree bark and leaves to be able to determine which varieties you find while afield.

Pre-Rut in October

As said before, October is leading up to the November Rut, but it doesn’t just all of a sudden kick off from 0 to 100. Things begin really ramping up during the last 10 days of October. Bucks begin thinking less about food and more about does, chasing them later and later into the mornings. Some of the best hunting takes place the last 10 days in October when bucks move more in daylight looking for does, but are still traveling within their home range before the Rut has them wandering like nomads.

How To Be Successful in October


o, we’ve covered the fact that October provides some of the best hunting of the year, but what’s the best plan for a successful October? Don’t plan on hunting the same ol’ field edges. Prepare to drop back in the timber, hunting over white oaks near thicker cover. Both does and bucks will be primarily feeding on acorns the first half of October, and as the Pre-Rut comes around, the bucks will be traveling more during daylight hours, smelling does and having little sparring sessions with each other. Locating white oaks on the sides of ridges where deer can easily escape to cover is a great strategy. Just make sure of one thing – those trees are holding acorns. Not all trees produce every year and not every year produces a good crop. But if you can find a tree that holds a lot of acorns, using binoculars to verify, you may just be in the money. You just need to plan a good entry and exit route that will allow you to come and go without bumping deer.

And as the Pre-Rut kicks off and you start to see bucks getting more interested in does, it’s time to sit those funnels and pinch points where you know deer have to travel through to get to their favorite feeding spots or doe bedding areas. October is also the best time to start hunting mornings, as daylight buck movement tends to be a little higher in the mornings with the Rut looming and temps typically being lower.

Don’t Stay Home

I hope I’ve illustrated the importance of getting mobile in October and finding those hidden white oaks that the deer in your area won’t be able to stay away from. My first bow buck came on a brisk October 8th morning. It wasn’t over a feeder or food plot. It came underneath oaks as that buck fed back toward a bedding area. It was an eye-opening experience and one that I’ve heard of many times from other hunters. So, don’t stay home in October. Find the acorns and hunt them smart.

On a POWR Trip by Sara Green

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Published in the Chapin Magazine on September 6, 2023 here.


As the sun rises over Lake Thurmond in McCormick County, SC, I hear excited chatter from the 200 women at breakfast. They are exchanging stories about the classes they took yesterday, and what’s on their schedule for today. Debbie mentions how patient her instructor was in helping her step into a kayak for the first time, and how quickly she learned to maneuver the boat. At the next table, Jasmine excitedly tells her friends that she successfully hit a moving balloon with an arrow during archery class! Nearby, Susan and Rebecca fidget with their cameras, and discuss questions they will ask their Nature Photography instructor later that morning. I hear a little nervousness in Emma’s voice as she talks about heading off to her Boating & Trailering class, but also anticipation to learn a new skill and have more confidence next time she’s at the boat ramp.

As the 8am class time approaches, ladies start to head in various directions to their classes, toting binoculars, yoga mats, water bottles, towels…their tools for the day. Even our staff- the South South Carolina Wildlife Federation employees- get to participate; either leading or taking classes. This day has become one of our favorite days of the year.

For more than 20 years, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) event called the “Women’s Outdoor Retreat” has been an extremely popular event to introduce participants to several different outdoor skills in a comfortable setting with like-minded women. While each class at the Retreat focuses on a particular skill or recreational activity, all of the classes together leave the participants with a greater understanding and appreciation of their natural world and a desire to get active outdoors and do their part to conserve natural resources for future generations to enjoy. This message helps to achieve the SCWF mission: to conserve and restore South Carolina’s wildlife and wildlife habitat through education and advocacy.

The Retreat generally has about 200 women in attendance, and about 50 volunteer instructors and event staff. Ages of participants typically range from 16-80, with the average participant aged 55. Approximately half of the women have attended more than 1 event, with many attending 10 or more. The other half are new to our program, and newer to outdoor recreation in general. The SCWF has significant demand for this program, and registration typically fills up in just a matter of hours! In response to this demand, this year’s event is being transformed and expanded into an entire series and re-named as the “Palmetto Outdoor Women’s Retreats” or “POWR.”




The POWR program series has been designed to introduce women to the outdoors in a relaxed environment with knowledgeable instructors, and then also provide additional learning and fellowship opportunities, in an effort to make the introductory experiences become lifelong activities.

During the main POWR event in the spring, participants are introduced to up to 8 activities, such as archery, kayaking, outdoor photography, birding, shotguns, fishing, paddleboarding, hunting, knot tying, fish cooking and cleaning, habitat enhancement, and more. Participants learn the basics of getting started and actually get to try the experience. In some cases, participants will enjoy it and move on to the next skill, but in some cases, the experience will lead them to want to learn more about that specific topic. For example, one participant took the Introduction to Hunting class and was inspired to then register for a women’s deer hunt hosted by our state Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). This experience along with countless others led us to create additional opportunities for women to explore the topics they want to learn more about in a more intensive and immersive setting.

“POWR Up” is a two-day event in the fall with 3 in-depth class sessions. The fall 2023 event in Santee features classes on: Backpacking, Bass Fishing, Kayaking, Kayak Fishing, Nature Photography, Pine Needle Basketry, and more


“POWR+” classes are day-long intensive events focused on one particular skill, and they are held throughout the year at different locations across the state. Recent POWR+ classes included Inshore Fishing, Boating & Trailering, Sporting Clays, Dove Hunting, and Fly-Fishing. Heather told us that the Fly-Fishing class was one of the best days of her life!

SCWF has also created a Facebook group (Palmetto Outdoor Women) to foster ongoing fellowship and exchange of ideas and experiences. Research has shown that connecting to like-minded people in a social setting, specifically during outdoor activities, ensures ongoing participation. Several scholarships for the spring POWR event will be available for women underrepresented in the outdoors to learn new skills and make connections for future outdoor recreation opportunities.

In years past, at the end of the retreat, many participants come by the registration table to thank the staff, tell how great their classes were, and to ask about dates for future events. It’s a very rewarding time for staff members who have spent so many hours planning and coordinating the event. Participants express the desire to bring friends, daughters, or mothers next time. (Fun is almost always more fun with more people.) We hear of plans to buy kayaks, backpacks, tents, or fishing rods…. These women want to continue practicing their new skills, and that is exactly what the SCWF hopes will happen. Now, with even more opportunities to learn and hone these skills in the future, the learning won’t end.

Whether it is with us at a POWR event, or on your own, we at the SCWF encourage you all to go outside and play. In the words of John Muir, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” Time spent in nature has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, and South Carolina has a treasure-trove of amazingly beautiful places to visit and extremely diverse wildlife to see. We hope that each of your walks with nature will inspire you to take action to preserve wildlife and their habitat for future generations to also enjoy.

Registration is open now for upcoming POWR events here.