Join Jay Keck, SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager, for a Pro Birder Paddle on a beautiful, secluded cove on the northwest side of Lake Murray! We will be on the lookout for species such as the belted kingfisher, red-headed woodpecker, yellow-billed cuckoo, black-throated blue warbler, Tennessee warbler. This paddle is limited to six guests, so register early to secure your spot.
Image Credit: Tennessee warbler by Rusty Wilson.
Where: Prosperity (Crayne’s Landing)
When: Thursday, October 2nd from 7 am -11 am. (Rain Date – October 3rd.)
Who: This training is open to the public. No prior knowledge is required. Minimum age is 16. This training will count for one day toward Palmetto Pro Birder certification (8 days needed total).
Jay Keck
Jay has been a passionate nature and bird lover since his early teens. He lives in Chapin, SC with his wife and two boys, and has identified 95 bird species in his yard in three years, as well as 160 species in Lexington county since moving back in September of 2013. He has viewed birds in Spain, Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica, as well as many areas in SC from the mountains to the coast. Being inspired by SCWF’s mission, he earned his Palmetto Pro Birder certification, and has led bird walks for SCWF as well as Saluda Shoals park, Columbia Audubon, and private organizations. Even when he is golfing, hunting, or fishing, he is secretly birding. At SCWF, Jay coordinates the Wildlife And Industry Together (WAIT) program as well as leading birding classes for the Palmetto Pro Birder & Midlands Master Naturalist programs.
Other Important Notes:
• If available, please bring binoculars & your favorite field guide to Eastern birds.
• After registering, you will receive important correspondence via email. If you change your email between now and then, make sure to notify us.
Cost: The cost is $100.00 per person and limited to the first 6 people that register.
IMPORTANT: Participants should be in good physical shape for this paddle.
Featured Image Credit: Black-throated blue warbler by Graham Norman.
Calling all birders! You are invited to join Jay Keck, SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager, for a Palmetto Pro Birder class at Saluda Shoals in Irmo. Since it will be during fall migration, we are hoping to see species such as magnolia warblers, chestnut-sided warblers, American redstarts, cape may warblers, and swainson’s thrush. This class is limited to 8 people, so please sign up now if you are interested!
Where: Saluda Shoals in Irmo, SC
When: Monday, October 6th from 7:15 am -11:15 am. (Rain Date – October 7th)
Who: This training is open to the public. No prior knowledge is required. Minimum age is 16. This training will count for one day toward Palmetto Pro Birder certification (8 days needed total).
This class will be led by Jay Keck, SCWF Industry Habitat Manager.
Jay Keck
Jay has been a passionate nature and bird lover since his early teens. He lives in Chapin, SC with his wife and two boys, and has identified 95 bird species in his yard in three years, as well as 160 species in Lexington county since moving back in September of 2013. He has viewed birds in Spain, Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica, as well as many areas in SC from the mountains to the coast. Being inspired by SCWF’s mission, he earned his Palmetto Pro Birder certification, and has led bird walks for SCWF as well as Saluda Shoals park, Columbia Audubon, and private organizations. Even when he is golfing, hunting, or fishing, he is secretly birding. At SCWF, Jay coordinates the Wildlife And Industry Together (WAIT) program as well as leading birding classes for the Palmetto Pro Birder & Midlands Master Naturalist programs.
Other Important Notes:
• If available, please bring binoculars & your favorite field guide to Eastern birds.
• After registering, you will receive important correspondence via email. If you change your email between now and then, make sure to notify us.
Cost: The cost is $75.00 per person and limited to the first 8 people that register.
IMPORTANT: Participants should be in good physical shape. Birding involves a lot of standing, and we may cover some distance in our field work.
Image Credit: Magnolia Warbler, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Get ready for a fantastic class on caterpillars, butterflies, and other insects on Thursday, September 11th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at College of Charleston’s Stono Preserve.
Dr. David Coyle will talk about all things Lepidoptera (fancy talk for moths and butterflies) before we begin exploring the native trees, shrubs, and perennials in search of caterpillars. Some species we might find include: the Stinging Rose caterpillar, the Monkey Slug, and the Saddleback, among others. As fall migratory bird season will have just started, Jay Keck, SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager and our in-house bird guy, will also be on site to identify any of the birds feasting on caterpillars during the class.
Dr. David Coyle
SCWF Industry Habitat Manager, Jay Keck.
Time: September 11th from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Rain date, Sept 12th.
Price: $75
There are only 12 spots available, so please sign up quickly if you are interested!
Get ready for a fantastic class on caterpillars, butterflies, and other insects on Thursday, September 4th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Clemson Botanical Garden.
Dr. David Coyle will talk about all things Lepidoptera (fancy talk for moths and butterflies) before we begin exploring the native trees, shrubs, and perennials in search of caterpillars. Some species we might find include: the Stinging Rose caterpillar, the Monkey Slug, and the Saddleback, among others.
As fall migratory bird season will have just started, Jay Keck, SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager and our in-house bird guy, will also be on site to identify any of the birds feasting on caterpillars during the class.
Dr. David CoyleJay Keck, SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager
Location: SC Botanical Garden
Time: September 4th from 9am – 12pm. Rain date, Sept 5th.
Price: $75
There are only 12 spots, so please sign up quickly if you are interested!
Join SCWF Education Assistant, Mason Eslinger, for a guided 2-mile hike in the depths of Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve from 8:00 am to 11:30 am on Saturday, August 23rd. In addition to tree identification, we will explore some of the South Carolina’s most prominent flora, what makes them special, and why they are important to us. We will touch on a variety of fauna and how they utilize different trees, the difference between loblolly pines and longleaf pines, and why deer favor a white oak over a red oak.
This class is full! Please add yourself to the waiting list here.
Ladies, if you have a fear of guns, misunderstanding of guns, or a general curiosity about handguns, then this is the class for you! The POWR+ Handgun Orientation class is for women who have little to no experience with handguns but a desire to learn about the safety, handling, and techniques that are required to properly handle and shoot a handgun. Most of this class is based in a classroom setting with some live fire on the range. SCWF staff will also present about wildlife that can be seen on the range and participants will receive photos of themselves after the event.
Our instructors are DNR Law Enforcement professionals with handgun training and an expertise in this field. This class IS NOT a CWP class, but rather a pre-CWP class.
Lunch will be provided but please bring any other personal items you might need (sunscreen, water, etc.). We provide an array of handguns and ammunition, although you can bring your own handgun if you choose, but you will have to provide your own ammunition.
This is a fun, low stress class that will teach you what you need to know going forward in the sporting field, hunting environment or CWP training.
This is a POWR+ event. Due to the demand for our Palmetto Outdoors Women Retreat (POWR), we have added (+) one-day workshops across the state. POWR+ events are open to all women whether you have attended the retreat or not.
The cost of this class is $100 and will be limited to 15 participants, so sign up now if you are interested!
Thanks to funding from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, all those who participate will receive:
Orange/camo Richardson hat
A safety vest
Ear/eye protection.
Please note that you must be 18 to participate in this class.
Calling all conservationists! Do you want to make a direct impact on the conservation of South Carolina’s natural resources? Do you want to help protect our state’s beautiful natural areas? If so, then please use the link below to sign up to volunteer for SCWF’s EcoLeaders program at Sesquicentennial State Park in Columbia, SC. This event will be held on Monday, July 21st from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Participants will be planting native plants for wildlife habitat and pollinators. This new native plant garden will then be certified by the National Wildlife Federation.
Did you know that planting native plants not only has a significant positive impact for native wildlife species, but it also serves 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, which is very beneficial to soil and wildlife.
Please be prepared for a full day outside. We recommend bringing a hat, plenty of water, sunscreen, and bug spray. SCWF will provide snacks and lunch.
Thank you to the Bloomberg Philanthropies & the City of Columbia for sponsoring this project!
Please join us for us on Friday, July 25th for an arachnid-filled adventure at Dreher Island State Park with Dr. Robert Wolff, professor of Science and Health Science at South University Columbia.
This unique walk will begin at 7:30 pm and will focus on finding spiders by looking for their eyeshine as we explore the park with headlamps at night. The class will conclude at approximately 10:00 pm. Dr. Wolff has spent most of his life studying spiders, and will identify and discuss the different spider species we’ll find in the park. The shores of Lake Murray are known for their abundance of spiders, so it should be an action-packed night! Jay Keck, SCWF bird guy, will also be attending to assist with critter identification, and to overcome his own fear of spiders. So, if you’d like to learn more about spiders from an expert, or instead would simply like to make fun of Jay and his irrational fear of spiders, please sign up quickly to reserve your spot! We’ll be limiting this to ten participants in order to provide a quality learning experience for all!
Class Date: July 25. Rain date July 26.
Image Credit: Hanging on the Web by David Armstrong.
Beat the heat this summer by joining us on Saturday, July 12th from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at the Water for Wildlife Workshop. This is a fun, interactive, and educational workshop where you will learn about the importance of providing water for wildlife and the variety of ways to add water sources to your own yard, garden, or greenspace. Plus, learn how you can get your yard certified as a Certified Wildlife Habitat and make your own bee waterer to take home to help wildlife in your own yard!
Participants will also see a rain barrel demonstration and learn about water conservation and watershed protection from a Water Resources Agent with Sumter County’s Clemson Extension Service and Sumter Soil and Water.
Be sure to register each participant; up to six family members can be registered at once!
Camp Wildwood is a fun-filled week during which high school students can experience the many aspects of their natural environment. It is a place 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.
Camp Wildwood is a place for learning self reliance, self discipline and independence in an outdoors setting. It is a place to build self confidence in relationships with adults and peers, and a place to learn how to cooperate within a group. It is also a place to learn about the diversity of our natural resources and how many career choices there are in the environmental field. Scholarships are available through SCWF – inquire for more information to BeBe Dalton Harrison, SCWF Director of Education.
