Students learn identification skills, ecological concepts, and natural history of the plants, animals, and ecosystems encountered. Students will see how this knowledge can be applied to manage for wildlife and to ensure that human impacts on our Earth are sustainable. Through the established connections, participants will develop the skills necessary to become lifelong students of nature and environmental volunteers in their community.
12 classes are held during each session, beginning March 7, meeting every Friday through May 23. Classes generally begin at 9:00 am at varying locations around the Midlands. Ending times may vary depending on the field trip, but generally between 1:00-3:00 pm. Classes will be held rain or shine.
Join SCWF for a Sporting Clays Competition fundraiser on Friday, October 17th, where your four-person team can compete for awards and bragging rights. Teams must register by October 10, 2025 to join us on the range.
Event Schedule
Registration 9am
Tournament 10am-12:30pm
Lunch 12:30pm-1pm
Awards 1pm
Registration for your 4-person team is $500. Individual registrations are $125. Team sponsorships are also available.
Fee includes one golf cart per team, 100 targets per shooter, and a bbq lunch from Palmetto Pig. Participants should bring their own gun, ammunition, and hearing and eye protection (required). Maximum shot size is 7.5. The facility has some guns available to rent for $20. Ammunition is available for approximately $40.
Sponsorships
All sponsorships will receive logo recognition at the event and on all digital marketing shared with our 47,000+ supporters and followers. Sponsorship deadline is October 12, 2025.
$500 Station Sponsorships – 8 available (includes 1 non-participant representative per station)
$1,000 Team Sponsorships – 6 available (includes one 4-person team registration)
$1,500 Lunch & Awards Sponsorship – 1 available (includes one 4-person team registration and the opportunity to provide a giveaway)
Join other like-minded outdoors women and take part in this incredible fly fishing experience in upstate South Carolina on Friday, April 4, from 9 am to 3 pm. This event is designed for women to connect with each other and feel confident on the water. All levels are welcome and space is limited. We will have several instructors for those who need a refresher but experienced anglers will be able to hit the water upon arrival with an experienced guide. Having your own gear is encouraged but not required.
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.
To ensure a quality experience for all, space is strictly limited to 10 participants. Classes fill quickly, register today! After registration, you will receive an email with directions and other details pertinent to the class.
Check out pictures from the 2023 Fly Fishing event here.
Location: The meeting location is Chattooga River Fly Shop; 6832-A Highlands Hwy, Mountain Rest, SC 29664.
Cost: The cost is $100 per person and limited to the first 10 people that register.
This winter module will take us to the “ends of the earth”-well almost–at least as far as South Carolina is concerned! We will visit the Palmetto State’s ACE Basin where birds abound in one of the east coast’s premiere birding areas. We’ll concentrate on wintering waterfowl and the wetlands they require. The Bear Island and Donnelley WMAs are featherful destinations that should not be missed!
287 bird species have been recorded on eBird at Bear Island, with Donnelley close behind at 264. Along with waterfowl, many types of songbirds, birds of prey, shorebirds, herons, ibis, and even Tundra Swans should be seen. Come join us for these spectacular days in the field at two of the birdiest properties in our state!
Image Credit: American avocet by Vance Solseth.
Where: Bear Island Wildlife Management Area off of Bennetts Point Road. Specific directions will be sent to participants after registration.
When: Saturday, February 15th from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm.
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). For SC Master Naturalists, this event can count as Advanced Training and towards your statewide certification if you need a Coastal component. Lunch will last 30 minutes on Saturday, so depending on when we finish, this class will count for approximately 7.5 hours of training. If you are not a Pro Birder or Master Naturalist, just come have fun with us.
This class will be led by Irvin Pitts, SCWF Outdoor Academy Instructor, and Jay Keck, SCWF Industry Habitat Manager.
Irvin Pitts
Irvin retired from a career with the South Carolina State Park Service where he served as Parks Biologist and Chief of Resource Management. Prior to that, he worked at Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks as park naturalist. Irvin retired from a career with the South Carolina State Park Service where he served as Parks Biologist and Chief of Resource Management. Prior to that, he worked at Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks as park naturalist.
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.
• Restrooms are available, and pink and blue bushes are along the trail…
• Participants should bring a bag lunch for Saturday, plenty of water and be prepared for a day in the field. Entire event will be held outdoors.
• There is no rain date for this event. We will make every effort to hold it, even in a few rain showers. If it looks like a deluge, we’ll notify you of cancellation and refund your money.
• 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 20 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.
PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU CAN HANDLE THESE CONDITIONS.
Calling all local artists! The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is launching our fifth statewide art contest to design the menu art for our 2025 Forks, Knives, & Spoonbills conservation dinner series. For these events, SCWF partners with local chefs throughout the state to create culinary dining experiences themed around imperiled wildlife species.
The winner of the art contest will have their art featured on each menu of the dinner series. The first dinner is scheduled for March.
Local artists are encouraged to submit an image file of their design that includes all six of the wildlife species that will be featured in the 2025 dinner series (see below).
Please see below for this year’s featured species.
1. Roseate Spoonbill: Increasing after almost disappearing from the US in the early 1900’s.
South Carolina’s only pink bird, some people confuse it with a Flamingo at first sight. The color comes from the foods they eat, which include crustaceans, and other aquatic invertebrates, though they’ll also eat fish. The bill is long and flat and wide at the end, similar to a wooden spoon one would use in the kitchen while cooking. It’s a coastal bird that has increased its population in SC after almost being hunted to extinction in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Image Credit: Roseate Spoonbill by Gretchen Locy.
2. Cerulean Warbler: 50-year decline of 63%
This species can be found in the Appalachian mountains in large tracts of forests with tall trees. Unfortunately habit like this in the US has declined, but wintering habitat has also declined, contributing to its significant reduction in population. One of the mnemonics for this bird is “burr, burr, burr, I’m gonna freeze!”, which helps one find the bird while traveling along the Blue-Ridge Parkway during early summer. The male has a bright blue back with a blue neck band and black streaking on its sides.
Image Credit: Cerulean Warbler by Craig Williams
3. American Redstart: Population is declining in the US but increasing in Canada.
This bright orange, black, and white bird can take people by surprise when it’s first seen. Often called the “Halloween bird” because of its coloration, it is rarely seen on October 31st, as most have flown back to their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central and South America. Though they feed on insects during the breeding season, they include fruits and berries in their diet during late summer.
Image Credit: American Redstart by Peggy Lucas.
4. Golden-crowned Kinglet: 50-year decline of 32%
This energetic and beautiful bird visits SC in the winter time when many of the other colorful songbirds have left for the tropics. The two black lines on the top of its head border a lemon-yellow crest that it can raise and drop depending on its mood. Though small, these birds are tough, and have been seen wintering in areas where nighttime temperatures can reach -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Image Credit: Golden-crowned kinglet by Gina Sanders.
5. Belted Kingfisher: 50-year decline of 38%
These widespread stocky birds have a shaggy blue crest on their large heads. The male and female both have a blue breast band, but only the females have the rusty band on their belly. It can be found throughout the state in lakes, marshes, swamps, ponds, and many other wet areas that have an abundance of aquatic food. Fish, crayfish, and other aquatic animals are usually on its menu. These long-distanced wanderers have even been seen in Iceland, the Azores, Greenland, the Netherlands, and even Hawaii.
Image credit: Belted Kingfisher by Kailey Bugarin.
6. Canada Warbler: 50-year decline of 62%
Canada Warbler males are steely grey on the back and bright yellow below, with a dark black “necklace”. They travel 3,000 miles to the US and Canada from their wintering grounds in Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Peru. You can find them breeding in shrubs, ferns, or rhododendrons, below the forest canopy in the Appalachian mountains of the Southeast.
Image credit: Adult female or immature male Canada Warbler by Anna Hodgkins.
Eligibility
Artists must be residents of South Carolina; there is no age restriction or registration fee. Artwork must contain all of the species represented in the 2025 dinner series. SCWF employees or board members or their immediate family members are not eligible.
Sizing: Artwork submitted can be vertically or horizontally oriented. The design will be printed on a card that is 5.5” wide x 8.5” long.
Judging
The judges are made up of the SCWF staff. Decisions of the judges are final. Notification will be sent by e-mail after judging is complete.
Prizes
The winner’s art will be featured on the menus of the 2025 Spoonbills dinner events. They will also have a choice of accepting a $100 cash prize or two tickets to one of the dinner events ($300 value).
Note regarding event tickets: There is a vegan option available at each event. Alcohol is included with the meal, so all attendees must be at least 21 years of age.
Dates
Entries must be postmarked or emailed no later than 11:59 pm on February 19th. Winners will be notified by March 3rd. All art submitted will be posted online.
Where to Send Entries:
Send via email to: mail@scwf.org. Questions? Contact SCWF at (803) 256-0670.
Join SCWF and the SC Conservation Coalition, a statewide alliance of over 40 conservation organizations, on Tuesday, February 25th for our 22nd annual Lobby Day at the State House and Oyster Roast at 701 Whaley Street!
Be a part of making an impact at the State House while networking and celebrating conservation with fellow volunteers, staff, and elected officials. There is typically an information session beforehand to learn about the current bills, and then time spent lobbying at the State House in the morning, but the schedule is based on the legislative calendar. The oyster roast will be held that evening. Please dress comfortably for a day of walking and standing. Most people will be in business attire.
You are invited to drop in and visit! This is a great chance to start your holiday shopping early, and enjoy light refreshments while chatting with our staff. Check out our merchandise page to see which items you would like to purchase for yourself or the outdoor enthusiasts in your life! Choose from bird nesting boxes, bird-friendly coffee, wildlife books, SCWF hats, habitat and garden signs, and much more!
Join us for a day of birding at Huntington Beach State Park, rated as the top eBird hotspot in South Carolina. We will sample the many habitats of the park, including salt marsh, tidal creeks and flats, maritime woods, brackish ponds, and the beach. If tides and conditions permit, we will hike to the jetty (a three mile round trip). Over the years, a significant number of rarities have been reported at the jetty, including common eider, long-tailed duck, purple sandpiper, black guillemot and others. Our focus will be on wintering birds and we hope to see waterfowl, including scoters, rails, piping plover and other shorebirds, gulls, terns, horned grebe, common loon, red-throated loon, northern gannet and others. We will also seek the park’s many songbirds, placing a special focus on wintering sparrows. In addition, we will discuss the various conservation measures the park has taken and how they impact these coastal birds.
This module will require a significant amount of walking and participants should bring water and a packed lunch. Snack food is available in the park store. A park entrance fee is required.
Where: Huntington Beach State Park. Meet in the state park office parking lot.
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). For SC Master Naturalists, this event can count as Advanced Training and towards your statewide certification. If you are not a Pro Birder or Master Naturalist, just come have fun with us.
This class will be led by Irvin Pitts, SCWF Outdoor Academy Instructor, and Jay Keck, SCWF Industry Habitat Manager.
Irvin Pitts
Irvin retired from a career with the South Carolina State Park Service where he served as Parks Biologist and Chief of Resource Management. Prior to that, he worked at Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks as park naturalist. Irvin retired from a career with the South Carolina State Park Service where he served as Parks Biologist and Chief of Resource Management. Prior to that, he worked at Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks as park naturalist.
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.
Restrooms are available, and pink and blue bushes are along the trail…
The rain date for this event is December 6th.
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 15 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.
BEFORE REGISTERING FOR THIS EDUCATION EVENT, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS. CLICKING THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO CONTINUE REGISTRATION INDICATES YOUR AGREEMENT WITH THESE TERMS. PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU CAN HANDLE THESE CONDITIONS.
SCWF reserves the right to cancel any event, due to unforeseen circumstances, extreme weather, low registration, or guidance from local/state officials. Any cancellation by SCWF will result in a full refund for all registrants.
Cost: The cost is $100.00 per person and limited to the first 15 people that register.