Have you recently learned to fish? Are you a lifelong angler? Either way, you are in the right spot! PLISHING is a combination of the Swedish phrase “plocka upp”, meaning (litter) pick up, and fishing! Join our challenge and, as you set out on your fishing adventures, you can log your fish as well as litter you pick up and dispose of properly. Each fish caught, fish released, and bag of litter collected can earn you prizes (in addition to enjoying the outdoors and practicing conservation!) Click here to get started!
Ladies! You are invited to join Captain Tanya Dowdy for an Inshore Fishing Day at Nemours Wildlife Foundation from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. This incredible property is located just south of Charleston, near the ACE Basin.
The cost of this event is $100 and will be limited to 10 participants, so sign up now if you are interested!
To join the wait list, please click on the button below.
We are thrilled to offer this year’s POWR (Palmetto Outdoors Women’s Retreat) at Hickory Knob State Park this year! This event is designed for women to experience nature and outdoor recreation with like-minded ladies in a non-competitive environment.
Archery, nature hikes, kayaking, and fishing are just a few of the 20 classes to choose from. Participants will have the opportunity to select up to 8 classes and be introduced to many outdoor activities.
LOCATION: POWR will be held at Hickory Knob State Park and resort. (1591 Resort Drive, McCormick, SC 29835)
AGE GUIDELINES: Open to females age 16 and older (no maximum age). Girls ages 16-18 must be accompanied by responsible adult – no supervision will be provided.
Cost: $175, which includes the retreat classes and a t-shirt. *Optional meal plan: $115. Lodging arrangements must be made separately. *Meal plan includes pre-payment for Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Sunday breakfast. If you don’t choose the meal plan, you may eat at the restaurant for whichever meals you choose, and will need to pay the cashier after each meal.
DATES/TIMES: October 23rd-25th, 2026. POWR will open for check-in at 11:00 am on Friday. The first class begins at 1:30 pm on Friday, and the last class concludes Sunday at noon.
TENTATIVE CLASS LIST:
Archery
Backyard Wildlife Habitat
Birding
Boating And Trailering
Eco-Hiking
Fish Cleaning & Cooking
Freshwater Fishing
Intro To Deer Hunting
Kayaking Intro
Lake Thurmond Paddle
Low Ropes
Map & Compass Reading
Nature Crafts
Nature Spa
Pine Needle Basketry
Self Defense
Skeet Shooting
Yoga
REGISTRATION PROCESS: Registration button is below, and is opening on June 24th at 12pm! Each participant must register separately. After registration, participants will receive a unique code to reserve their room at Hickory Knob State Park and Resort. Campsites are also available. A separate class selection email will be sent out at a later date to all registered participants.
EVENT REGISTRATION REFUNDS: 90% of registration, t-shirt & meal plan fees will be refunded when requested in writing or by email on or before October 11th. 50% of registration fees will be refunded if requested after that date.
Thank you to our partners and sponsors!
The Retreat is presented by the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. We are especially grateful to our sponsors, Comporium, SC Department of Natural Resources, Fish America Foundation, Zman, Barron’s Outfitters, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the BassPro/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. These partnerships enable us to provide a wide variety of activities conducted by a diverse group of expert instructors. A special thank you is due to the numerous individual volunteers who so willingly donate their time to share their knowledge and expertise.
What is that bird? What kind of tree is this? Can we go fishing? Parents, do you get these questions all summer once school is out? We’ve got you covered! Register today for the South Carolina Wildlife Federation’s second annual Families Exploring Nature Day in Lexington, South Carolina!
Join our staff on a leisurely nature walk, learn the basics of fishing and try your luck in the pond, and make a take home item for your backyard habitat. This event will run from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM and registration is only $10 per person! Come explore with us!
Banner Image Credit: Little Birder by Amanda Johnson
This is our favorite fundraiser because it truly has something for everyone. Whether you are planning your next vacation, event, outdoor adventure, or are looking for a uniquely wonderful gift, you will enjoy bidding on a variety of items for a great cause! All proceeds support our mission to conserve and restore wildlife and habitat through education and advocacy.
If you would like to donate an item or experience, please use the Make an Item Donation button below.
If you would like to be a sponsor, read on for options!
The 2026 auction has a fundraising goal of $100,000, and we need your support to reach this goal!
Sponsorship options:
Presenting, $2,500: featured logo ads & top billing on auction site, event webpage, and pressreleases.
Full, $1,500: featured logo ads and top billing on the auction website and top billing on the event webpage.
Half, $750: logo ads and listing on the auction website and event webpage.
Quarter, $375: name listing on the event webpage.
Share your support of wildlife and habitat conservation with our 46,000+ supporters and followers!
This class is full! Please add yourself to the waiting list here.
Join other like-minded outdoors women and take part in this incredible fly fishing experience in upstate South Carolina on Friday, April 17, 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.
South Carolina Wildlife Federation is sponsoring our 23rd Annual Wildlife Photography Contest. Send us your best photographs that capture the natural beauty of South Carolina’s wildlife and their habitats – in your own backyard or anywhere in the state. You can check out the blog about last year’s contest here.
CONTEST CATEGORIES:
Carolina Critters
This category is intended for photos of wildlife that you see in South Carolina, whether it is in your backyard, on a hike, or in an urban setting! Have you captured the moment when a painted bunting comes to your feeder? Did you photograph a bird sifting through the Upstate snow to find its meal? How about the shy deer venturing out in the Pee Dee field to graze? Or that great blue heron wading through the swamps of the Lowcountry? These types of photos that are perfect for this category.
Image Credit: “Looking for Home” By Jennifer Brown.Image Credit: “Peekaboo” by Stephanie RadfordImage Credit: “Relaxation” by Elaine Mathis.
Note: We do not accept photos of exotic (non-native), captive, or domestic animals since this category is intended to show SC wildlife in their natural settings rather than in a zoo or wildlife sanctuary.
Scenes of South Carolina
From the mountains to midlands to the coast, we know that South Carolina’s landscapes are beautiful and ecologically diverse. Whether you enjoy photographing sunsets on the ocean, sunrises in the mountains, rocks in a stream, or early morning dew in a field, we love seeing all the many ways your photographs depict the beauty of our state.
Image Credit: “Salt Serenity” by Stuart Barfield.Image Credit: “Red Knot Sunset Arrival” by Jenn Clementoni.
Image Credit: “Mission Lake” by Bradley Wicker.
Note: These photos may include wildlife but it’s not necessary.
People in Nature
We know that you love being outdoors as much as we do! That is why we added this category to the photo contest. This category is intended for you to share your photos of people enjoying outdoor activities in our beautiful state. Whether you are an angler, birder, hiker, hunter, kayaker, rock climber, shell collector, or enjoy some other outdoor activity, this is your chance to submit photos of people enjoying outdoor activities.
Image Caption: “A River Runs Through It by Kenny Himes.”Image Caption: “I Spy Bird Bands” by Reggie Fairchild.
Image Credit: “Catch n’ Release” by Lyric Littlejohn.
Note: Be sure your photos illustrate safe and ethical practices. Action shots are preferred over posed photos.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
Two easy steps! 1. Pay your entry fee. 2. Submit your photos! Your emailed receipt will contain instructions about how to submit your photographs.
Submitting Photos: After you pay your entry fee, your emailed receipt will contain instructions about how to submit your photographs. You may enter up to three photographs in each category per person in color or black and white. We also ask that you do not include a personal watermark on your photos. SCWF reserves the right to add a watermark when publishing online. Digital images are preferred.
File Types – jpg, gif, and png file types (minimum of at least 72 pixels per inch, or minimum of 250 KB-sized image in jpg format).
Entry Fee
Each photographer must submit a one-time entry fee of $15.00 – this fee covers entrance of up to 9 photos (3 per category) in the contest. You may pay the entry fee online through the button below, or you may mail in a check with your photos – make check payable to SCWF.
By paying this fee, I certify that my photographs are eligible for this contest according to the rules below.
Contest Rules
Eligibility Entries must be images taken in nature in South Carolina. Photos of captive, domestic, and exotic (non-native) species will be disqualified. SCWF employees or board members or their immediate family members are not eligible.
The SCWF photo contest is limited to amateur photographers – defined as those who do not receive more than 10% of their annual income from selling their photographs, or not more than $5,000 annually if retired or unemployed.
*Note: Contestants, by their entry, agree that the South Carolina Wildlife Federation may publish their images in SCWF publications and on the SCWF website and social media platforms. The winning images may be reproduced by SCWF for sale. Photographer name credit will be given when images are used.
Digital Alteration Guidelines
All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified. Acceptable are adjustments to color, contrast, brightness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions, and background blurring. Not acceptable are photo composites (combinations of two or more photos, not of the same scene); background removal, the addition, duplication, deletion, or moving of objects in the photos; or the use of artistic digital filters and effects, such as watercolor, neon glow, posterizing, stained glass, and others which do not depict the scene in its natural way. If you have any questions, please email us at photo@scwf.org.
We also ask that you do not include a personal watermark on your photos, and SCWF reserves the right to add a watermark.
Judging
The judges panel is made up of SCWF staff and board of directors. Carolina Critters entries are reviewed by a biologist for identification purposes. Decisions of the judges are final. Notification will be sent by e-mail after judging is complete.
Prizes
The First Place Winner in each category will receive a $100 cash prize, and the category runner up and second runner up will also be recognized on our blog.
Dates
Entries must be received by the October 31st deadline. We aim to notify the winners by December 31st. Only First, Second, and Third places will be awarded. Contest winners will be published online.
Now that we’ve got all that straight…get out there and take some great photos! Good luck!
Questions? Contact SCWF at (803) 256-0670 or photo@scwf.org. This project is managed by a small team. We kindly ask for your patience in waiting for a reply. We will respond to all questions!
Banner Image Credit: “Afterglow” by Jorge Rodriguez.
This class is full! Please add yourself to the waiting list here.
You are invited to join Captain Tanya Dowdy for an Inshore Fishing Day at Nemours Plantation from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. This incredible property is located is south of Charleston, near the ACE Basin.
The cost of this event is $100 and will be limited to 10 participants, so sign up now if you are interested!
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.
