Coastal Master Naturalists...

Category: Opportunities

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Registration IS OPEN!

Debbie SeabrookEvents, Opportunities, Training, Updates

Click here to REGISTER!

“Fall Into the Lowcountry”

A retreat for South Carolina Master Naturalists on coastal systems

September 13-15, 2019; Friday check in starts at 11:00 am  – Sunday programming through lunch. 

Join the Coastal Master Naturalists Association for an experience in the natural areas of the Lowcountry.

Hear presentations on coastal ecology from experts on such topics as botany, entomology, ornithology, herpetology and general ecosystem ecology.

Kayak streams, rivers and creek to witness the beauty of the lowcountry.

Take a guided boat ride to pristine barrier islands.

Explore forests, wetlands, and marshes with local naturalists.

Opportunity to attend up to 20 hours of Advanced Training in the Coastal Region; you schedule your interests and needs.

Where:  Camp SEWEE, “A Coastal Retreat Center”, Awendaw SC

The Center provides lecture space, dining facilities, primitive camping spaces (no water/electric hook ups), and a few bunk rooms for participants, all on the banks of the Inter-Coastal Waterway outside Awendaw SC. (additional lodging at nearby hotels)

Volunteer for 31st Annual Beach Sweep / River Sweep

Debbie SeabrookOpportunities, Updates, Volunteer

Volunteers Needed!!

Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) is seeking another site-captain for the 31st Beach Sweep/River Sweep!! This event is South Carolina’s largest one-day volunteer waterway cleanup event. Every 3rd Saturday in September since 1988, thousands of South Carolinians clear beaches, rivers, lakes, marshes, and swamps of aquatic debris. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium leads the beach cleanup efforts, while SCDNR leads the inland cleanups. The Sweep takes place in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy.

For this year’s event, on September 21, 2019, CCPRC will host cleanups at three sites with three different Site Captains. They are in need of a third captain to host the Cleanup efforts at one of their boat landings. Captains will receive the materials needed to host the sweep as well as a t-shirt.

If anyone is interested in either being a site captain, or joining the efforts as a team member – please contact Allyssa Zebrowski, Natural History Roving Interpreter & Stewardship Aide at (804) 731-7873 or email AZebrowski@ccprc.com

Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission offers great classes.

Debbie SeabrookOpportunities, Training, Updates

Here are August 2019 options:

Every Wednesday and Saturday, 8:30am-11:30am, join a naturalist, at Caw Caw Interpretive Center, on one or more of our regular bird walks. Our trek through many distinct habitats will allow us to view and discuss a variety of birds, butterflies, and other organisms. A paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. 10.00 per person (free for Gold Pass Holders). Registration is not required.

Lighthouse Inlet Bird Walk- 6488

Aug 9, 2019 Fri 8:30am to 10:30am Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve $7.00 Ages 12 and up. This walk focuses on the incredibly diverse northeast end of Folly Island. Once the home of a Coast Guard station, this Heritage Preserve protects maritime forest, beach, dune, and marsh habitats for wildlife. This site is a leader in number of bird species seen in South Carolina. At this time of year we hope to see songbirds, seabirds, and shorebirds such as Painted Bunting, Caspian Tern, Wilson’s Plover, and much more. A registered and paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. Please be aware there are no restrooms at this location. Binoculars are not provided. Please bring binoculars if you have them. Pre-registration is required.

Natural History Mysteries- 6477

Aug 17, 2019 Sat 8:30am to 10:30am Wannamaker County Park $7.00 Ages 12 and up. Do chiggers really burrow into your skin? Join a naturalist to discuss some of the hidden truths relating to wildlife and plants of coastal South Carolina. We’ll start with some of your questions and then hit the trails to search for story solutions. A registered and paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. Pre-registration is required.

Sunrise Tea Farm Creek Canoe Trip- 6472

Aug 29, 2019, Thu 6:30am to 9:30am Caw Caw Interpretive Center $28.00 Ages 12 and up. Paddle into Tea Farm Creek alongside a trained naturalist as the sun rises to witness firsthand how human history has impacted the landscapes around us. View one of the only naturalized understories of tea plants in the country as you travel through abandoned rice fields and forests that have been reclaimed by salt marsh. A registered and paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. While taking part in this activity, participants are required to sit for extended periods of time, bend knees, reach and pull with torso, and climb in and out of boats. Paddles, life jackets, and canoes are provided to all participants. Due to the location of our launch sites, personal canoes are not allowed, as these areas are not publicly accessible. Pre-registration is required.

Members welcome to attend CMNA Board of Directors meeting July 10, 2019 5-7 PM

Debbie SeabrookOpportunities, Updates

Attention: if you want to observe a CMNA Board meeting, you are welcome to attend Wednesday, July 10, 2019, 5:00 – 7:00 PM, at Johns Island Regional Library Meeting Room, 3531 Maybank Highway John’s Island, SC 29455.

Maybe you are interested in how your Association functions? Maybe you are interested in serving on the Board in the future; or want to help with small projects; or have ideas for training, events or volunteer opportunities.

Hope to see you there!

CCPRC programs for July

Debbie SeabrookOpportunities, Training, Updates

Join the great staff at CCPRC for advanced training opportunities in July and they are just FUN!

Preregistration required

Lighthouse Inlet Bird Walk

July 12, 2019 Fri 8:30 – 10:30am

$7.00 12 and up

This walk focuses on the incredibly diverse northeast end of Folly Island. Once the home of a Coast Guard station, this Heritage Preserve protects maritime forest, beach, dune, and marsh habitats for wildlife. This site is a leader in number of bird species seen in South Carolina. At this time of year we hope to see songbirds, seabirds, and shorebirds such as Painted Bunting, Caspian Tern, Wilson’s Plover, and much more.

Early Birding – 6471

Caw Caw Interpretive Center

July 13, 2019 Sat 6am to 9am

$12.00 12 and up

If the early bird gets the worm, the early birdwatchers get both! We can leave the worms for the avian life and enjoy finding birds at dawn. A birding professional will help you find the birds and help you to understand their strategies for success in the natural world

Notes:

A registered and paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under.

Mystical Moths – 6476

Caw Caw Interpretive Center

Jul 26, 2019, Fri 7:30pm to 9:30pm

$7.00 12 and up

Extraordinarily diverse in color, shape, and size – moths not only pollinate plants, but feed birds, bats, and even people. We will examine our black lights and baits to see what species we can discover!

Notes:

A registered and paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under.

Interpreting Tea Farm Creek – 6543

Caw Caw Interpretive Center

Jul 30, 2019 Tue 8:30am to 8:45am ,Tue 8:45am to 11am

$45.00 16 and up

Paddle by one of the only naturalized understory of tea plants in the country and through abandoned rice fields, now turned back into salt marshes, to witness firsthand how human history has impacted the landscapes around us.

Meeting location: Caw Caw Interpretive Center parking lot. From there, we will drive to our destination. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you may be left behind and will not receive a refund.

SCORE needs help planting marsh grass

Debbie SeabrookOpportunities, Updates, Volunteer

This Friday, July 12, 2019 from 10:30 – 12:30 join SCDNR staff in helping plant marsh grass behind oyster reefs at a Charleston restoration site. We will have everything you need, just come wearing closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get muddy and wet! Please bring a reusable water bottle to minimize waste (we will have coolers to refill and cups for those that need them). Space is limited so please RSVP by emailing “score@dnr.sc.gov” to reserve your spot!