Coastal Master Naturalists...

Category: Training

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)

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.

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.

Master Naturalist Advanced Training at Caw Caw 5/9/2019

Debbie SeabrookTraining, Updates

Kristina Wheeler is leading an advanced training opportunity for you! Must preregister!

Click the name of the course below to go to the CCPRC registration.

Nature’s Soundscape: How to Really Tune In – (Course number 5879)

Thursday, May 9, 2019, 9am to 3pm

Caw Caw Interpretive Center

$50.00 18 and up

Master Naturalist advanced training opportunities provide exposure and skill development in areas such as natural history, natural resource management, and nature interpretation. In order to keep a Master Naturalist certification current, you must take at least eight hours of advanced training per year.

Listening to natural sounds can open new doors to experiencing the natural world, and every habitat has its own unique sounds. In this course we’ll hone our auditory skills to enhance our connection to the natural world.

Notes: Must have a SC Master Naturalist Certification to take this Advanced Training.

Improve Soil & Reduce Greenhouse Gases Lecture

Debbie SeabrookEvents, Training, Updates

Master Gardener and Coastal Master Naturalist Fall 2014 graduate, Linda Geronilla offers a lecture series to discuss the importance of creating healthy soils and a sustainable ecosystem in your own yard.  Learn what  “carbon gardening” is all about.

Land management is responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. First lecture is on improving soil and reducing greenhouse gases.

Please share with friends and family or bring a guest if you have already signed up!

Johns Island Public Library Auditorium – Friday, March 15, 1:00 – 2:30 pm  FREE

Click here to sign up

News from SC Native Plant Society

Debbie SeabrookEvents, Training, Updates, Volunteer

Spring Native Plant Sale!

Saturday, March 16, 9 am – 12 noon
(SCNPS Members can start shopping at 8:30; volunteers can shop at 8:15.)
Charles Towne Landing parking lot, 1500 Old Towne Road, Charleston 29407

We have a great selection of native plants with many hard-to-find species — colorful perennials, shrubs, trees, grasses, ferns and edibles.  A plant list is available on the SCNPS website: https://scnps.org/lowcountry-spring-2019-plant-sale-list
Cash, check, or credit card accepted. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own carts or wagons to facilitate movement of plants; box donations are also encouraged!
Admission to the plant sale is free. If you wish to explore Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, please pay admission in the Visitor Center.
For more information, or to volunteer, contact Eddie Bernard (edlbernard@aol.com or 843-270-1112)

Lecture: The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative: A New Course for Conservation in the 21st Century
Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 pm, Biology Auditorium, 101 Duckett Hall, The Citadel
Dr. Dwayne Estes, Southeastern Grasslands Initiative
Grassland loss is the single greatest conservation issue currently facing eastern North American biodiversity. Southern grasslands are nearly extinct and the species that depend on them are fading fast. The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative (SGI) is a collaboration of leaders in international biodiversity conservation led by the Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for Field Biology, in partnership with the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, the North Carolina Botanical Garden, and Roundstone Native Seed. SGI seeks to integrate research, consultation, education, and grants to create innovative solutions to address the complex issues facing Southeastern grasslands.

Fire Festival – Sewee Outpost

Debbie SeabrookEvents, Training, Updates, Volunteer
Attend or Volunteer!

On Saturday, March 23rd, you’re invited to bring the family to the Awendaw Green and Sewee Outpost for a free event showcasing how controlled burns are making our communities safer and restoring native forests.  For more information about attending click here.
The Nature Conservancy and other groups are once again having the Fire Festival, this time at an area around the Sewee Outpost. If you would like to volunteer to help direct traffic, welcome attendees, and help count attendee numbers, please email, Ed Siggelko, The Nature Conservancy, SC Chapter, State Volunteer Coordinator, at ed.siggelko@tnc.org.

Invitation from South Carolina Aquarium

Debbie SeabrookEvents, Training, Updates

YOU’RE INVITED TO

Holland Lifelong Learning Finale 
& Annual Watershed Dinner 

Friday, March 22
Finale: 6 – 7:30 p.m. | The American Theater
Dinner: 7:30 – 10 p.m. | The William Aiken House

What does the future of ocean exploration look like? What will we discover in this alien world? Will colonizing the ocean become a reality?

Explore these questions and more with ocean conservationist, Fabien Cousteau, at the Holland Lifelong Learning Finale. As the first grandchild of famed explorer, Jacques Cousteau, Fabien Cousteau has grown up with an innate connection to the marine world. A pioneer in his own right, Fabien is a filmmaker, scientist and aquanaut “dedicated to protecting the Earth’s waters and its inhabitants for our next generation.”

Join Fabien and an esteemed group of experts as they shed light on the deepest, darkest parts of our oceans, then enjoy an open bar, delicious food and live music at the Watershed Dinner.

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