South Carolina Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation is partnering with The Longleaf Alliance and other partners to host this Landowner Field Day next week! This free event will be held on Friday, March 28th in Green Pond, SC. RSVP is required through the link below. Event highlights: ? Tour a family Tree Farm ? Learn from a Longleaf for All Landowner Mentor ? Get information about Cost-Share Programs ? Meet local staff who can help with your land management questions ? Lunch provided! RSVP today! https://lnkd.in/ez_2_ZWC Or contact Karen at 803-607-5466 for more information. Sponsored by: National Wildlife Federation, The Longleaf Alliance, Center for Heirs Property Preservation, SoLo-ACE Longleaf Partnership, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Quail Forever, and Clemson Extension.

Last week, the South Carolina legislature took a huge step in protecting an incredibly unique piece of South Carolina!?On March 13th, a change to state regulation was approved which closes Deveaux?Bank to public access from March 15 to October 15 annually to protect nesting and migratory coastal birds!?Thank you to Senator Campsen (R – Charleston) and Representative Bradley (R – Beaufort) for their efforts to get this passed in time for the 2025 nesting season! Deveaux?Bank, off the coast of Seabrook and Edisto Islands, is a critically important seabird sanctuary managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for colonial nesting seabirds, such?as brown pelicans, black skimmers, and various species of terns.?In addition to nesting, Deveaux Bank is the world’s largest known roost site for whimbrel, supporting 20,000 birds – half of the entire East Coast population!?Check out this amazing video about the discovery of the whimbrel roosting at Deveaux Bank.?? ? https://lnkd.in/esDmru-i

Tickets are now on sale for the first Forks, Knives, & Spoonbills Conservation Dinner of 2025! We are returning to the The Willcox in Aiken on Wednesday, April 23 for the fourth year in a row. The incredible menu is on our website; we can’t wait for you to join us! If you haven’t attended one of these deliciously informative wine-paired conservation dinners, you are in for a treat! Each chef that we partner with themes their menu based on this year’s featured species, and while each course is served, Industry Habitat Manager Jay Keck will share information about each species and the conservation efforts needed to help them thrive. Secure your tickets early using the link below to make sure that you can enjoy Executive Chef Philip Friesen’s creative menu. https://lnkd.in/enBhHFuZ Special thanks to our event sponsor, Security Federal Bank. Image Credits: "Palmetto Feathers" by Heather Deacon; guests enjoying a Forks, Knives, & Spoonbills dinner at The Willcox.

Thank you to our Wildlife And Industry Together or WAIT partner Oshkosh Defense LLC, for creating an area on their property for wildlife to feed and reproduce in a safe environment. Check out our blog post to see how our Spartanburg WAIT partner is helping red-winged blackbirds, Eastern bluebirds, and even the steeply declining loggerhead shrike! #SCWF #WAIT #WildlifeAndIndustryTogether https://lnkd.in/eFHvAiw8 Image Captions: Oshkosh Defense's property provides good habitat for our native wildlife; killdeer on nest at Oshkosh Defense.

Conservation Lobby Day was a huge success last week, and SCWF staff were proud to be joined by several high school students and their parents at the State House. The students were members of the Salt Marsh Pony Club, Aiken County Pony Club, Palmetto Pony Club, Aiken Hounds and Camden Hunt, all of whom place a strong emphasis on land conservation. After SCWF prepared them to speak with state lawmakers regarding several conservation-related bills, the students were eager to show up and meet their senators and representatives. Students were from all around the state, and all of them were able to speak with lawmakers from their districts to express their support of conservation in our state. This was a great way to introduce them to the lawmaking process and they were able to observe activity in both the Senate and the House chambers. They even had the opportunity to visit Senator Campsen’s office to hear about the Conservation Education Bill (S.165). SCWF was happy to help train and encourage these future wildlife advocates! #SCWF #Conservation #LobbyDay2025 Image Credits L to R: Students meeting with Senator Chip Campsen's staff attorney, Brian Cohl, who explained details of how bills are made; Oyster Roast 2025 by CrushRush Photography LLC; Oyster Roast 2025 by CrushRush Photography LLC; SC Conservation Lobby Day Group by CrushRush Photography LLC.

Want to hang out with your friends, shoot sporting clays, and enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch with raffles and prizes? Sign up today to join us on Saturday, March 29th for our Sporting Clays Competition Fundraiser at Palmetto Outdoors Shooting Complex in Swansea. Registration ends on March 18, so this is the perfect time to register your team of four. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eC2yGHGs During the last 10 years, the number of imperiled plant and animal species in SC has more than doubled. Our work to conserve and restore habitat is increasingly important as SC is now the fastest growing state in the nation! Funds raised will directly support habitat enhancement, land conservation, and education programs to teach people of all ages to value our natural resources and enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Thank you to Palmetto State Armory, National Land Realty & Jim Taylor, and Golf Cart Service for their sponsorships of this event!

SCWF is proud to be a partner with the South Carolina Bobwhite Initiative which just celebrated 10 years of working together to enhance habitat for quail on state, federal, and private lands in our state. And bobwhite populations are increasing!! Thanks to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and all of the partners working together for this species!

BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC, a longtime Wildlife And Industry Together or WAIT Partner, recently made improvements to their property to help create habitat for wildlife. In addition, Jay Keck, our Industry Habitat Manager, taught a class to on the importance of native plants and cavity nests. We are grateful to be able to partner with a corporation who values conservation and making a difference for wildlife. #WAIT #WAITPartner #SCWF Check out our blog post to learn more! https://lnkd.in/eV2JXpvW

Federal employees and retirees: here’s an easy way you can support wildlife conservation in South Carolina through the Combined Federal Campaign. Go to GiveCFC.org, click the Donate button, and search for SCWF by charity code: 39060 #GiveCFC #KeepSCWild

Thank you to all the wonderful guests who joined us at Between the Antlers in Georgetown this past week for our last Forks, Knives, & Spoonbills of the 2024 season. Each course was delicious, and it was special to reconnect with longtime friends and also meet new folks who are excited about SCWF’s conservation mission. We will have more Forks, Knives, & Spoonbills conservation dinners in 2025, so please stay tuned if you would like to join us for one! We are grateful to our sponsors for helping us increase our impact for wildlife. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, The Litchfield Company | Lachicotte | Christie’s; our wine sponsor Theoleo; and SCWF Friend Sponsors, Clinch & Barbara Heyward, Mandy Harrelson Shuler, and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.