Clemson water-based camps help youth learn about the state's natural heritage

Published: August 3, 2010

Carolina Clear image by: Carolina Clear

NORTH CHARLESTON — Katie McMillan hauled the trawler net back into the educational vessel Discovery and 34 pairs of eyes watched eagerly as an array of marine life, including jellyfish, flounder, shrimp and crab, were placed in observation tanks.

More than forty 8- to 14-year-olds got a unique look at coastal South Carolina while learning about the state’s natural heritage and the role rivers play during the camp July 11-16 at Camp Sewee in Awendaw.

They are among more than 120 children from across the state who have participated in a wide array of water-based camps this spring and summer involving Carolina Clear natural resources agents.

McMillan, an education specialist at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, told the youngsters at Camp Sewee how different species live beneath the waves, and talked about their unique features and characteristics.

“We have three types of shrimp here in South Carolina that we eat: pink, brown and white,” McMillan said, holding up a brown shrimp caught in the net for the students to see. “We can tell it’s a brown shrimp by looking at its antenna, which are pretty short — only the length of his body.” 

The trawl around Charleston Harbor was part of the camp hosted by Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute and sponsored by Carolina Clear, Clemson’s stormwater awareness and education program.

The campers learned about tidal creeks, Carolina bays, estuaries and the importance of the state’s barrier islands. They also learned about pond ecology and water sampling, among other things.

In June, Carolina Clear’s Bill Blackston, coordinator of the Lexington Countywide Stormwater Consortium, helped twenty 10- to 12-year-olds in a 4-H2O Pontoon Classroom on Lake Murray. The students spent their days on and around the lake learning the history of Lake Murray, the role of watersheds and aquatic entomology. 

They also swam, fished and took an educational trip to the water treatment plant where most of the Columbia area’s drinking water comes from.

At Harbison State Forest in Columbia, Carolina Clear’s Mary Nevins, who is the Richland Countywide Stormwater Consortium coordinator, helped run an Advanced 4-H20 Water, Woods and Wetlands camp for ten 12- to 14-year-olds. 

The camp, new this year, incorporated the forestry aspects of wetlands and education about the cold-water stream below Lake Murray’s dam and flood plains of the Congaree National Park. 

In the Upstate, Marguerite Porter, Pickens Countywide Stormwater Consortium coordinator, helped run a 4-H2O camp for eleven 8- to 12-year-olds on Lake Keowee in partnership with Duke Energy and Friends of Lake Keowee. The students collected water samples, observed microscopic and macroscopic life, conducted water quality experiments, and learned about enhancing and preserving aquatic ecosystems.

Porter also helped run a Wild Days camp in partnership with the S.C. Forestry Commission for thirteen 9- to 12-year-olds at Piedmont Forestry Center. The camp focused on natural resources and water quality. The students completed a stream assessment where stonefly and dragonfly nymphs were collected, and the students went fishing for trout.

Katie Giacalone, Carolina Clear’s statewide coordinator, said that thanks to the many partnerships that make these camps possible, children across South Carolina can learn about the state’s natural resources, and hopefully will grow to become environmental stewards.

“This is a snapshot of the wide variety of camps held across the state this summer, made possible by our terrific partners, dedicated Clemson University staff and many other people who play a role educating the state’s youth,” Giacalone said.

END

Carolina Clear
Carolina Clear is a stormwater education and awareness program of the Clemson University Restoration Institute and the Center for Watershed Excellence. The program’s goal is to minimize polluted stormwater runoff by educating the general public, youth, builders, developers, homeowners and government officials about how they can keep water in the state’s streams, rivers and basins as clean as possible.