South Carolina Master Naturalist program includes Anne Springs Close Greenway as host site

Published: February 14, 2013

The South Carolina Master Naturalist program creates a corps of citizen volunteers through training in the the interface of humans and nature. image by: Clemson University

FORT MILL — The South Carolina Master Naturalist program will include Anne Springs Close Greenway among its host training sites for 2013.

The 2,100-acre greenway and nature preserve is located in Fort Mill, minutes south of Charlotte.

“Anna Springs Close Greenway’s location, richness in natural resources and commitment to encouraging environmental stewardship make it an ideal site to host our Catawba Master Naturalist Program,” said Karen Hall, South Carolina Master Naturalist program coordinator.

The 12-week environmental training course will take place 9 a.m to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, March 12-May 28.

The course will include field trips to locations around the Piedmont area including Forty Acre Rock, Landsford Canal State Park, the Museum of York County, Kings Mountain Military National Park and Draper Wildlife Refuge. Classes are taught by knowledgeable instructors with specific areas of expertise.

The South Carolina Master Naturalist program is adminstered by Clemson Public Service Actitivies through the university's forestry and natural resources department at Clemson University.

The program creates a corps of citizen volunteers through training in the fundamentals of natural history, nature interpretation and the interface of humans and nature. Master Naturalists then contribute their time and training to responsible, science-based environmental stewardship by volunteering for outreach opportunities at parks and nature centers and assisting as citizen scientists on research and data collection projects.

Training takes place at seven regional host site training centers around the state.

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