Samantha Porzelt

Water Resources Extension Agent
Master Rain Gardener Program Coordinator
Water Resources Program Team, Berkeley County Cooperative Extension Office, Charleston County Cooperative Extension Office, Dorchester County Cooperative Extension Office

Office: Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley
Phone: 843-730-5208

Email: sporzel@clemson.edu

Educational Background

M.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Resources
Clemson University 2025

B.S. Marine Biology
Texas A&M University at Galveston 2013

Profile

Samantha Porzelt is a Water Resources Agent with Clemson Cooperative Extension, serving Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. She joined Clemson University in 2021 after eight years working as a biologist in nonprofit public aquariums.

In her current role, Samantha co-coordinates the Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium and serves as program coordinator for Clemson Extension’s Master Rain Gardener program. Her work focuses on using native plants to improve stormwater management and enhance wildlife habitat in urban landscapes.

Samantha has served on the board of the South Carolina Native Plant Society since 2021. She earned her M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources from Clemson University in 2025 and holds a B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University (2013).

Extension and Outreach

Carolina Rain Garden Initiative: clemson.edu/raingarden

Publications

Rain Garden Maintenance Factsheet https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/maintaining-your-rain-garden/

Backyard Wildlife Ponds Factsheet https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/backyard-wildlife-ponds/

Rain Gardens as Wildlife Habitat Factsheet https://hgic.clemson.edu/rain-gardens-as-wildlife-habitat/