Happy New Year! How are those resolutions coming along? Regardless of whether you've nailed every 5 a.m. workout or decided to punt your goals to 2026, we hope that you've enjoyed the chilly, snowy January we've experienced this year. As we reach for our jackets, scarves, and gloves, our featured species naturally channels warmth due to its common names, taxonomic relations, and vibrant color palate. The firewheel, also commonly called Indian blanket or Indian blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella), is a common, native coastal plant found in a variety of habitats, including the fringe areas of salt marshes and barrier island beaches. The common name, "blanketflower," is thought to have originated as a respectful nod to the colorful woven garments of Indigenous communities and/or the proclivity for this plant to spread, thus "blanketing" areas as ground cover. A member of the sunflower family, Asteraceae, firewheel thrives in dry, hot conditions, responding favorably by producing a distinctive red, yellow, and orange bloom between spring and fall attracting birds, butterflies, and bees.

So, as you settle in to the winter months, donning clothing and bedding to stay warm, we hope you'll take advantage of these education opportunities from the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium (Consortium) and our partners that blanket a variety of topics. It's the fleece we can do.



Photo Credit: E.V. Bell

Educator Professional Development

Educator Science Café: The Art of Camouflage

RESCHEDULED: February 27, 2025, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Holy City Brewing (North Charleston, S.C.)

Deadline to Register: February 24, 2025

Now you see us, now you don't! Join Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum and the Consortium for our rescheduled Educator Science Café where we will blend the science of camouflage with art, engineering, and design! Join subject matter experts from the College of Charleston at Holy City Brewing to learn about the ways wildlife use camouflage to survive and how engineers and artists have drawn inspiration from the environment to design ships and other technology. Standards-based classroom lessons and ideas that incorporate art and science to teach camouflage will be shared and the USS Yorktown Foundation will provide appetizers. This event is free to attend; pre-registration is required and opens February 5th and closes February 24th. Questions can be sent to Hannah Kratz and E.V. Bell.

EEASC-SCMEA Meet Up: Forest Bathing

RESCHEDULED: March 22, 2025, from 10 am – 1:30 pm

Caw Caw Interpretive Center (Ravenel, S.C.)

Deadline to Register: March 17, 2025

No bubble bath needed! Join the South Carolina Marine Educators Association (SCMEA) and the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC) for our rescheduled, first meet up of 2025! Naturalists with the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission will lead participants through the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, during a moderately slow-paced trail walk. Through the practice of shinrin-yoku, participants will connect with their natural surroundings through their five senses...actual bathing is not required! The program is offered free of charge for any SCMEA and/or EEASC member, or those interested in learning about these organizations. Lunch and drinks will be provided, and an optional, self-led trail walk is available after the two-hour forest bathing program. The deadline to register is March 17, 2025. Questions can be sent to E.V. Bell or Heidi Champion.

Project Learning Tree: Explore Your Environment

February 14, 2025

Santee Canal Park (Moncks Corner, S.C.)

Join educators from the S.C. Forestry Commission and Old Santee Canal Park for an "Explore Your Environment" professional development event designed for K–8th grades! Participants will receive hands-on training with Project Learning Tree’s flagship curriculum Explore Your Environment: K–8 Activity Guide, which provides 50 hands-on, multidisciplinary activities to connect children to nature and increase young people’s awareness and knowledge about their environment. Activities include detailed step-by-step instructions, S.C. Department of Education (SCDE) academic correlations, time and material requirements, and corresponding student worksheets with green career connections. This event is pre-approved for five SCDE renewal credits. For more information and to register, please visit the S.C. Project Learning Tree program website. Questions can be sent to Matt Schnabel.

Microscopy Educator Workshop

March 14, 2025, from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Hollings Marine Laboratory (Charleston, S.C.)

Deadline to Register: February 28, 2025

Formal educators are invited to join National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) Hollings Marine Laboratory scientists and Consortium education staff for an engaging, hands-on workshop about using microscopes in the classroom. The content is aligned with the 2021 College- and Career-Ready Science Standards for grades 4–12, and participants will learn about different microscopes, general maintenance and upkeep, classroom applications, and current coastal research. The workshop is offered free of charge. Please register by February 28th. Questions can be sent to Morgan Treon.

Triple Facilitator Workshop

June 11 - 12, 2025

Harbison State Forest

Cost: $100

Deadline to Register: June 3, 2025

Amplify your environmental education outreach by becoming a Project Learning Tree (PLT), WET, and WILD facilitator! Facilitators are South Carolina formal and/or nonformal educators who host WET, WILD, and PLT workshops for educators in schools and organizations.

The facilitation training is open to those educators certified in at least one of the following programs: PLT, WET, and/or WILD. Attendees will be required to attend the full two-day training and host a workshop at their school or organization by August 2026. All participants will receive facilitator certifications, guidebooks, workshop materials, project supplies, and lunch! Continuing education and continuing forestry education credits may be available.

Please register for the training by June 3rd. For more information, please contact Matt Schnabel (PLT), Beth Foley (Project WILD), and/or Abbi Greer (Project WET).

All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club

New Member Sign-Up:

It's time to announce our next selection for the All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club! This time, we are going back to a classic: Silent Spring, the groundbreaking novel by marine biologist, Rachel Carson.

Any formal or nonformal educator is welcome to join ABU and membership is completely free. New members who sign up by February 28 have the option to receive a free, printed copy of Silent Spring (or defer their free book for another time). The book club will meet virtually in early summer 2025 to discuss this book and select our next read. If you have questions, please contact E.V. Bell.

Employment Opportunities

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium is hiring!

We are currently seeking to fill the positions of Education Graduate Assistant and Office Manager/Administrative Assistant. To learn more about these positions and how to apply, please visit the Consortium's Career Page.

Volunteer Opportunities

Team Ecology

April 4–11, 2025

Joe Adair Environmental Education Center (Laurens, S.C.)

Volunteers are needed for the upcoming Team Ecology environmental education day at the Joe Adair Environmental Education Center! During this event, third graders will rotate through nine stations designed to promote earth-friendly habits. To learn more about the event and volunteer opportunities, please contact Tanya Towne.

Awards and Grants

S.C. Sea Grant Consortium FY26–28 Request for Proposals

The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium's FY26–28 Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open. Studies involving multi-disciplinary approaches with state/regional/national significance are especially desired. Proposals are expected to address specific RFP priorities identified under the following major themes:

• Healthy Coastal Ecosystems
• Sustainable Coastal Development and Economy
• Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Weather and Climate Resilience
• Scientific Literacy and Workforce Development

Please access the full RFP for details on requirements and deadlines. Questions may be directed to either Susan Lovelace or Susannah Sheldon.

Additional Resources

S.C. Sea Grant Consortium

Loaner Kit Program

Are you interested in exploring watersheds with your students? Maybe you'd like your students to engage in the engineering design process to create remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or weather buoys. The Consortium's education program offers a variety of kits available free of charge to formal, nonformal, or homeschool educators in South Carolina. The following kits are currently available for checkout:

-Fish Printing Kits: A freshwater and saltwater fish printing kit provides educators with a lesson plan on fish adaptations and the rubber fish molds necessary to create gyotaku-inspired fish prints with their students.

-Enviroscape Wetlands Model: The Wetlands Enviroscape Model provides a hands-on demonstration of how watersheds can be affected by development, pollution, and other human-made and natural impacts. Included as part of the demonstration are ways in which potential pollution impacts can be mitigated (e.g., riparian buffers and salt marshes).

-The Watershed Game: This activity uses a hands-on simulation to educate groups about how land use impacts water quality and a community’s resilience to flooding. While making land management decisions, players learn about practices, plans, and policies that can improve and protect water quality and increase resilience to flooding. Two versions of this kit are available for free checkout from the Consortium: the coastal classroom model and the coastal local leader model.

-Ocean Odyssey Kits: These four kits focus on STEM disciplines while incorporating various career paths. Choose from building an ROV, weather buoy, catapult, or developing a capstone project.

S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Speaker Request Form

Do you have a science night or career day coming up in the future? Would you like a speaker for your students or organization? The Consortium has plenty to share regarding marine science careers, current research projects, and engaging coastal science activities for all ages! Be sure to check out our career page to learn more about the Consortium, and if you are interested in booking the Consortium for an upcoming career day or science night, please fill out this request form.

Photo credit: E.V. Bell