As we wait for summer to get the memo that fall has officially begun in South Carolina, now is the perfect time to head outside to witness the transition between seasons. You needn't go far (or trek deep in the wilderness) -- a walk to or from your car with an observant eye will provide plenty of nature viewing. Look down and you may see morning glory vines starting to bloom and trellis along a fence or a green anole scamper across the side of a building. Glance ahead, and monarchs might flit by on their annual migration. Cast your gaze up, and you'll be privy to a motely assortment of bird species, including various finches, warblers, herons, and raptors that inhabit the sky, the surrounding trees and shrubs, and even rooftops and lamp posts. It was during a recent urban nature walk that this month's featured species streaked by us in hot pursuit of their prey. The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), also known as the chicken hawk, is a common raptor found in wooded and urbanized areas across the state and throughout the southeastern region. Categorized as an accipiter -- a group of raptors sporting a short, broad wingspan and long tail -- the Cooper's hawk is well-equipped for hunting down their primary prey of medium-sized birds (e.g., mourning dove), which they grab with their talons, followed by repeated, lethal squeezes. Although stealthy predators, their ambush-style hunting behavior is physically taxing; in fact, a study of 300 Cooper's Hawks' skeletons showed nearly 25% having signs of broken (and healed over) chest bones.

Just like the Cooper's Hawk, there's no talon how high you'll soar by taking advantage of these educational opportunities from the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and our partners!

Photo Credit: Hailey Murphey

Reference: Cornell University (All About Birds)

Educator Professional Development

EEASC-SCMEA Meet Up: Tag Along!

September 28, 2024, 11 am - 2 pm

Lowcountry Montessori School

Deadline to Register: September 26, 2024

Join the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC), the South Carolina Marine Educators Association (SCMEA), and educators from the Lowcountry Montessori School for our next meet-up event! During this family-friendly program, attendees will explore gardens designed as wildlife sanctuaries, especially for monarch butterflies. We'll walk through the Monarch Waystation, learn about monarch biology, and engage in butterfly tagging as they migrate through the state. Discover how to be a monarch butterfly steward using tagging and waystation programs and explore ways to implement this type of project at your school!

This family-friendly event is open to SCMEA and EEASC members and nonmembers. Snacks and drinks will be provided, but please bring your lunch. Register by September 26, 2024, and send questions to Annie Boyd. 

From Cypress to Salt Marsh: Exploring Black River and North Inlet

Teacher on the Estuary Professional Development Workshop

October 12, 2024

Deadline to Register: September 30, 2024

The North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve's (NIWB NERR) Professional Teacher Development (PTD) programs focus on our coastal environments and local estuaries, encompassing watershed concepts that influence and impact areas across the state and region. The Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) program is designed for formal and nonformal educators that includes field-based learning and vetted, classroom-ready activities and incorporates NERR Estuary Education Program resources (coast.noaa.gov/estuaries). Our TOTE workshops focus on estuary education and ocean literacy concepts. The program includes a 15 hour contact minimum for trainings, and pre and post evaluations of participants. Please visit the website for more information and to register. Questions can be emailed to Beth Thomas.

Employment Opportunities

S.C. Sea Grant Consortium is hiring! We are currently seeking to fill the positions of Human Resources Manager, Grants Management Specialist, Assistant Director for Research and Partnerships, and Shellfish Aquaculture Extension Specialist. To learn more about each of these positions and how to apply, please visit the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium's Career Page.

Conferences

South Carolina Marine Educators Association

"Ripple Effect: Ways We Connect Through Water" Annual Conference

November 8 - 10, 2024

Riverbanks Zoo

Bodies of water—rivers, lakes, and oceans—serve as vital connectors in our lives, influencing everything from our local communities to global ecosystems. Join the South Carolina Marine Educators Association (SCMEA) for our annual conference at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, S.C., where we will delve into how these essential water bodies shape our interactions, well-being, and shared environments, underscoring their profound importance in fostering human connection, and sustaining life. The conference schedule, travel and accommodation information, registration link, and proposal submission information are available on the SCMEA conference page.

Volunteer Opportunities

Wood Magic Forest Fair

The Wood Magic Forest Fair (WMFF) is a series of events hosted at locations across the state designed to help South Carolina’s students understand the importance of forests and the forest industry to their everyday lives. The dates and locations for this year's fair include:

-Piedmont Forestry Center (Tamassee) - October 1-4, 2024

-Harbison State Forest (Columbia) - October 28-November 1, 2024

-Lynches River County Park (Florence) - November 20-22, 2024

To conduct these programs, volunteers are needed each day to serve as guides and instructors, and to help with logistics. Each volunteer is given a t-shirt, lunch, and a satisfying role in providing the youth of our state with an important pro-forestry experience. To sign up, please visit the WMFF volunteer page and access the 2024 schedule to see available days and positions. For questions, please contact Matt Schnabel.

Grants

Ocean Odyssey Grants

Due September 30, 2024

Background: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation established Ocean Odyssey Grants to expand the reach of ocean education by funding ocean education and workforce development initiatives that are equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all. The overarching goal is to support a future ocean workforce that is more representative of U.S. demographics by funding projects that minimize barriers to entry and increase retention of diverse learners from communities historically marginalized from ocean science and exploration industries. The Ocean Odyssey Grants invest in projects and partners that increase inclusion in and/or access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education as well as workforce development opportunities for diverse youth in middle school, high school, undergraduate, and/or community college to learn about ocean science and/or exploration.

Award Funding: $5,000 - $10,000.

Eligibility: Schools, districts, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit institutions, local, and state entities from the United States, territories, and Freely Associated States supporting diverse students in these regions.

Implementation Period: December 2024 through July 31, 2025.

Application Packages Due: September 30, 2024, by 11:59 PM EDT.

For additional details about the grant and instructions for submission, please visit the Ocean Odyssey Grant website.

Environmental Education Association of South Carolina

Mini-Grants

Deadline for Proposals: October 1, 2024

Do you have a professional development opportunity you would like to attend, a student learning opportunity for your students, or an idea for a service project? Consider submitting a proposal for an Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC) mini-grant! Successful proposals will receive up to $1,000 in funding support (reimbursed expenses) and must address one of the following categories: professional development, student learning, or service projects. EEASC members are eligible to apply and for more information, please visit the EEASC mini-grant webpage.

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 S.C. Sea Grant 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 check out:

-NEW! 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 S.C. Sea Grant 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 S.C. Sea Grant Consortium (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 S.C. Sea Grant Consortium for an upcoming career day or science night, please fill out this request form.

Photo credit: E.V. Bell