South Carolina Master Naturalist Program

08/28/2026

Help Celebrate Butterfly Big Day 2026!

Join us in celebrating the inaugural annual Butterfly Big Day by helping document butterflies around the world on September 12th, 2026.

Butterfly Big Day is an international event designed for people of all ages to find as many wild butterflies as they can, spread awareness of the importance of butterflies & other pollinators, and learn how we can help their populations.

Participating is easy!
Just download the free iNaturalist app and sign up for a free account. You can also use a web browser and access the iNaturalist web site (inaturalist.org).
Take photos of free-living butterflies (not captive or from butterfly houses)
Submit your photos to iNaturalist. Photos of butterflies submitted anywhere in the world on September 12th, will count for Butterfly Big Day! You do not have to be able to identify the butterfly in order for your observations to be useful.

For more information, links to quick iNaturalist tutorial videos, and to find the Butterfly Big Day regional partner in your part of the world, visit www.urbanbutterflies.org/big-day

Coordinated by the Urban Butterfly Initiative, Butterfly Big Day is a global day-long iNaturalist butterflying event.

08/27/2026

Cove Forests and cold water ecology. First program at Jones Gap since Hurricane Helene and it was a great one!

08/26/2026

Help Celebrate Butterfly Big Day 2026!

Join us in celebrating the inaugural annual Butterfly Big Day by helping document butterflies around the world on September 12 2026.

Butterfly Big Day is an international event designed for people of all ages to find as many wild butterflies as they can, spread awareness of the importance of butterflies & other pollinators, and learn how we can help their populations.

Participating is easy!
Just download the free iNaturalist app and sign up for a free account. You can also use a web browser and access the iNaturalist web site (inaturalist.org).

Take photos of free-living butterflies (not captive or from butterfly houses)

Submit your photos to iNaturalist. Photos of butterflies submitted anywhere in the world on September 12th will count for Butterfly Big Day! You do not have to be able to identify the butterfly in order for your observations to be useful.

For more information, links to quick iNaturalist tutorial videos, and to find the Butterfly Big Day regional partner in your part of the world, visit www.urbanbutterflies.org/big-day

To see all the Butterfly Big Day submissions, visit the iNaturalist project page during or after the event: www.inaturalist.org/projects/butterfly-big-day-2026

Coordinated by the Urban Butterfly Initiative (urbanbutterflies.org), Butterfly Big Day [12 SEPT 2026] is a worldwide collaboration of butterfly organizations (Regional Partners) to sponsor a global day-long iNaturalist butterflying event on the second Saturday in September. The event is designed fo...

08/24/2026

Last day to count!

Remember, everyone! TODAY, Monday, August 24, is a counting day too! Take 15 minutes for pollinators and help us gather phenology and visitation data! Learn more at GSEPC.org

08/18/2026

Can’t wait for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census this Friday and Saturday! 🐝🦋

There are dozens of Great Southeast Pollinator Census events happening across South Carolina this Friday and Saturday. If you're in the Columbia, South Carolina area, check out this event at Finlay Park. Find other opportunities to make pollinators count in our recent blog post: https://blogs.clemson.edu/schoolgardening/find-a-2026-great-southeast-pollinator-census-event-in-south-carolina/
Post and Courier Columbia Midlands Chapter, South Carolina Native Plant Society Columbia Green Environmental Education Association of South Carolina - EEASC South Carolina Wildlife Federation Clemson Extension Horticulture Clemson Extension Clemson Extension School & Community Gardening South Carolina Master Gardener South Carolina Master Naturalist Program

08/13/2026

The Upstate Master Naturalist program started today! Thanks to our friends at SCDNR and South Carolina Botanical Gardens for hosting us.

07/17/2026

Emerald Ash Borer devastates the ash trees in the upstate. Infested firewood is a common method of transportation. DON’T MOVE FIREWOOD. This prevention measure helps to decrease the spread and infection of wood-boarding pests.

07/16/2026

Happy World Snake Day!

07/14/2026

We have many Chainsaw Safety and Tree Felling Workshops coming up!

🪵 Ready to sharpen your chainsaw skills—and your safety knowledge?

Whether you're clearing storm damage, maintaining your property, cutting firewood, or managing woodlands, knowing how to operate a chainsaw safely can make all the difference.

Join Clemson Extension's Chainsaw Workshops for hands-on, expert-led training designed to help you work smarter and safer.

🦺 Chainsaw Safety & Handling Workshop
Learn:
✔ Proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
✔ Safe chainsaw operation and handling
✔ Basic maintenance and sharpening
✔ Safe cutting techniques for logs on the ground

🌲 Tree Felling Workshop
Take your skills to the next level with instruction on:
✔ Directional tree felling
✔ Open-face felling techniques
✔ Hazard recognition
✔ A proven five-step felling plan

These full-day workshops combine research-based instruction with hands-on practice, and participants receive a Certificate of Completion. (Please note: Participants must complete the Chainsaw Safety & Handling Workshop before attending the Tree Felling Workshop.)

🔗 Register today:
https://www.clemson.edu/extension/chainsaw/workshops.html

Tag someone who could benefit from this training!