The S.C. Master Naturalist program will present the statewide conference “Connecting People with Nature” May 23-25 at Clemson University’s Outdoor Laboratory. Register by May 14 at www.clemson.edu/naturalist.
The keynote speaker will be Rudy Mancke, South Carolina’s quintessential naturalist, who will present the “History of Natural History in South Carolina” at the closing banquet. Clemson author Ben Sill will open the conference with his tongue-in-cheek guide to humorous birds that exist only in a creative imagination.
The conference also includes expert presentations on fungi, birds, plants, lakes and geology, as well as hikes and workshops. Top-notch teachers will lead hikes covering Lee Falls, Yellow Branch Falls, the Clemson Experimental Forest, Jocassee Gorges, Mountain Bridge wilderness and the Foothills trail. Workshops will teach how to create a nature journal, make paper from plants, create your herbal salve and dance with dragonflies.
The cost is $180 for all activities, beginning with a Thursday night social. Group cabin-style accommodations are available on site for an added fee.