WHAT CAN I DO?
Get Involved!
Each person can play a part in conserving our natural resources and contributing to water quality efforts. Learn more about citizen science opportunities in Greenville and environmentally friendly certifications.
→ Download the Conservation Checklist!
Conservation Practices
Citizen Science Programs
Citizen Science
South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream (SC AAS) is a statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program. SC AAS empowers community members to protect and improve water quality through education and certified volunteer monitoring. Anyone can attend a free workshop to become certified in four different protocols: freshwater stream, tidal saltwater, macroinvertebrate, and lake monitoring. Volunteers enter data into a free, publicly accessible database. Data helps establish baseline site conditions, increases community awareness and engagement, and sparks investigation with local partners when pollution threats emerge. SC AAS is a program of SCDES operated in conjunction with the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina and in partnership with many public and private supporters. Learn more by visiting www.scadoptastream.org or by contacting scaas@des.sc.gov.
Contact:
Jaclin DuRant
Adopt-a-Stream Program Coordinator
Division of Water Quality
Bureau of Water
O: 864-965-9351
Jaclin.DuRant@des.sc.gov
DES.SC.gov
Citizen Science
FrogWatch USA volunteers learn to identify local frog and toad species by their calls during the breeding season and how to report their findings accurately. By mastering these skills, volunteers gain increased experience and control over asking and answering scientific questions which, in turn, augments science literacy, facilitates conservation action and stewardship and increases knowledge of amphibians. Volunteers register a wetland site and make multiple evening visits from February through August to collect data on the calls of frogs and toads. Participating individuals and families learn about the wetlands in their communities and help conserve amphibians.
Citizen Science
Queen Quest is a collaborative effort between researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, Xerces Society, University of Vermont, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and other universities. We hope to learn more about where queen bumble bees overwinter through a coordinated blitz.
Inspired by recent success finding overwintering sites of bumble bee queens in Monterey California, we seek to understand where queens might be overwintering in other parts of North America. We need folks to go out and do a bit of raking to try finding overwintering queens, take some photos, and tell us where they found them (or where they did not)!
Citizen Science
The Atlas is a community (aka citizen or participatory) science project aimed at gathering the data needed to track and conserving bumble bees. The information that we have suggests that many species of bumble bees face an uncertain future, but we lack the data needed to implement effective conservation measures, especially at the regional scale. "Community science" means anyone is welcome to participate and help contribute to a better understanding of bumble bee needs.
Community scientists, like yourself, spread out across one of our project states to survey for bumble bees and report back whatever they find! To help these efforts, we offer workshops that provide you with all of the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to run surveys independently. Surveys can be run on your own or with a group of people! Survey methods are catch-and-release, so no bees are harmed. All you need to participate is an insect net, some vials, a decent camera (including many cell phones), and access to the internet to submit your data.
Citizen Science
The Firefly Atlas is a collaborative effort to better understand and conserve the diversity of fireflies in North America. Launched in 2022, the project aims to advance our collective understanding of firefly species’ distributions, phenology, and habitat associations, as well as to identify threats to their populations.
Although the Atlas tracks all species described from the US and Canada, we are currently prioritizing efforts for a subset of 13 threatened and data deficient species found in three focal regions of the US: the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Southwest. These priority regions were chosen based upon having a high number of threatened species and/or a high number of data deficient species.
Conservation Certifications
Certification w/ Optional Course
Clemson Extension's Carolina Yards program seeks to work with residents in creating healthy, watershed-friendly landscapes. Use simple and effective gardening methods to help guide you towards a low maintenance yard that works with nature, rather than against it.
Complete the Carolina Yards Scorecard to have your very own certified Carolina Yard!
Certification
Since 1973, Garden for Wildlife has been educating and empowering people to turn their own small pieces of Earth into thriving habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife. In doing so, people across North America are making a difference in their cities, towns, and neighborhoods—all while deepening their connections to the natural world.
Founded on the belief that everyone can enjoy and protect wildlife where they live, work, learn, play, and worship, the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife programs provide simple steps and resources to create beautiful spaces that make a big impact for local and migratory species, from small window boxes to vast habitat corridors.
Certification Course
The South Carolina Master Gardener Program was designed to use the services of trained volunteers who have horticulture knowledge and a willingness to share that knowledge with others through the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service. To help you decide if you should become a South Carolina Master Gardener, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I want to learn more about growing plants and solving plant problems?
- Am I eager to participate in an intense training program?
- Do I look forward to sharing my knowledge with others?
- Can I commit the time needed to attend the training and serve as a volunteer?
Certification Course
Master Rain Gardener is a certification program focused on rain garden and rainwater harvesting system design and installation. The Master Rain Gardener (MRG) program will provide design standards and the knowledge-based skill set necessary to install rain gardens and rainwater harvesting systems on a residential scale. Rain gardens and rainwater harvesting offer residents and landscape professionals with a management tool for flooding on property, erosion prevention, incorporation of native plants and backyard habitat into the lawn, and the establishment of a low-irrigation landscape. The Master Rain Gardener program is a hybrid, multi-week curriculum allowing for self-paced online learning modules, hands-on field experience, and a two-track option to meet the needs of diverse audiences.
Certification Course
The South Carolina Botanical Garden (SCBG), in partnership with the South Carolina Native Plant Society (SCNPS), offers a Certificate in Native Plant Studies based on South Carolina’s rich botanical heritage. Through hands-on field-based classes, students learn about the diversity of native plants, plant communities, and the habitats that define South Carolina from the mountains to the sea. Participants will learn about the significant role that native plants play in ensuring biodiversity and how they improve soil, water, and air quality.
In addition, participants will discover the importance of sustainable and appropriate development, become aware of conservation issues facing native plants and plant communities, and become educated environmental stewards.
In elective classes, students are able to travel outside of the Upstate to explore the ecology of other areas in South Carolina. Classes are taught by qualified professionals in the field of botany and native plants, including university professors or experts in a particular field.