by Andrew Evans, Students for Stewardship, Clemson University
At Clemson’s East Campus, a quiet transformation is taking place at the headwaters of Hunnicutt Creek. What began as a simple student initiative has grown into the Hunnicutt Food Forest (HFF), a living classroom where land stewardship, biodiversity, and regenerative design meet.
Rooted in Native Ecology
The Hunnicutt Food Forest began with a commitment to restore native biodiversity while demonstrating how people can live more harmoniously with the land. Our team is blending native, edible, medicinal, and pollinator-friendly species to create a landscape that not only supports wildlife but also nourishes students and neighbors. These plantings are designed as guilds, intentional communities of plants that work together to improve soil, attract beneficial insects, and build resilience.
A Third Place for Connection
We are working to make HFF a third place, a welcoming space between home and school where people can gather, learn, and reconnect with nature. It is a place to see ecological principles in action: how deep roots hold the soil, how native understories cool the air, and how every flower and fruit plays a role in the larger web of life.
Growing with Intention
Our long-term vision is to connect HFF to Clemson’s Green Crescent Trail, creating a continuous corridor for pollinators, people, and native flora. With guidance from faculty and local partners including members of the South Carolina Native Plant Society, we are integrating propagation, soil building, and seasonal planting into our educational mission.
What We’re Cultivating
- Native species to strengthen ecological balance and habitat diversity
- Edible plants that demonstrate how native and cultivated foods can coexist
- Medicinal herbs that reconnect us with traditional knowledge of the land
- Pollinator favorites to ensure the cycles of flowering and fruiting never break
Each planting represents more than a design choice. It is a commitment to biodiversity, food security, and the renewal of our shared environment.
Looking Ahead
We see Students for Stewardship as a younger branch of the Native Plant Society, learning from the legacy SCNPS has built and carrying that ethic into the next generation. As we continue expanding the Food Forest and building our small greenhouse for propagation, we welcome collaboration from anyone who shares our vision for an abundant and resilient Upstate.
For more about the Hunnicutt Food Forest project, visit the group’s interactive project page:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/
