by Sue Watts
A new year always brings new opportunities for education and growth. My social feeds right now are full of invitations to learn how to watercolor or knit, eat better or exercise more, or touting the lure of gardening or learning about the environment. The latter is where we come in. The South Carolina Botanical Garden (SCBG) on the Clemson campus offers numerous educational experiences for all ages, and I’d like to share them with you.
One of our flagship programs is the South Carolina Native Plant Certificate, a partnership between the SCBG and the South Carolina Native Plant Society. If you are interested in learning more about South Carolina’s native plants, habitats and ecology this certificate might be for you! You don’t have to pursue the certificate to take part in the classes but if you want to there is no time limit on completion. The program’s core classes cover everything from basic botany, horticulture and sustainable landscaping to natural plant communities and more. Electives might focus on a specific landscape or theme, but all are valuable in learning about this beautiful state we call home. South Carolina Native Plant Society members can receive a 10% discount off these programs.
For more details visit the certificate information page.
For registration go the events page.
In addition, there are several other adult education opportunities available at the SCBG. This spring, two talks which might be of interest to SCNP members are the ecology of spring wildflowers (March) and an introduction to native bees (April). Both introductory classes will be a mix of classroom time and Garden exploration and observation. Educator James Wilkins provides the chance to learn more about birds and explore areas of the Garden that are less well-travelled in the monthly programs Winged Wednesdays and Friday Garden Forays. Lastly, there is a new opportunity to embrace and nurture your artistic side. Educator, Allison Jones, will offer a class on nature journaling which is guaranteed to be a fun and relaxing way to engage with nature and learn more about the natural world.
Our programs for children and families are extensive. For the younger set we have Tot Tales and Trails and Garden Sprouts both focus on the under-fives. Homeschool days, Junior Naturalists and CircleUp! STEM all focus on school-age children. If you are looking to do something as a family, please visit our Nature Center and Hunt Cabin Open Houses which are held once a month on Saturday afternoons. For more details on all our programs, and to see any I may have missed, please visit our registration page.
The South Carolina Botanical Garden is a true treasure of the upstate with free public access daily and a well-rounded educational program. If you would like to support the Garden, please consider becoming a Friend of the Garden.
