SCMEA 2015: Watershed Moments
On October 23, 2015, Charleston Waterkeeper’s Staff Scientist travelled to Greenville, SC, to attend the 2015 South Carolina Marine Educators Association (SCMEA)’s Annual Conference. SCMEA is a non-profit organization that aims to improve and expand marine education in South Carolina. SCMEA holds an annual conference intended to keep members up-to-date on the latest resources available. The 2015 conference was held from October 23-25 in Greenville, SC, at the Roper Mountain Science Center. Charleston Waterkeeper was invited by the SCMEA Board of Directors to give a presentation about Charleston Waterkeeper’s watershed education work. Here, Cheryl recaps the experience.
During the conference, I gave a presentation on the value of our Recreational Water Quality Monitoring Program and how it serves as an asset to SCMEA’s membership base and the Charleston community. Click here to see my full presentation: CarmackC_SCMEA. However, the greatest value of attending the SCMEA annual conference comes not from presenting, but from the abundance of new information, resources, and contacts obtained. SCMEA members provide a wealth of knowledge regarding environmental and marine education all across the state of South Carolina.
Not all marine educators work in a traditional classroom setting. I attended sessions led by marine educators from the Watershed Ecology Center (through USC Upstate), Patriot’s Point, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, DNR’s ACE Basin NERR, and graduate students from Clemson University. It is inspiring to hear about the variety of programs being offered by passionate educators from across a wide span of backgrounds. Presentations included ways to incorporate art into your lessons, simplifying difficult concepts using a story, and a day camp dedicated to teaching kids all about the importance of our oceans. Learn more about these efforts by visiting the websites provided above. These hard-working folks are dedicated to providing the necessary tools to help ensure conscious stewardship of our state’s natural resources for generations to come.
Learn more about Charleston Waterkeeper’s Education Program here.
