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| ACSEC E-Newsletter |
March/April 2016
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CLICK THE DROPS BELOW FOR MORE INFO
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Programs and Resources
Create Your Own Carolina Yard!
Build Your Own Rain Garden!
 | | Residential Rainwater Harvesting Manual |
| | Coastal Friendly Living Guide and Links to other SC Sea Grant Publications |
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This booklet explores tidal creek ecosystems and the various threats to the valuable services they provide
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Guide for Community Associations
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Home and Garden Information Center  | | Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Inspector |
Free for Teachers: New SC Standards-Based Watershed Lessons and Interactive Whiteboard Activities SC Green Steps Program Disposing of Household Waste County Solid Waste and Recycling Center Info Berkeley County Charleston County Dorchester County Interactive Maps SC Watershed Stewardship Map SC NEMO LID Atlas  | | SC Coastal Information Network Website Search for Training Opportunities |
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Volunteer Opportunities
Litter Sweeps
 | | KAB Affiliates |
Storm Drain Marking
 | Mark Storm Drains In Your Neighborhood and Promote Awareness that Storm Drains and Ditches Connect to SC's Waterways
Email Angela Crouch |
Oyster Reef Restoration and Water Quality Monitoring
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SCORE Program
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Top Pic: ACSEC Planning for the Future!
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You'll notice that this edition of the Ripple Effect is jam packed with opportunities for you to get involved in helping keep your favorite Lowcountry waterways healthy! We're excited for what 2016 has in store. Here, some of our community partners from Berkeley County, are already hard at work planning for a future site of the next ACSEC rain garden demonstration site and workshop.
We will see you on the water and in the field!
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New Resource: Cistern Installation Video
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This past December, we were busy installing a 500-gallon cistern at Clemson University's Simpson Research Center in Pendleton South Carolina! This cistern will be used to supply water for hosing off a concrete area heavily used by sheep and human foot traffic. This cistern will also serve as a highly visible demonstration project for visitors including students from nearby Clemson University and farmers during regular field day events.
Check out our new video on rainwater harvesting and our day at the Research Center HERE! |
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Tip of the Month: When dooty calls, trash it!
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Yikes! According to SCDHEC, over 10,000 pounds of dog waste are produced in the Tri-County per day. Dog waste that is properly disposed of is not only a stinky nuisance, but can be a significant contributor of bacteria and pathogens to our favorite creeks, rivers and beaches. Keep your yard and sidewalk tidy by picking up and properly disposing of pet waste. Your waterways (and shoes) will thank you.
Follow the following tips to dispose of Fido's waste and keep our water healthy:
1. Throw it in the trash. Carry a bag with you on doggy walks so your ready to pick up any waste to dispose of in your trash for pickup. Don't compost pet waste and never dispose of down the storm drain.
2. Create or purchase an in-ground waste digester. This acts like a mini septic system, allowing the waste to safely break down without contaminating local waterways. If you pick up after your pet with corn starch biodegradable bags, these can be thrown right into the digester together!
3. Flush it. This is likely not an option for many, but it does take care of the problem. Flushing dog waste ensures that it will be treated at the sewage treatment plant, or treated by your home septic system. If on a septic tank system, make sure the system can handle the additional input and is regularly inspected and properly maintained.
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SC Native Plants Society Spring Plant Sale
March 19
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SCNPS Plant Sale
The SC Native Plants Society Lowcountry Chapter will host their spring plant sale on March 19th from 9am-noon at Charles Towne Landing! The sale will be pollinator-focused; your local birds, bees and butterflies (among other creatures) will thank you for purchasing your spring plantings at the sale!
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Community Fairs & Festivals:
March - April 2016
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Spring has sprung, and in the ACSEC this means the opportunity to attend a community-based fair or festival, many of which are themed around the Earth Day Celebration. Keep an eye out for the ACSEC booth, we hope to see you there!
Berkeley County - Backyard Naturescope!
April 6, 2016
MUSC Earth Day
When: Wednesday, April 13th, 11AM to 2PM
Where: MUSC "Horseshoe"
Santee Cooper Environmental Expo
When: Wednesday, April 20th, 10:00AM to 3:00PM
Where: Santee Cooper Headquarters
Charleston County Earth Day Festival
When: Saturday, April 23 from 10:00AM to 4:00PM
Where: Riverfront Park, North Charleston
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Master Pond Manager:
Register Today for Spring 2016! |
The next Master Pond Manager course begins March 26th, with field day locations in the Florence/Darlington. This Clemson Extension-sponsored course provides management strategies to stormwater and recreational pond owners and managers through online classroom and hands-on field training. Participants can complete the full Master Pond Manager training, or complete a Letter of Completion in Recreational or Stormwater Pond Management. Participants in the full Master Pond Manager course will receive three Category 5 pesticide CEC hours.
Registration for the Spring 2016 session ends soon!
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Commercial Pesticide Applicator License Prep Course (Core, Category 3 and Category 5)
March 31, 2016
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Proper pesticide application helps to prevent to stormwater pollution in our community. On March 31, 2016, the Clemson Extension Service and Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium will host a full-day workshop for landscape and pond management professionals pursuing their Category Three "Turf and Ornamental Pest Control" or Category Five "Aquatic Pest Control" commercial applicator license. Course content will include best practices for application and integrated pest management techniques.
To find out more information, visit the workshop website.
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Save the Date! Clean Marine Event, May 12th-14th
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Take part in the upcoming Clean Marine, May 12th to 14th! As part of this event, you can bring your unwanted fishing and boating gear to be safely disposed, helping keep these items out of waterways where would become a hazard to navigation and marine wildlife, as well as degrade water quality. Clean Marine disposal locations will be hosted at ten marinas/boat landings across the Charleston County and the Charleston Harbor. These sites will be accepting a wide array of items including monofilament, paints, oil, boating gear and crab traps.
Interested in helping out? Volunteers are needed! To find out more on the Clean Marine event, visit the SC Sea Grant Consortium Abandoned Vessels and Clean Marine Project.
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The ACSEC Rain Barrel Sale is HERE!
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Our FOURTH ACSEC Annual Rain Barrel Sale is here!
This is a pre-order and pickup sale. Order your IVY rain barrel now for a discounted $68, and schedule your pick up at one of three locations in June. Preorder is available until May 29, 2016. Pick up locations will take place at the following locations and dates:
June 2 - Summerville
June 3 - Goose Creek
June 4 - North Charleston
To find out more information on the IVY Rain Barrel and the ACSEC-sponsored sale, visit the sale website.
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Seeds to Shoreline Teacher Training Workshops:
June 29th and 30th
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Are you a South Carolina teacher interested in participating in the "From Seeds to Shoreline" youth wetland restoration program? This standards-based curriculum is the only program of its kind in South Carolina that actively engages students in wetland restoration efforts. Participating in this summer's "From Seeds to Shoreline" teacher workshop is an important first step to becoming involved.
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4-H2O Summer Day Camp - Register today!
June 20-24, 2016
July 18-22, 2016
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Registration is now open for Clemson's 4-H2O "Exploring Lowcountry Waterways" Summer Day Camp. Youth will learn about watershed stewardship and coastal ecology by exploring their local watersheds, from cypress knees to sandy beaches! Along the way we will kayak, dip net, travel aboard boats, walk swamp boardwalks, view microscopic life, take water quality samples, and much more. We will also meet many friends, such as experts from SC SeaGrant, SC DNR, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, CCPRC, and SC Audubon!
This camp is offered by Clemson Extension's Carolina Clear and 4-H programs and is open to youth in the Tri-County area ages 10-13.
Register today! To learn more and to register, visit the 4H2O website. |
Stormwater Jeopardy:
Schedule Your School Program Today!
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Attention teachers! Are you looking for a fun way to engage your students about stormwater, watersheds and environmental stewardship!? The ACSEC education intern, Stacey, has created a new ACSEC educational offering, Stormwater Jeopardy!
Stormwater Jeopardy is an interactive learning presentation to teach students about our local waterways and the relationship between actions on land and the health of these water bodies. Schedule a classroom visit today with Stormwater Jeopardy by contacting Stacey Weinstock!
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Thank You Adopt-A-Highway Volunteers!
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During 2015, 3,530 Adopt-A-Highway volunteers in the Tri-County helped remove 117,536 pounds of litter from 658 miles of highway.
Thank you Adopt-A-Highway volunteers! Adopt a highway or roadway in your community and help keep South Carolina litter free! For more information, visit the Adopt-A-Highway website.
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Charleston STEM Festival 2016
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This February we had the privilege to participate in the Charleston STEM Festival. The STEM Festival, where STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is an initiative on behalf of the Lowcountry STEM Collaborative. This event is a part of their mission to engage the community to advance STEM awareness, interest and literacy, thereby establishing our region as a leader in STEM education, and bolstering our STEM workforce.
The festival was held February 6th on a cold, windy Saturday at Brittlebank Park, however, the weather didn't seem to matter as the festival had a record breaking 10,000 attendees! The ACSEC booth was housed in the Clemson University Restoration Institute tent. We were out in full force educating children and adults about the importance of managing stormwater. It was a joy talking to the public and being amongst so many other great organizations spreading the importance of STEM education.
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Lady Cougars STEM Education Day
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This past February was a busy time! College of Charleston hosted their annual Lady Cougars STEM Education day on Friday, February 19th. This event brought students from all over the Tri-County area who were treated to a morning of STEM outreach and a free college basketball game. This year they had over 200 local businesses and organizations participating and spreading their environmental message! ACSEC was there representing and teaching about stormwater with our favorite Enviroscape model. We had a blast talking to kids and teachers, thanks Cougars!
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James Island Career Fair Day
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On February 24th, we were invited to participate in the James Island Career Fair. Our lovely host was the James Island Charter School who were incredibly welcoming and professional in the organization of this event. Discussing working in the environmental field was a treat for our ACSEC intern, Stacey, who enjoyed answering questions about stormwater and the path to being a scientist. Thank you again James Island Charter for a wonderful morning!
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"Beyond the Silt Fence:
Sediment and Erosion Control Workshop"
February 23rd, Columbia SC
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On February 23rd, Clemson Extension's Carolina Clear program hosted the "Beyond the Silt Fence: Sediment and Erosion Control Workshop," held on February 23, 2016 at the Sandhills REC in Columbia, SC. More than 35 participants learned about best practices for preventing erosion and controlling sediment on construction sites. Thanks to all of the contractors, engineers, and municipal and county staff who took part!
Keep your eyes peeled - the ACSEC will be bringing this workshop to the Lowcountry soon!
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Thank you! for reading this edition of the Ripple Effect, the Ashley Cooper Stormwater Education Consortium (ACSEC) E-newsletter. Like ripples on the water, we hope you will pass on your knowledge, and this newsletter, to others.
Thank You!
for protecting SC's water resources!
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Storm Drains and Ditches Lead to SC Waterways
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THE ACSEC MISSON
The ACSEC is a regional partnership between counties, municipalities, universities, state and local agencies, non-profits and other organizations in the Tri-County region.
The ACSEC mission: Improve water quality within the Ashley and Cooper River basins by providing educational opportunities on stormwater impacts and our community roles in supporting healthy, fishable, and swimmable waterways.
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For Protecting South Carolina's Waterways
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Have a workshop or event request, or just want to know more? Please contact us!
Water Resources Extension Agent
Water Resources Extension Agent
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Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
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