CALHOUN COUNTY, S.C. — St. Matthews K8 students are discovering nature at their doorstep. They took a trip to the Congaree Bluff Heritage Preserve and got exposed to different elements of wildlife right in Calhoun County.
“What I’ve learned today was about all the different types of soil and all the layers and animals that bring down the soil and use nutrients," said fourth grader Kennedy Fordham.
Fordham joined a team of four teams led by the Forestry Commission, Department of Natural Resources, and Wildlife Federation in an expedition on the 75-acre preserve.
“A lot of times, people wanna see stuff that’s outside the country and they don’t realize how beautiful stuff in their backyard is and we have some of the coolest habitat in the world, I think," said SC DNR natural resource technician Cameron Foster.
They became educated on all the key components of the ecosystem from the importance of healthy soil in the ground, to the diversity of birds in the sky, everything in between.
The goal is for students to develop a greater appreciation for the environment around them.
“I’m just hoping that they’ll maybe not now, maybe not in five years, but when they get a little older, it took me a while to appreciate what they have here, and maybe they’ll wanna protect it," he said.
The program is organized and sponsored by the Calhoun Soil and Water Conservation District.