Information For:
Educators & Resource Managers  

Education, Outreach & Training

Educational programs for K-12, university and secondary school faculty and students, governmental regulatory personnel, environmentalists, and the general public are offered through the Baruch Institute, Baruch Field  Laboratory, and the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Community education programming includes short courses for children and adults, workshops and courses for teachers, and public seminars that engage and educate participants in various topics. Many of the courses incorporate information from research and/or involve participants directly in research projects.  Examples of this integration include "The Fishes of North Inlet Estuary" program where participants assist Baruch and Reserve scientists in the sorting, measurement, and weighing of fishes, shrimp, and crabs collected as part of a long-term biological survey started in 1984, and the “Bike to the Boardwalk” program, which includes overviews of forest ecology and research from Clemson’s on-site Baruch Institute for Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, and wildlife and forestry management information from ongoing Baruch Foundation conservation projects.

Other education experiences for public audiences include seasonal explorations of the salt marsh (by bicycle and kayak), summer beach programs, bird walks, seafood cooking classes co-sponsored with local businesses, and open houses of research facilities.  Schedules of education activities are produced three times a year and cover the periods: September-December, January-May and June-August.

Outreach activities include exhibits and hands-on activities at community festivals such as Huntington Beach State Park’s ‘Wildlife and History Day” and the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival, National events including Beach/River Sweep and Estuaries Day, and International events such as Earth Day.  Reserve staff are also active in the Georgetown affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and participate in several recycling, school outreach, and community enhancement programs. 

North Inlet-Winyah Bay NERR provides regional high school classes with water quality monitoring presentations that engage students in studies of their local watersheds and incorporate data collected from the NERR System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP).  The Reserve also offers field trip and classroom experiences for K-12 students, and the Field Laboratory provides estuarine field trips for university and college students from across the country and world.

The North Inlet-Winyah Bay Coastal Training Program (CTP) offers training on coastal issues which bring together environmental professionals and other coastal decision makers for information sharing, discussions and planning.  The CTP is a national initiative by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) created to provide science-based information, tools, and training to professionals whose working choices impact the health of coastal resources.  CTP events are offered in a variety of settings and formats (tailored to the specific needs of the audience).  Training typically involves a variety of instructors, such as university professors, industry practitioners, and technical experts, and emphasizes hands-on field training and participatory learning (incorporating local case studies whenever possible).

Other education experiences for public audiences include seasonal explorations of the salt marsh (by bicycle and kayak), summer beach programs, bird walks, seafood cooking classes co-sponsored with local businesses, and open houses of research facilities.  Schedules of education activities are produced three times a year and cover the periods: September-December, January-May and June-August.

Registration is limited for most activities and pre-registration by phone is recommended.  Contact the North Inlet-Winyah Bay NERR for more information or to share your ideas for future program offerings.