EEASC 2025 Conference: Making Waves

Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2025
Location: Darlington Middle School, 150 Pinedale Drive, Darlington, SC 29532
Time: 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Join us for a Green Step Schools (GSS) Gathering at Darlington Middle School, where we will celebrate achievements, explore innovative sustainability projects, and tour the Outdoor Environmental Awareness Center! This event is a fantastic opportunity for educators and mentors to network, learn, and share ideas that support environmental stewardship and sustainability education.

Event Schedule
8:30 AM – Sign In & Networking
8:45 – Presentation of School & Mentor Awards
9:15 – Introduction of Exciting New GSS Projects
10:15 – Tour of the DMS Outdoor Environmental Awareness Center
11:15 – Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks
Green Step Schools empowers students to engage in sustainability projects that make a lasting impact on their schools and communities. Learn more at eeasc.org/Green-Step-Schools.

Questions? Contact Jane Hiller at gss@eeasc.org. 

Directions: Do NOT follow GPS directions, as GPS frequently takes you on an unnecessary detour. Use the following instead:
From Hwy 52 South/Irby St:

1. Turn right onto Old Number 4 Hwy
2. Go about 2 miles and turn right onto County Park Rd (there are two large park signs here)
3. Go about 1 mile and enter the main gates of the park
4. Make the first left into the parking lot and look for the large, round building on your left. 

During this guided tour of Lynches River County Park, participants will explore the Park through a combination of short walks on (mostly) flat paved surfaces and shuttles on the Park’s bus. Following the guided tour, participants will be free to explore the Park on their own and will have free access to the climbing wall (closed toed shoes are required for the climbing wall). Coffee, water, juice and muffins will be available at check-in; please bring a reusable coffee mug and/or water bottle.

Lynches River County Park is a 676-acre park in the heart of Florence County. It is owned and operated by Florence County Parks and Recreation and plays host to more than 170,000 visitors each year. The Park is home to many amenities such as walking trails, picnic shelters, a newly renovated Splash Pad, a canoe and kayak launch, climbing wall and a championship-level disc golf course (opening summer 2025) and the Environmental Discovery Center. The park features scenic views of Lynches River, offering opportunities for fishing, birdwatching, and wildlife observation. Visitors can also enjoy a canopy walk, playgrounds, and family- and equestrian-friendly campsites as well as equestrian trails and arena space, making it a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts and families. Throughout the year, the park hosts educational programs, nature workshops, and community events to engage visitors of all ages.

Questions? Contact Keith Willoughby at director@eeasc.org.

Welcome to the 2025 EEASC Conference!

Ever find yourself up the creek without paddle? Me too! Join us as we discuss one teacher’s journey on a rather polluted creek and how her students inspired a community to take action. This story not only made ripples in their local community, but they made ongoing waves of change!  

Participants will complete numerous hands-on/minds-on activities that introduce them to the creation and use of Dichotomous Keys of living and nonliving things found in South Carolina and the USA. Through the use of Dichotomous Keys (created by the workshop presenter), environmental educators will learn fish external morphology that will enable them to correctly identify the major South Carolina freshwater and saltwater fish.  If time is available, participants will also learn how to use ID keys to identify South Carolina plants, insects, clouds, rocks & minerals and more. This workshop has its roots and is in memory of Rudy Mancke.  

Water is a substance that is vital to all life. Understanding why helps students appreciate the importance of protecting this priceless resource. Through hands-on activities the concepts of bonding, cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, and solution become understandable for elementary and older students.  

Learn and practice how to identify common tree species of South Carolina. You will first learn basic terminology that describes physical characteristics of trees. Then you will go on a forest hike to practice identifying many tree species using a field guide.  

This presentation explores the transformative impact of food forests on communities, education, and daily life, emphasizing their role as sustainable, multi-functional ecosystems. It highlights how food forests foster community engagement by creating inclusive spaces for social interaction, cultural exchange, and educational growth. The educational benefits are examined through hands-on learning opportunities, environmental awareness, and intergenerational knowledge sharing. The everyday advantages of food forests, such as improved health, reduced grocery expenses, and contributions to climate resilience, are presented as vital to enhancing well-being. Challenges, like funding and maintenance, are acknowledged with solutions that emphasize collaboration and innovation. By cultivating food forests, communities can plant the seeds for a sustainable and thriving future.

Come hang with your fellow PLT and WILD workshop facilitators at this informal, yet informational and fun meetup! Facilitators will learn about the latest and greatest changes to the programs, get their hands on some new educational resources, and meet and collaborate with other facilitators.