2024 Waccamaw Week
The Waccamaw Riverkeeper and our partners, North Inlet – Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and CCU’s Waccamaw Watershed Academy, will host the 2024 Waccamaw Week from March 22 through March 30. During the week of World Water Day, we will host activities and events celebrating the floral beauty of the Waccamaw River watershed.
Our theme this year is Grown with the Flow and is all about native plants! Native plants play an important role in maintaining a healthy Waccamaw River watershed ecosystem. More than just pretty flowers, plants provide a wide-range of benefits. Native plants protect water quality, create a healthy ecosystem, and support local wildlife. Using native plants at home can also help you save time and money on garden maintenance. Our local diverse plant life makes the Waccamaw River watershed unique and beautiful. Grow with the Flow aims to celebrate the plants we see everyday.
Waccamaw Week will feature outdoor activities, interactive competitions, and a native plant garden installation! We hope you will join us for a week of exciting events.
The Waccamaw Week is an annual educational event for the public focused on the importance of our natural water resources and efforts to protect them. The 2024 event is co-hosted by the Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® Program of Winyah Rivers Alliance, North Inlet – Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and CCU’s Waccamaw Watershed Academy. This FREE community event is open to all and we hope to see you at events throughout the week!
WEEK OF EVENTS
Outdoor Movie Night
Far Out Field Day
Myrtle Beach Green Drinks
Invasive Plant Removal on the Waccamaw
Beautification Day
River Jump
INTERACTIVE COMPETITIONS
Student Science Poster & Art Contest
Grow with the Flow BioBlitz
Outdoor Movie Night
Friday, March 22, 2024 | 7:00pm – 9:30pm | Kimbel Lodge at Hobcaw Barony | 147 Pond Pine Rd Georgetown, SC 29440
We’re blooming on the big screen! What better way to kick off Waccamaw Week than with a movie night? Come enjoy plants as both science and fiction!
Our outdoor movie night will feature the premier of our educational video, “Flora the Explorer.” Learn all about our native plants as Flora explores the Waccamaw River watershed with local experts. Following the premiere, settle in for our feature film, the 1963 science fiction horror classic, The Day of the Triffids.
We will have the popcorn hot and ready! Grab your Birkenstocks, bring a lawn chair or blanket, movie snacks, and join the fun!
Far Out Field Day
Sunday, March 24, 2024 | 12:00pm – 4:00pm | Cox Ferry Lake Recreation Area | Cox Ferry Circle, Conway, SC 29526
It’s time for us to get down to earth! Explore the natural beauty of a Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge! Whether you’re interested in learning more about native plants and animals, better understanding the watershed, or just want to play outside, this event has something for everyone! Join us and our partners for guided nature tours on the trails and on the water. Check out our schedule of tours below!
| Native Plant Walk | 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm | 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm | 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm | 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm |
| Kayak Tour | 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm | 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm | 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm | 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm |
| Pontoon Tour | 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm | 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm | 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm | 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm |
| Birding Walk | 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm | 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm | 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm | |
| River Flow Yoga | 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm | 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm |
Native Plant Walk – Take a guided native plant walk along the trails of the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge with local plant experts from the Grand Strand Chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society.
Kayak Tour – Paddle on a guided kayak tour on the Waccamaw River with your Waccamaw Riverkeeper, Cara Schildtknecht, to see the native aquatic plants. Kayaks provided by Waccamaw Outfitters!
Pontoon Tour – Set sail for a guided pontoon tour on the Waccamaw River with captain Matt of Waccamaw Outfitters.
Birding Walk – Check out the local bird life with a guided birding adventure led by members of the local Winyah Audubon Society.
River Flow Yoga – Get down to earth with River Flow yoga guided by Maeve Snyder, Coastal Training Program Coordinator and trained yoga instructor. Bring your own yoga mat or towel to grow with the flow!
Tour spaces are limited, so make sure to reserve your tickets now. Register here for your Far Out Field Day tours! You can choose to register for as many activities as you like.
Throughout the entire time we will have educational exhibits from local conservation organizations so you can learn more about the watershed and how you can get involved locally to help protect it. We will also have an arts and crafts activity where you can make cool native plant inspired crafts!
Come join the fun and explore your local Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge!
Myrtle Beach Green Drinks with Waccamaw Week!
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 |5:30pm – 7:30 pm | Bonfire Taqueria | 951 2nd Ave, Conway, SC 29526
Let’s water our garden of green-minded locals! Myrtle Beach Green Drinks is a monthly happy hour series hosted by local organizations who are providing solutions to environmental concerns. Enjoy some socialization, education, and networking.
March’s event is hosted by the coordinators of Waccamaw Week. Waccamaw Week is an annual educational event for the public focused on the importance of our natural water resources and efforts to protect them. The 2024 event is co-hosted by the Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® Program of Winyah Rivers Alliance, North Inlet – Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and CCU’s Waccamaw Watershed Academy.
This event is FREE and open to the public so bring your friends and family!
Invasive Plant Removal on the Waccamaw
Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm | J Todd Landing
The biggest threat to native plants is their invasive counterparts. Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) is an invasive species impacting the waters of the Waccamaw River. While it may look pretty in a pond, it can be a real nuisance when it escapers into our natural waterways where it outcompetes native plants while clogging the tributaries and swamps of the river.
We are partnering with Coastal Carolina University’s Outdoor Rec and Sustain Coastal on this exciting project. We will be removing invasive water hyacinth from the Waccamaw River and transporting it to the Horry County Solid Waste Authority where it will be incorporated into compost. Removing the entire plant is the only way to keep it from coming back in the river.
Join us and get dirty removing this invasive plant from our river! Boaters and kayakers are needed as well as land-based volunteers.
Register online to participate! Registration is free, but we have limited space available for this activity. Registration for kayaks is open only to CCU students, staff, and faculty, but anyone is invited to come help.
Beautification Day & River Jump
Saturday, March 30, 2024 | 9:00am – 12:00pm | City of Conway Marina | 4 Elm Street, Conway, SC 29526
We are bringing more native plants to downtown Conway! We will be installing a native plant garden at the City of Conway Marina. Native plant gardens provide a variety of benefits for both humans and the environment. The preservation of our natural world in the Waccamaw River watershed is integral to protecting our natural resources. Because native plants naturally exist in the local ecosystem, they offer unique opportunities for preservation and restoration. The benefits are wide-reaching and will be a wonderful addition to the City of Conway landscape.
Volunteers are needed to help with the installation of the native plants. Spots are limited for the garden installation so we are asking that you register to participate. Register to volunteer for the garden installation here!
Volunteers can also participate in a cleanup at the Conway Marina and Riverwalk. Want to clean up the river? Bring your kayak or boat and get on the water! No registration is needed to participate in the cleanup!
River Jump
Saturday, March 30, 2024 | 12:00pm | City of Conway Marina | 4 Elm Street, Conway, SC 29526
After we get dirty by putting down roots, we will be jumping into clean water during our annual River Jump! Our Waccamaw Week planning team are fundraising to see if they have to jump on the day. Help them meet their goals and come out to see them jump into clean water. Donations will support this and future Waccamaw Week events.
You can join the jump! Register on our fundraising site with Kindful to become a River Jumper or make a donation to one of our River Jumpers. Who do you want to see jump into the cold – but clean – waters of the Waccamaw on March 30th? Visit our Waccamaw Week Fundraising Page to donate or to join as a River Jumper!
Need help registering to participate? Check out this video below on how to join or view the Join the Jumping Into Clean Water Fundraiser for Waccamaw Week document here.
Student Science Poster & Art Contest
Submission accepted through March 15, 2024
We want to nurture our local students into sprouting their creativity! Students (K-12th and post-secondary) are invited to enter a science poster or artwork that focuses on our theme, Grow with the Flow. This is a broad topic that is open to individual interpretation! Students may choose to enter something applicable that has already been developed or create an entirely new science poster or artwork. Examples include: science class or club project, environmental stewardship or volunteer initiative, artwork (e.g., painting, photography, poem) and more. Creativity is always welcome!
Science poster and artwork submissions will be separated and organized into the following grade levels: Elementary (K-5th); Middle (6th-8th); High (9th-12th); and Post-secondary (e.g., university, institute). One 1st place award will be given to the winner of each age group in both the science and art categories.
Want to submit your science poster or art? Read our 2024 Waccamaw Week Student Science Poster & Art Contest Guidelines and submit your poster or artwork with a completed Submission Form.
Grow with the Flow BioBlitz
We’re growing our community science! Join our Grow with the Flow BioBlitz as part of the 2024 Waccamaw Week. Venture out into the Waccamaw River watershed and collect observations to help us better understand our environment and all the awesome species that live here. You’ll be impressed by the biodiversity you can find even in your own backyard! How many species can you observe during the BioBlitz?
The Grow with the Flow BioBlitz will take place from March 1st through March 30th. Make sure to add your observations to the project! We will announce our top observers and present awards before the River Jump on March 30th!
To participate, visit our Grow with the Flow BioBlitz Project Page on iNaturalist, join the project, and start observing! To learn more about iNaturalist and how you can use it, check out All About iNaturalist, a video tutorial from our Waccamaw Week team.
Contact Us
Cara Schildtknecht
Waccamaw Riverkeeper
Winyah Rivers Alliance
(843) 779-2227
Maeve Snyder
Coastal Training Program Coordinator
North Inlet – Winyah Bay NERR
(843) 904-9034
