From the SC Dept. of Natural Resources
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteers to help with its annual Summer Turkey Survey.
Annually, since 1982, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources conducts a Summer Turkey Survey to estimate reproduction and recruitment of wild turkeys in South Carolina. The survey involves agency wildlife biologists, technicians and conservation officers, as well as many volunteers from other natural resource agencies and the general public. The survey is conducted in July and August each year.
According to Charles Ruth, Deer and Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR), “The Summer Turkey Survey is designed to monitor annual nesting success of hens and survival of their young, which has the greatest influence on wild turkey population dynamics. The information allows biologists to calculate many factors essential for sound turkey management including: average brood size, percentage of hens with and without young, gobbler to hen ratio, and overall numbers of turkeys seen. Combined with harvest data, this allows DNR to make scientifically based recommendations to the S.C. General Assembly in order to manage the wild turkey population now and in the future.”
If you are interested in participating in the annual Summer Turkey Survey additional information including instructions and recording forms can be found on the DNR website at the following address: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/turkey/volunbroodsurvey.html
Additional information on wild turkeys in South Carolina can be found on the DNR website at the following address: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/turkey/index.html
Fripp Island Reef gets new addition, provides marine life habitat
Six nautical miles off the coast of Fripp Island, barracuda are prowling the deck of a boat hull now resting 45 feet beneath the surface.
With support from the Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina and the Building Conservation Trust, the DNR deployed the 52-foot landing craft in an effort to build up the Fripp Island reef site, also known as PA-38. In addition to the boat hull itself, several sections of a steel radio tower were welded throughout the open deck in order to create a more complex habitat for the soon-to-be-resident fish. The Fripp Island Reef already contained several deck barges, armored personnel carriers from the Army National Guard and more than 200 concrete habitat modules.
“The Coastal Conservation Association has been a tremendous help to us in getting high-quality material like this landing craft distributed all along our coast. I have no doubt that this vessel, with the interior built up the way it is, will hold a great deal of fish in just a very short time,” said Robert Martore, artificial reef coordinator for DNR.
Artificial reefs are man-made structures laid on the seafloor that provide a foundation for the establishment of productive habitat for marine life. They attract fish and other marine organisms from many levels of the food chain, and DNR has established dozens of artificial reefs off the coast of South Carolina to increase the amount of fish habitat and enhance recreational opportunities for saltwater anglers and sport divers.
DNR constructs artificial reefs out of a variety of recycled steel and concrete materials. Structures like boat hulls are methodically stripped and cleaned before being sunk, leaving only empty steel hulls, in order to protect the surrounding marine environment.
The Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina (CCA) funded the preparation of the recently deployed 52-foot vessel, and officials have named the new reef section the CCA-Fripp Island Reef.
To learn more about DNR’s work on artificial reefs, visit http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/pub/seascience/artreef.html.
South Carolina to host 2016 National Archery in Schools World Tournament in Myrtle Beach
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources will assist in hosting the 2016 World National Archery in the Schools Tournament July 23-26 at the Myrtle Beach Sports Center in Myrtle Beach.
The tournament will consist of teams from across North American and Asia. A total of 4,378 youth archers registered to participate in the National Archery in the Schools (NASP) World Bullseye Tournament, and 1,120 are registered for the NASP World 3D Tournament being held at the same time.
South Carolina is well represented with 35 school teams sending archers to compete in this World Tournament. South Carolina has two archers who will be competing that recently took high honors at the NASP National Tournament where nearly 13,000 archers competed.
Riverlee Weaver of Socastee, a member of the St. James High School team of Murrells Inlet, placed third in the nation in the Bullseye Tournament and earned a spot on the NASP All-Star team that will be traveling to South Africa in July. Tabitha Way of Duncan, shooting for the Carolina Warriors Homeschool Team, placed second in the ladies division in the IBO 3-D Challenge.
For more information on the NASP World Tournament in Myrtle Beach, visit www.naspschool.org/events.
For more information about starting the National Archery in the Schools Program in your school, contact Staff Sgt. Scott Stephens at StephensM@dnr.sc.gov or call (843) 616-2151.