The Butler Conservation Outdoor Education Program
Provides inspiring outdoor experiences for students and families.
Butler Conservation (BC) values the education of younger generations as a critical element in the long-term protection of natural ecosystems. Often children living close to the wonders of the natural environment have little or no direct exposure to it.
The Butler Conservation Fund created the Black River Cypress Preserve Outdoor Education Program (BRCP/OEP) in 2012 to provide educational and recreational opportunities, often free of charge, for students grades 6-12 and their families.
Working with schools, teachers, and parents, the BRCP/OEP spring and fall programming offer aerobic exercise and environmental education through kayaking excursions on the Black River. BRCP partners with a local outfitter company, Coastal Expeditions, that has highly-qualified staff with extensive experience and local knowledge.
The BRCP/OEP involves intensive hands-on learning, teaching conservation, and environmental stewardship through immersion in the ecology, history, and natural beauty of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Guides are trained naturalists with certifications in kayaking, first aid, and lifeguarding. Participants embark on a four-hour kayaking adventure that combines local history, environmental education, and teambuilding. Since its inception, more than 13,000 students have taken part in BRCP/OEP field trips in the Charleston area and on the Black River.
Contact us for more information about the BRCP/OEP program.