Public access to the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center is restricted to ensure ecological conservation and protection of the wildlife sanctuary. Special educational field trips are offered on a regular basis by appointment only.
To check the availability of the educational field trips listed below and make a reservation, please contact the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center office by email at WhamP@DNR.SC.GOV, by phone at 843-546-6814 between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 pm or leave a message on the answering machine. Reservations are required for all educational field trips and there is no charge involved. Weekly Educational Field Trips typically run in most weather conditions but other events may be weather dependent.
Learn about the history and cultural influences of Carolina Gold rice and its cultivation in Georgetown County and the land that is now the Yawkey Wildlife Center. Visit former rice plantations, including the Belle Isle rice chimney, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We will explore topics including the techniques of cultivating and processing rice, Gullah Culture, and the present-day ecological influences of former rice fields. This trip requires little walking, but participants will need to navigate 2 floating docks and a pontoon boat to cross the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as a few steps onto the tour bus.
