Into the Wild

An oyster shell may look like the end of a meal, but along the South Carolina coast, it can also be the beginning of something new.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

South Carolina is a growing state, but beneath that growth is something we all share: a remarkable natural landscape stretching from the Blue Ridge to the Atlantic. Think of it as a garden. Forests, rivers, wetlands, marshes, fields, and coastal waters all work together to support the plants and animals that make South Carolina special.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

Sometimes conservation starts with something that seems almost too simple to matter: picking up a piece of trash.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

A flash of golden yellow moves through the shade of a South Carolina swamp. That small bird is a prothonotary warbler, and in 2026, South Carolina named it our official state migratory bird.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

Walk through a South Carolina forest and look closely at an old oak, a fence rail, or even a bare rock. Those pale green, gray, or orange patches are often lichens - and each one is really a partnership.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

Few birds look more effortless in flight than a swallow-tailed kite. Its black-and-white body and deeply forked tail make it easy to recognize as it circles above a South Carolina swamp.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

When people hear the word shark, they usually picture deep ocean water. But many young sharks spend part of the year much closer to shore, inside South Carolina's bays, sounds, and estuaries.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

A bobcat can live surprisingly close to people and still go almost unseen. Its spotted coat, quiet feet, and habit of moving through thick cover make it one of South Carolina's most secretive predators.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

A smooth slide down a muddy bank, a trail of tracks, or a quick ripple beside a log may be the only sign that a river otter has passed through.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.

On a humid evening, a field or forest edge can begin blinking with tiny points of light. Fireflies are not flies at all. They are beetles, and their flashes are a form of communication.

For more from Into the Wild, visit southcarolinapublicradio.org/intothewild.

For more information about the SC Department of Natural Resources, visit dnr.sc.gov.