Learn How To Grow Blueberries
June 9, 2025
13th Annual Bountiful Brunch Benefit
July 10, 2025Pee Dee Land Trust partners with Francis Marion University for the first Environmental Science Summer Internship Program.
Pee Dee Land Trust (PDLT) is proud to partner with Francis Marion University’s (FMU) Environmental Science summer internship program. We welcomed Savannah Watts and Dawson Francis to our team June 2, 2025 for the 6-week intern period. This paid internship is funded by FMU’s PEAK Grant program (Professional Experience and Knowledge) that focuses on opportunities to develop student’s professional knowledge and career-readiness skills.
Savannah Watts is originally from Georgetown, South Carolina, and graduated from Carvers Bay High School. Savannah is currently a rising junior at Francis Marion University, where she is majoring in Biology. She hopes to pursue a career as a wildlife biologist, with a focus on conservation and animal behavior. In her free time, Savannah enjoys photography and reading, and she’s always eager to learn more about the natural world!
Dawson Francis is a rising senior at Francis Marion and grew up in Darlington. Dawson attended the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics before enrolling at Wofford College. After a couple of years at Wofford, he decided to come back home and transferred to Francis Marion for his junior and senior years. Dawson is an environmental science major and cites his years in Scouts as a major influence on this decision. When not busy with school he enjoys being outdoors, fishing, playing the guitar, and spending time with his family.
Special thanks to Dr. Drew Gower, Assistant Professor of Biology at Francis Marion University, for partnering with PDLT to apply for the PEAK Grant for this summer’s internship. Dr. Gower joined the FMU faculty in 2023 and currently teaches ENVR 101- Introduction to Environmental Science and ENVR 201-Water Quality & Water Resource Management. PDLT staff have enjoyed presenting to Dr. Gower’s classes over the last few years. From these presentations about land conservation, that is only lightly covered by text books, PDLT has had the opportunity to share information about land protection work across the Pee Dee Watershed, but more importantly to expose students to a wide range of opportunities they may pursue in the conservation industry.
PDLT”s partnership with FMU continues to grow. Biology classes have participated in hands-on learning opportunities on PDLT’s Dargan Preserve and Mozingo Preserve, both located on Black Creek in Darlington for many years. Most recently, with the instruction of
Dr. Jeff Steinmetz and Dr. Kristofoland Varazo, FMU student Emily Buddin conducted a water quality research project on Black Creek.
Hughes Page, PDLT’s Land Conservation Manager (FMU graduate 2009 and 2024 Biology Department Alumni of the Year), spearheads much of the partnership activities. PDLT’s Director of Conservation, Seth Cook, and Finance Director, Erika Cook, both received their MBA from FMU. PDLT looks forward to expanding the partnership through FMU’s new Forestry program in the coming years.
About Pee Dee Land Trust
Pee Dee Land Trust focuses on the nine counties in the Pee Dee watershed of South Carolina, which includes Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg counties. Its mission is to protect, and to promote an appreciation of, the significant natural, agricultural, and historical resources of the Pee Dee Watershed through voluntary land conservation and educational programs. PDLT has a toolbox full of options to help landowners who are interested in planning their land legacy to permanently protect the conservation resources on their land. Donated conservation easements or bargain-sale conservation easements are the primary tool, however PDLT has experience working with fee acquisition projects as well.
With its 115th conservation project to date, PDLT has now protected over 50,000 acres in the Pee Dee Watershed. While remaining in private ownership, the lands protected through conservation easements held by PDLT ensure that special places will be available for farming, forestry, and recreation for future generations. Through the use of permanent agreements, PDLT and landowners work as partners to ensure that land use activities on private property are limited in order to preserve key conservation values which benefit the public. These values include open space such as rural scenic views along roads and rivers, flood mitigation and natural water filtration, habitat for wildlife including game and non-game species, and the protection of farm and forest land to ensure it remains in farming and forestry rather than being converted to other uses.
There are endless ways to support PDLT as an individual or as an organization, including annual Membership, event sponsorship, hosting experiences, donations to one of the endowments, land donations and planned estate giving opportunities. Join PDLT’s conservation community today! https://www.peedeelandtrust.org/