Update: August 2022:  Offsite study trips are authorized for students in the 2022-23 school year so we are hosting traditional face-to-face field trips at Playcard again!  Please note that Playcard now has options for field trips including online and traditional face-to-face field experiences.  Thank you to all in administration for helping to reach this decision and for valuing the contributions of offsite field trips to the educational community.  This is the dawn of a new day in field trips for us!  We are hosting SwampFest on Saturday, November 5th 2022 10:00am - 3:00pm.  We are planning on hosting Baby Animal Day on Friday, March 31, 2023.  We are still going to host FREE virtual field trips for 2022-23 and will remain flexible to any schedule changes needed due to unforeseen circumstances.  We have now added Fossils of SC along with our Geology and Beach Tidepools and Trails offerings.  All you have to do to register for a free virtual field trip is to email babercrombie@horrycountyschools.net noting the date, time (one hour slot), and send us a working Google Meet or Zoom link and we will host the trip for you.  We are here to serve you.  Thank you for visiting in person and online.  

Digital Outreach Programs: Playcard offers Google Meets, Zoom Classes, Google Classroom, Forever Wild! Videos, and various other digital outreach programs for the fall semester of 2022 into spring 2023. 
Please see our virtual online environmental education opportunities for more information.  These opportunities will address science standards and will concentrate on local species identification and exploration, adaptations, outdoor skills, astronomy, and environmental themes.  We typically schedule twenty-five minute to one-hour digital outreach programs for up to entire grade levels school-wide and can host groups as small as individual classes.  Please allow 1.5 hours for full program delivery.    

SwampFest: Swampfest is planned for Saturday, November 5th 10:00am - 3:00pm.  Admission is FREE public invited.

Baby Animal Day: Friday, March 31, 2023.  Open enrollment to pre-k, k, and 1st graders.  Admission is $3 per child no charge for chaperones.  Enrollment is now open.  Enroll today!

In-person events: The plan for 2022-23 is to host face to face field experiences dependent upon conditions related to COVID-19.  Updates will be made available through this website.  We are hosting free periodic public outreach days on special events topics such as pollinators, mushrooms, astronomy, birding, fishing, primitive survival, and other useful outdoor skills.  Please see our special event section for details.

The price for on-site day trips is $3 per student, with no charge for chaperones.

Price for overnight camp is $15 per person, extra fees applicable for extra services and food costs. 

Arrival for day trips is after 9 am.

Please use the updated Use of Facility Form to process payments.

Playcard is committed to fostering knowledge of the relatedness of plants, animals, soil, water, and human beings through teaching the natural sciences in the special world of a blackwater swamp. Although primarily focused on Horry County, it can provide a model for environmental education centers across the Southeast.

At Playcard Environmental Education Center our goal is to instruct students in the natural sciences on-site, enabling them to experience first-hand the inter-relationships of living things. Teachers receive training which enhances their effectiveness in the classroom by increasing their knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching. The Center also provides a site for observation and study by various scientific disciplines.

In addition to natural science programs, the Education Center provides experiential leadership challenge course opportunities. Playcard facilitates day field trips, overnight camp-outs, special events, and teacher staff development.

Internship opportunities are available through a partnership between Horry County Schools, Coastal Carolina University, and the Horry County Conservation Foundation.