South Carolina’s ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve gets its name from the three rivers that meet at St. Helena Sound—the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto. The Reserve’s 99,308 acres of pine and hardwood upland, oyster reef, forested wetland, barrier islands, cypress swamp, and tidal marsh combine to make this one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast and home to many endangered species. The Reserve partners with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to restore oyster reefs that can be found alongside tidal marshes, which in turn keep the coastal water clean and protect local communities.

Explore the impact of ACE Basin Reserve’s educational programs in 2019, from virtual lab tours to hands-on experiences where students grow native shoreline plants and collect restoration data.