After a stellar showing at the 2025 National Wildlife Habitat Education Program Competition this summer, South Carolina is looking forward to having some success on its home soil next year.
The 2026 National WHEP Competition will be held next July at the Future Farmers of America Leadership Center in North Myrtle Beach, marking the first time South Carolina has hosted the event since 1992.
WHEP is a national hands-on environmental education program that is dedicated to teaching wildlife and fisheries habitat conservation and management. The program allows form teams of 3-4 youth on the junior and senior level to learn and test their wildlife knowledge in a friendly competition. Youth participating in the program learn about wildlife, terms and concepts, and how to effectively manage their habitat. Teams compete in either the FFA division or the 4-H division.
To advance to the national competition, teams had to win the South Carolina WHEP State Contest, which was held at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown in April.
The national competition was in Crossville, Tennessee, and the senior level FFA team from the South Carolina Governor’s School of Agriculture returned home with a national championship in their division. The senior level 4-H team representing Lexington/Clarendon County placed fifth in their division.
“The experience meant a lot to me because it showed me all of the possibilities within wildlife management and helped me decide what I want to do for my future,” said Luke Williams, a member of the South Carolina FFA team. Williams, who also placed first in the individual competition, said he wants to be a wildlife biologist focusing on waterfowl and/or wild turkeys, helping to promote conservation and habitat for those animals.
Joining Williams on the team were Lainey Patten, Cooper Harrison and Savannah Griffin, who took home a third-place award in the individual competition. Hunter Morton coached the team.
“My favorite part of WHEP was getting the chance to work alongside my team,” Griffin said. “We supported and pushed each other to do our best, whether we were preparing, walking in the field or writing the management plan. The bond we built through all the hard work, studying and shared passions for wildlife made the whole experience unforgettable. And of course, traveling to nationals and competing with others who are just as passionate as us was so much fun.”
The 4-H team members were Sera McCoon, Christopher Bucks, Ethan McCaffrey and Blake Proffit. Tina Proffit coached them.
“When I started out a year ago, I had only known what a few animals looked like,” McCaffrey said. “After competing again as a senior, winning, and going to nationals, I am now equipped with the knowledge of how to take care of wildlife and our environment. I have a deep passion for stewarding God’s creation and this while WHEP journey has lit a passion on fire.”
Mallory Maher, program coordinator of the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service’s South Carolina Master Naturalist Program, is proud to see the state program rebound in recent years.
“(The South Carolina WHEP Committee) made a conscious effort to build the program in our state,” Mallory said. “We’re finding there are many youth out there who are interested in wildlife management and natural resources. WHEP is the perfect program to provide them with real-life experiences. It’s nice to see our efforts in the state are showing on the national level, too.
“Most importantly, the kids all have a great time at both the state contest and national contest. And the coaches love their experience, too.”
South Carolina’s WHEP is hosted by Clemson Extension in partnership with the 4-H, Agriculture Education and Forestry and Natural Resources Program teams, along with external partner, the Nemours Wildlife Foundation, which financed the travel expenses for teams to compete in the national competition.
