Tucked away just off Highway 521 lies one of Kershaw County’s most extraordinary hidden gems: the Nature as Teacher Preserve. Even on a cold, rainy afternoon, its beauty shone through. The mist softened the trees, the creek hummed quietly below, and within minutes I felt transported—back to childhood afternoons when I used to roam through the woods behind my grandparents’ house in Cassatt.
But Nature as Teacher is more than nostalgia. It’s an 853-acre outdoor classroom that was donated to Clemson University by Margaret “Peggy” Lloyd. It’s where children wade through creeks collecting macroinvertebrates, measure stream health with real scientific tools, and learn lessons that can’t be taught inside four walls. It’s a place where education happens on nature’s terms and where the land itself does the teaching.
Directions to the Nature as Teacher Preserve
From the Walmart in Camden, head north on Springdale Drive. At the bend, turn left onto Chestnut Ferry Road and continue until the pine-cone logo sign appears. The driveway is the last one on the left.
After entering through the gate, visitors should continue past the maintenance lot—do not stop there. Follow the long driveway, continue past the right turn, and proceed into the parking area. The green-and-tan restroom building will be visible upon arrival.
Please note: The preserve is not open to the public. Visitors must schedule a tour or trip or attend Open Trails, weather permitting.
The gift that started it all
Before there were trails or outdoor classrooms, there was Peggy Lloyd—a Camden-area philanthropist who believed deeply in the connection between people and the land. In 2006, she donated 853 acres and $2 million to Clemson University with a simple but powerful vision: that the land be used for education and research.
The property, known historically as Hardscramble, is bordered by the Wateree River and home to an incredible range of natural environments—longleaf pine uplands, forested lowlands, and wetland creek systems. Together, they form what volunteer Bob Giangiorgi calls “three different ecosystems in one piece of property.”
A conservation easement with the Congaree Land Trust ensures the land will remain protected forever, carrying forward Lloyd’s mission to make nature itself the teacher.
The modern-day stewards
Today, that vision is alive and thriving under the leadership of Program Coordinator Ashley Branham—a former nurse who traded her scrubs for hiking boots and calls this her “dream job.”
She lights up when she talks about the work. “Everything we do here has to serve education and research,” she told me. “That’s Mrs. Lloyd’s legacy—and we take that seriously.”
Ashley and her team are supported by a dedicated group of volunteers, including Bob, who recently received a Duke Energy Citizenship Award for his community work promoting KC Trails and local outdoor access. Their enthusiasm is contagious. “The volunteer group has really allowed a lot of this expansion to happen,” Bob said. “They’re the reason we can keep growing.”
Growth by the numbers
And grow it has. In October alone, Nature as Teacher welcomed 472 community members and served 296 student participants.
The homeschool program, which began in 2022 with just two children, now filled to capacity—26 students in the older class and 20 in the younger—every session.
Public school field trips cost $5 per student, homeschool programs are $10, and every visit comes with hands-on learning. (If you want your group to visit, book early—spring is almost full!)
Starting in November, the preserve will open trails two Saturdays each month instead of one, allowing more families to explore.
Learning where the land teaches
Each corner of the preserve tells a story. There’s the Creek Classroom, where kids wade in rubber boots, scoop up tiny macroinvertebrates, and learn to gauge stream health. There’s Coffee by the Creek, where homeschool parents gather as children play and explore—sometimes with eighty people lining the banks.
Along the way are small signs of care: 13 handmade benches, bridges built by local Eagle Scouts, and a “habitat station” made of recycled materials where children can build nests for birds and bugs.
And soon, thanks to a $1,000 Duke Energy, Nature as Teacher will launch a freshwater stream monitoring program through South Carolina Adopt-A-Stream, teaching both kids and adults to collect and analyze real environmental data.
Nature’s classroom for the mind and heart
As Ashley explained, the benefits of outdoor learning extend far beyond science.
“We see kids hit physical and developmental milestones out here—better balance, better coordination, less anxiety,” she said.
Research backs her up. Time in nature is linked to lower stress, stronger concentration, and improved confidence in children. When kids climb, dig, or just sit still by a stream, they build resilience and curiosity that no screen can match.
That’s why Lloyd’s original idea—education through nature—feels more relevant than ever.
The magic that lingers
When I walked the trail with Bob that day, he pointed out where Camp Creek winds through the forest, how the land transitions from pine to forest to swamp, and how the trails connect like living veins across the property.
“This place has its own magic,” he said simply.
He’s right. You can feel it in the stillness of the woods, in the laughter of children by the creek, and in the quiet pride of the people who keep it all going.
As I left, rain still falling, I thought about how much of my own childhood was shaped by being outside—barefoot summers, creek beds, the endless curiosity that nature stirs. It makes me grateful to know that right here, in Kershaw County’s backyard, another generation is finding that same sense of wonder.
To learn more about the Nature as Teacher Preserve or to schedule a visit, go to their website or contact Ashley Branham at https://natureasteacher.org/contact-us/ or by email at aebranh@clemson.edu
