Nature-Based Exchange Symposium
About the Event
On November 5, 2025 the Nature-Based Exchange held the first annual Nature-Based Exchange Symposium at Clemson Design Center in Charleston, SC. This day-long event sought to bring together practitioners from across the state to learn about completed and ongoing nature-based projects. Fourteen presentations took up the bulk of the day, with twenty-four speakers across government, academia, nonprofit, and private entities. The presentations themselves were organized into five themes: statewide initiatives; community initiatives; products and services; habitat and shoreline creation / restoration; and stormwater solutions. Happy hour followed to give attendees time to network in a casual setting. Thanks to everyone who made this event great!
Symposium Purpose:
As nature-based solutions continue to grow, questions around many aspects of project design, cost, monitoring, and maintenance persist; learning from others can provide clear insight into best management practices and lessons learned so that South Carolina can learn from one another to maximize our efficiency, capabilities, and knowledge around nature-based solutions for the benefit of our communities and the environment.
A BIG thank you to Weston & Sampson for sponsoring Happy Hour!
Also, thank you to Charleston Zero Waste for helping us divert 88.2% of the waste produced during the event from going to landfill.
And thanks to those organizations who set up a table to showcase their work:
The City of Charleston
Native Shorelines, a Davey company
Shoreline Restoration Group
The Nature Conservancy
Weston & Sampson
Resources for Attendees
Continuing education credits will be recommended for planners, floodplain managers, landscape architects, and professional engineers. (Credits provided by the ACE Basin NERR Coastal Training Program/SCDNR.)