<b>Activities at Hunting<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Island State Park</b>

There are fun, interesting and educational activities every day hosted by Park Ranger and Lowcountry Master Naturalist Megan Stegmeier.

<b>Sundays: </b>Sand/Candy Art, 11 a.m.; Do You Want To Build a Snow Globe, 2 p.m.

<b>Mondays: </b>Reptiles of the Lowcountry, 11 a.m.; No Bones About It, 3 p.m. (Jan. 20); Walk In The Woods, 3 p.m. (Jan. 13, 27).

<b>Tuesdays: </b>Beach Walk, 3 p.m.

<b>Wednesdays:</b> Alligator Talk, 11 a.m.; Stepping Stones, 2 p.m.

<b>Thursdays: </b>Interpretive Lighthouse Tour, 10 a.m.; Feeding Frenzy, 3 p.m.

<b>Fridays: </b>Fish Printing, 2 p.m.; Full-moon Lighthouse Climb, 5 p.m. (Jan. 10).

<b>Saturdays: </b>Sunrise Lighthouse Climb, 7 a.m. (Jan. 25); Tie-Die, 11 a.m.; No Bones About It, 2 p.m. (Jan. 18); Pinecones for Passerines, 2 p.m. (Jan. 11, 25).

For a description of these programs and a complete calendar of activities, go to southcarolinaparks.com/hunting-island and click on “Programs &amp; Events.”

All are invited to attend these free events, though there is an entry fee to Hunting Island State Park and reservations are needed for lighthouse programs. For more information, call 843-838-7437 or go to the Friends of Hunting Island website and the Facebook page: FOHI Sea Turtle Conservation Project.

<b>Hunting Island<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Lighthouse Tours</b>

10 a.m., every Thursday in January (Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30). The Friends of Hunting Island will present Lighthouse tours of the historic Hunting Island Lighthouse. Keeper Ted and his team will tell you all about the history of the Lighthouse, which was built in 1875 and is the only Lighthouse in South Carolina open to visitors. If you are at least 44 inches tall you may also climb the 184 steps to the top of the Lighthouse. Reservations are recommended by calling the Nature Center at 843-838-7437. Regular Thursday tours are $2 per person. Park entry fees apply.

<b>Full Moon Lighthouse Climb</b>

5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 10, Hunting Island Lighthouse Complex. Cost $10. Unique tour to explore the stars and full moon all from the quiet view of the island’s lighthouse. Must be 44-inches tall to climb. 15-person limit. Pre-registration required. Contact the Nature Center at 843-838-7437.

<b>Beaufort Drum Circle</b>

6:30-7:60 p.m., Monday, Jan. 13, Sprenger Health Care, 1810 Richmond Ave, Port Royal. All are invited to kick off the New Year drumming some good vibes with the Beaufort Drum Circle. Everyone is welcome to attend this family friendly event. No experience is necessary. If you don't have a drum, we have extra percussion to share. For questions or to join our mailing list, please email us at beaufortscdrumcircle@gmail.com or contact us on our Facebook page "Beaufort SC Drum Circle."

<b>Books Sandwiched In</b>

Noon-1 p.m. each Monday,<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret Street, Beaufort

The Friends of the Beaufort Library host the popular 8-week series, featuring book talks by local personalities to provoke interest in books; both fiction and non-fiction. After each talk presenters will welcome questions. The series is free and open to the public. For program details, email Vicki Mix at scvgamix7@gmail.com. For more information, visit friendsoftheBeaufortlibrary.com.

<b>Schedule: Jan. 13</b> – Educated by Tara Westover, presented by Dr. Andrea Allen; <b>Jan. 27</b> – Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, presented by Dawn Freeman; <b>Feb. 3</b> – The Tubman Command by Elizabeth Cobbs, presented by Roland Gardner and Herman Gaither; <b>Feb. 10</b> – State of the Heart: South Carolina Writers on the Places They Love, a panel discussion with Aida Rogers (Editor), Patti Callahan Henry, David Lauderdale, Stephen G. Hofflus and Sallie Ann Robinson, presented in cooperation with the Pat Conroy Literary Center; <b>Feb. 17</b> – Minnow authored and presented by James McTeer; <b>Feb. 24</b> – Being Mortal by Atul Awande, presented by Dr. Steve Kessell; <b>March 2</b> – Islands in the Stream by Ernest Hemingway, presented by Liz Farrell.

<b>Beyond the Bricks: eBooks, Audiobooks, and More!</b>

9:30-11 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 14; 2:30-4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, Beaufort Library, 311 Scott St. Bring your tablet, cell phone, or laptop and learn how to use the free digital services offered by the library. Event is free. For more information, call 843-255-6458 or visit beaufortcountylibrary.org/subscribe.

<b>Just the Facts: Election<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>&amp; Voting Basics 101</b>

5:30-6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15, Beaufort Library, 311 Scott St. Beaufort County Board of Elections Deputy Director, Wendell Roberson, will discuss the South Carolina election process, dispel common myths and answer important questions. Event is free. For more information, call 843-255-6458 or visit beaufortcountylibrary.org/subscribe.

<b>20th Annual Low Country Home &amp; Garden Show</b>

Friday, Jan. 17-Sunday, Jan. 19, Savannah Convention Center, 1 International Drive, Hutchinson Island. The Low Country Home &amp; Garden Show gives homeowners a look into the latest in home and garden trends, while also offering fun for the whole family. Tickets are $7 for adults (17+) and $6 for seniors (65+) and retired military with ID. The show is free for youth 16 and younger, active duty military, first responders, and school district employees with ID. Tickets are available at https://showtechnology.ticketbud.com/20th-anniversary-low-country-home-garden-show and are also available for purchase at the door. The expo is open from 2-6 p.m. on Jan. 17, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Jan. 18 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Jan. 19. For more information visit SavannahHomeAndGardenShow.com.

<b>Beaufort District<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Collection Author Talks</b>

2-3 p.m., Friday, Jan. 17, Beaufort Library. Author Ron Roth will present his new book The Civil War in the South Carolina Lowcountry: How a Confederate Artillery Battery and a Black Union Regiment Defined the War. View the war through the experiences of two radically different military units — the Confederate Beaufort Volunteer Artillery, and the United States 1st South Carolina Regiment – the first Union Black regiment to fight in the war — both, ironically, organized and outfitted in the heart of the Lowcountry in Beaufort.

<b>Beaufort Beach Ball Fundraiser &amp; Auction</b>

6-11 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, Tabby Place, downtown Beaufort. Event presented by Bank of America, Merrill to benefit the Wardle Family YMCA. Music and dancing with Men of Distinction! Tickets on sale in December. $65/per person or $120/couple. $75 each at the door. All proceeds benefit the YMCA capital campaign. Visit beaufort-jasperymca.org.

<b>Fripp Audubon Club welcomes Kelley Luikey</b>

7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, Fripp Island Community Center; Meet &amp; Greet at 6 p.m. Kelley Luikey of Nature Muse Imagery is a South Carolina-based professional landscape and wildlife photographer whose primary focus is our resident and migratory birds. She studied at Appalachian State University. Luikey won a billboard spot with ArtPop in 2016, was juried into Art Fields with her image "Dressed in Green" in 2018 and has won many other awards for her work. She has appeared in numerous publications and has been commissioned for advertising and large-scale commercial projects, including images for hospitals and advertising billboards. Her artistic birds are displayed in three galleries in Beaufort County and she resides in Port Royal with her husband and two children. Please join us for the Meet &amp; Greet and bring some snacks to share. For more information, visit&nbsp;www.naturemuseimagery.com. For more information about Kelley Luikey, visit www.facebook.com/naturemuseimagery of www.instagram.com/naturemuseimagery.

<b>Beaufort County Historical Society “Historically Speaking” lectures</b>

All talks, held at noon on Thursdays, are free and open to the public. Donations are welcome. First-come, first-seated, doors open 30 minutes prior to event.

<b>Jan. 23: </b>Dr. Bernard Powers, “The New Face of African American Public History in Charleston: The Center for the Study of Slavery and the International African American Museum,” Beaufort County Library, 311 Scott St.

<b>March 12: </b>Dr. Lawrence Rowland, “Kate Gleason, Libby Rowland, and Beaufort in the 1920s,” St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis, Sr. Blvd. St. Helena Island.

<b>May 7: </b>81st annual meeting, Dr. Dale Rosengarten, “Blue Collars to Blue Serge Suits: Beaufort’s Jewish Settlers,” St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis, Sr. Blvd., St. Helena Island.

<b>Bringing History to Life,<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Fort Fremont Dioramas</b>

10 a.m., Jan. 24, St. Helena Library. Though Fort Fremont is closed during the construction of an interpretive center by Beaufort County, the Friends of Fort Fremont is presenting historical lectures at on the fourth Saturday of each month. The first lecture will be “Bringing History to Life, Fort Fremont Dioramas,” by Dennis Cannady, Master Modeler. For more information, call at the library at 843-255-6187

<b>Sunrise Lighthouse Climb</b>

7 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 25, Hunting Island Lighthouse Complex. Cost $15. Come and join a naturalist in climbing the lighthouse to experience the morning beauty of Hunting Island from above, while learning about the history of the lighthouse. Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture some amazing shots. A small breakfast of doughnuts and coffee is provided. Must be 44-inches tall to climb. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact the Nature Center at 843-838-7437.

<b>The Historic Port<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Royal Museum</b>

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, The Historic Port Royal Museum, 1634 Paris Ave. The museum features the turn-of-the-century businesses and industries of Port Royal: Shrimping, crabbing, oystering, the railroad, the school and the mercantile. Informative short lectures are given every Saturday at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. by historian Woody Collins. Great gifts featuring local artists are available. For more information. visit www.portroyalhistory.org,<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>email unionchurch1004@gmail.com or call 843-524-4333. You can also find us on Facebook!

<b>Get moving with<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></b><b>Beaufort Track Club</b>

Join the Beaufort Track Club at the Beaufort High School track from 6:30-7:30 p.m. each Tuesday night for an open community track workout. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts are posted each week to ensure that you are getting the workout that you need.

Visit the Facebook page “Beaufort Track Club” for more information.

<b>May River Quilters Guild</b>

On the first Saturday of every month, the May River Quilters Guild meets at Palmetto Electric Cooperative, 1 Cooperative Way, Hardeeville. Members meet at 9:30 a.m. for social exchange. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. Please call 847-707-6034 or visit www.mayeriverquiltguild.com.

<b>Parkinson’s support group</b>

A support group for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and carepartners meets the first Thursday of each month at the Beaufort Memorial Lifefit Wellness Center from 1:30 to 3 p.m. For more information, visit our Facebook page or call Ric at 843-525-1229.

<b>Puppy Plunge at the YMCA</b>

YMCA Puppy Plunge will be held on the third Saturday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m. (weather permitting) at the Y outdoor pool at 1801 Richmond Ave. in Port Royal. Pups can splash, swim and play in our safe, enclosed outdoor pool area.

Cost is $10 per pup, and all proceeds benefit the Y’s Learn to Swim program, which teaches local children and adults to swim at a reduced cost or for free. Dogs must be well behaved, current on all required vaccines and leashed until inside the pool area. Owners must be present at all times and humans are not permitted to swim in the Puppy Plunge. Visit beaufort-jasperymca.org or call 843-522-9622 for more information.

<b>Register to be a Tiger Shark</b>

BYAC Tiger Sharks Swim Team registration is open for the 2019-2020 season. There are three levels of swim team for ages 5 and up who meet swim team group requirements: Shark Pups; Group 1; and Group 2. Evaluations on going on now for group placement. Learn more online at beaufort-jasperymca.org (click on Aquatics&gt;Swim Team), stop by the Y in Port Royal (1801 Richmond Ave.) or call the Y at 843-522-9622.