<strong>YA Everlasting Book Club</strong>

If you are an adult or teen who enjoys reading Young Adult Literature, this book club is for you. All meetings begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Beaufort Branch Library on Scott Street downtown and are free to the public.

Upcoming book discussions: Aug. 14 – Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro.

<strong>Registration open for game design and development classes</strong>

The Beaufort Digital Corridor announces a second summer camp sessions of Game On! – game design and development geared toward middle and high school students. Registration is now open for this limited seating opportunity.

The course will be held at the Beaufort Digital Corridor’s BASEcamp facility from 9 a.m. until noon, Monday-Friday, July 15-19.

Among the topics will be game strategy, puzzle design and a final project.

This is a special curriculum by Seth Konoza, an animation, game design and computer science educator at Beaufort High School. Students are introduced to the theory, tools, and practice required to create their own games.

Helping students to discover a passion for game design, computer science and coding, Game On! presents kids with the possibility of continuing their education in technology.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Program manager Shelley Barratt adds, “In our third season of offering this course, we are well aware of the tech skills that the newer generation gains early on. The goal is to offer other skills — like critical thinking and user experience — to augment that, and the real work commences once they follow that curiosity throughout their education and into a potential tech career.”

<strong>Eco Camp celebrates 30th year</strong>
Beaufort Conservation District will have its 30th Eco Camp July 22-26. "The Best of Eco Camp" will feature favorite programs from years past with a focus on our coastal ecosystem. Elementary students will examine critters found in oyster reefs, pluff mud, and dock fouling, dissect fish, do a mock dolphin necropsy, as well as practice shrimp net casting. Campers will see local live critters, learn about butterflies, safety and first aid. Friday the students will tour the Port Royal Sound Maritime Museum and take a marsh walk. All campers will receive a T-shirt to decorate and have lunch on Friday sponsored by the Farm Bureau Women's Committee. Please sign up by July 9 to get this years T-shirt. For details, call 843-255-7306 or visit <a href="http://beaufortconservationdistrict.org/">beaufortconservationdistrict.org</a>.

<strong>June Beaufort Drum Circle Dates</strong>
All are invited to share some good vibes with the Beaufort S.C. Drum Circle. The Drum Circle gathers every second Monday of the month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and every fourth Thursday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This month’s second event will be Thursday, July 25 at the Contemplative Garden in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort.

Everyone is welcome to attend this family friendly event. No experience is necessary. Rain or shine. Please bring a chair, a friend, and maybe an extra drum or hand percussion instrument if you have one to share.
For questions or to join our mailing list, please email us at <a href="mailto:beaufortscdrumcircle@gmail.com">beaufortscdrumcircle@gmail.com</a> or contact us on our Facebook page Beaufort SC Drum Circle.

<strong>Hunting Island Lighthouse tours</strong>

Climb the only Lighthouse in South Carolina open to the public and learn about the workings and history of the Lighthouse at Hunting Island State Park.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Join Keeper Ted and tour guides at 10 a.m. July 11 and 25. You must be 44 inches tall to climb. Cost is $2 per person. Call the Nature Center at 843-838-7437 for reservations. Park entry fees apply.

<strong>Riverview Baptist Church 2019 Vacation Bible School</strong>
Riverview Baptist Church, at 2209 Boundary Street, invites all community youth, Pre-K through 12th grade, to join them for Vacation Bible School, "In The Wild" , beginning July 22 and running through July 26. The program will be held from 5:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. each night. For more information, please contact VBS Director Deb Solze at 843-524-6441.

<strong>Friends of Hunting Island’s Tuesday Turtle Talks</strong>

The Friends of Hunting island announce the 2019 Tuesday Turtle Talks running through Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 10:30am at the picnic shelter by the Lighthouse. There is no fee for the TTT, but the park entry fee does apply.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Each week various topics will be discussed including the natural history of loggerhead turtles, what happens when the turtles come to Hunting Island to lay their eggs, and the conservation and challenges specific to a barrier island such as Hunting Island State Park. Participation, ideas and questions are always welcome.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

After the talk, participants can join TTT host Peggy Willenberg on a short beach walk. All ages are invited to attend this educational and engaging program.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

And for early risers: If you want to join a turtle patrol to check out loggerhead nests, come to the Visitor’s Center parking lot at 6 a.m. sharp any day of the week, and talk with a volunteer in an orange shirt to join a group for that day’s patrol. All ages welcome.

<strong>YMCA to offer CPR classes</strong>

The Wardle Family YMCA, located at 1801 Richmond Ave in Port Royal, offers CPR classes for community members on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon on the following dates in 2019: July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 7, Sept. 19, and Nov. 23.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Cost is $35 for this YMCA-certified course and those interested need to register at the Y as space is limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions? Contact Lou Bergen, Aquatics Director to register for this class. Call the Y at 843-522-9622 or visit beaufort-jasperymca.org

<strong>Beaufort Heritage Explorers Camp at the Santa Elena History Center</strong>

Immerse your child in a week of interesting local history from 1566 to the 1900s at the Beaufort Heritage Explorers summer camp at the Santa Elena History Center, hosted by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/santaelenafoundation/">Santa Elena History Center</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reconstructionbeaufort/">The Second Founding of America: Reconstruction Beaufort</a> and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HistoricBeaufortFoundation/">Historic Beaufort Foundation</a>.

Dates are July 29-Aug. 2, 9<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp; </span>a.m.-1 p.m. Each day concludes with lunch from 12:15 p.m. until pick up with lunch provided on Friday.
The cost is $150 per child with all proceeds benefit participating nonprofits. There are 15 openings for rising 3rd grade through rising 5th grade and 15 openings for rising 6th grade through rising 8th grade.
There must be a minimum of 10 per age group registered by June 15. For more information or to register, visit <a href="https://santa-elena.org/new-summer-camp-for-2019/">https://santa-elena.org/new-summer-camp-for-2019/</a>.

<strong>July activities at Hunting Island State Park</strong>

There are fun, interesting and educational activities every day hosted by Park Ranger and Lowcountry Master Naturalist Megan Stegmeier.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Mondays: Tie dye, 11 a.m.; Secrets of the Salt Marsh, 4 p.m.

Tuesdays: Sea Turtle Tracks, 10:30 a.m.; World Snake Day Program, noon (July 16); CCC Video, 1 p.m.; Native American Dreamcatchers, 2 p.m. (July 23, 30); Beach Walk, 3 p.m.; Full moon lighthouse climb, 8 p.m. (July 16)

Wednesdays: Alligator Talk, 11 a.m.; Stepping Stones, 2 p.m.; Sea Safari, 4 p.m.

Thursdays: Interpretive lighthouse tour, 10 a.m. (July 11, 25); Recycling 101, 11 a.m. (July 18); Feeding Frenzy, 3 p.m.

Fridays: Lowcountry reptiles, 11 a.m.; Fish printing, 2 p.m.

Saturdays: Turtle time, 11 a.m. (July 20); Sharks! 11 a.m. (July 13, 27); Beading Frenzy! 2 p.m. (July 6, 20); Creatures of the Night, 2:30 p.m. (July 13, 27).

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.

<strong>Get moving with Beaufort Track Club</strong>

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.