Lee State Park  (formerly Lee State Natural Area)
487 Loop Rd
Bishopville, SC 29010
803.428.4988

We invite you and your students to visit our park and participate in an educational program. Lee State Park is in the coastal plain of South Carolina, located conveniently one mile north of I-20 exit 123. The park is host to diverse habitats like the State Scenic Lynches River which flows along the park’s western boundary, extensive bottomland hardwood forests, a sandhills region, and an upland pine forest.  All of these areas contain a variety of wildlife species like white-tailed deer, pileated woodpeckers, and fox squirrels. 

We encourage you to experience the park by participating in a Discover Carolina program field trip. Pre-site, on-site and post-site lesson plans have been developed to ensure a quality educational experience for you and your students.

Take an online tour of the park here.

View the introductory park video here. 

Both the online tour and video are great ways to get your students acquainted with Lee before your visit.

Park Interpreter Led Programs: Aquatic Animal Adaptations

Program Activities  (call Park's Education Center for a copy)

Through hands-on activities at Lee State Park, students will learn about behavioral and anatomical adaptations that ponds animals have to survive in their freshwater habitat. While at the pond, we will visit the source of the pond’s water, two man-made artesian wells and also collect and identify aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates out of the water. We will transport these animals to the indoor lab to examine the animals underneath a video-microscope and learn about the behavioral and anatomical adaptations these animals have that help them survive in a freshwater pond..

Grade Level: 3
Length of Time: 1.5 hours
Maximum Number of Students: 30
Standards: 3-1.8, 3-2.1 and 3-2.2 (animal portion)
Setting: special resources park

Macroinvertebrates Tell All!

Program Activities

The presence or absence of macroinvertebrates is an indication of pollution's long term effects on water quality. Students will participate in a program designed to teach them how to determine water quality by sampling the park's macroinvertebrate population.  They will use scientific methods and quantitative measurements to gather information.  The students will also collect data on the abiotic factors (temperature and pH) that affect seasonal macroinvertebrate abundance. Students will be introduced to the importance of wetland preservation and the control of pollution.

Grade Level: 5
Length of Time: 2 hours
Maximum Number of Students: 30
Standards: 5-1.2, 5-1.4, 5-1.5, 5-1.6, 5-1.8 and 5-2.5
Setting: special resources park Freshwater Ecology

Program Activities

The presence or absence of macroinvertebrates is an indication of the long-term effects of pollution on water quality. Students will participate in a program designed to teach them how to determine water quality by sampling the park’s macroinvertebrate population. They will use scientific methods and quantitative measurements to gather information. They will use dichotomous keys to identify the aquatic macroinvertebrates.

Grade Level: 6
Length of Time: 2 hours
Maximum Number of Students: 30
Standards: 6-1.3, 6-1.5 and 6-3.1
Setting: special resources park