Student club connects campus, community through conservation

^{Above: Students participate in a project to plant native plants in an urban garden on Glebe Street. (Photos by Catie Cleveland)}

Students gathered outside the Department of International Studies building at 9 Glebe St. on a warm October afternoon with shovels at the ready, preparing to transform the landscape into a native plant garden at the College of Charleston.  

International studies majors mingled, passed plants and shared spades with environmental and sustainability studies students during this cross-disciplinary sustainability effort.  

Organized by Blake Scott, chair of international studies and a co-founder of the M.A.R.S.H. Project, the event was one of many community-focused environmental initiatives the newly formed Students of the Marsh club has participated in. 

Scott, the club’s faculty advisor, along with his two friends, environmental journalist and photographer Joel Caldwell and graphic designer and artist Blake Suárez, started the Marsh Appreciation and Restoration Society for Happiness (M.A.R.S.H.) Project in 2022 to restore and preserve marshland in Charleston. 

Many CofC students have worked with the organization over the years as interns and volunteers, contributing to the mission of protecting local marshes and building community, but one group of students decided to establish an official student branch. 

“I think the M.A.R.S.H. Project really emphasizes intergenerational environmentalism and community, and with the formation of Students of the Marsh, we’ve found a way to connect the younger generation to older generations who are all passionate about the same thing,” says the club’s president Hannah Escalante, a junior majoring in biology and Spanish with a minor in chemistry. 

“With this intergenerational strength, I think there’s a lot of power in our voices as we work toward keeping the environment and community alive in such a densely urban setting,” Escalante continues. “I hope that, with Students of the Marsh, that gap between generations can be closed by the mutual goal of promoting sustainability, environmentalism and community!” 

Students Take the Lead 

Escalante joined Adeline Rios ’25, Isaiah DeBarr ’25 and Rhi Wilkinson ’25 in starting an informal version of the club in August 2024 to promote community awareness and boost student engagement in the nonprofit.  

They presented research on fostering ecological connections between Charleston residents and the Lowcountry environment at the 2025 EXPO and won two first-place awards. 

Some of the students in the original group have since graduated, but a new group formed and officially established the student organization in August 2025. Since its formation, the club has grown to 30 members.  

“Our goal is to hopefully team up with more campus clubs and host bigger events as a community on campus,” says junior environmental and sustainability studies major Liam Desjardins, the club’s vice president. “We also want to grow a bigger leadership team, so we can get more students involved!” 

Desjardins first got involved with the club while interning with the M.A.R.S.H. Project in the summer of 2025. This fall, he raised just over $1,500 for the M.A.R.S.H. Project while participating in an Ironman triathlon in Maryland. 

Through the organization’s cleanup events and sustainability efforts, he found community and connected with the group’s mission, inspiring him to get involved with formalizing the student branch of the organization. 

“I think the main reason I would encourage students to get involved would be to just get out of your routine,” he says. “I think some of us can get in such a routine where we don’t end up meeting new people or seeing new communities. All of our events bring in a large variety of people, and if you attend an event we host, it’s a great opportunity to network as well as meet new friends.” 

Collaboration and Connections

The collaboration between the student club and nonprofit organization promotes academic and career opportunities for students. 

“The partnership between the club and the M.A.R.S.H. Project plugs CofC students into the broader Charleston community, including city and state officials, neighborhood groups, artists, activists and environmental leaders,” says Scott. “It’s a pathway for professional development and, ideally, future work in sustainability and resilience.” 

For Escalante, the club presents many professional opportunities, but is also a way to build meaningful connections beyond the classroom. 

“I personally love being outside, and the ‘happiness’ part in M.A.R.S.H. really helps me stay hopeful in these crazy times,” says Escalante, who conducts monthly water quality testing at Halsey Creek for the M.A.R.S.H. Project and is interested in working in the environmental chemistry field. “It’s so rewarding to take care of your environment, make friends and have fun all at once.” 

Hands-On Sustainability 

Since its inception, the club has hosted or participated in fun, educational events on campus and in the greater Charleston community. 

“The club is a great way for students to learn through experience and also give back to the Charleston community,” says Scott. “Club members participate in litter sweeps, native plantings and citizen-science projects like water quality monitoring and place-based research in Charleston’s marshes and waterways.” 

Escalante says one of her favorite events this year was the annual international beach/river sweep hosted by the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and S.C. Department of Natural Resources. 

“Students of the Marsh and the M.A.R.S.H. Project focused on the Halsey Creek area,” she says. “A bunch of us students got to go around, chat with people from the community, clean the area and get muddy.” 

A Sustainable Future

Heading into the new year, Escalante hopes to welcome new members and broaden the group to include more students with interests outside of science and environmental studies. Students of the Marsh is working on a student-led documentary and has a lineup of great events for 2026 to help raise awareness. 

“Students of the Marsh is an awesome way to connect with others and meet new people, both in a professional and personal manner,” Escalante says. “The club is such a great way to get outside in a way that’s helpful to our environment and fun, and there’s a huge variety of activities and events that we put out each month that you can pick and choose to go to based off interest and availability.” 

Scott notes that the students’ enthusiasm is what turns ideas into action, creating visible change in Charleston’s marshes and waterways. 

“The club is thriving because the students are passionate about learning and taking care of our saltmarshes and wetlands,” he says. “They’re making a difference through small acts, which collectively add up to positive change. That’s clear to everyone involved, and appreciated by community members.” 

To get involved with the Students of the Marsh, visit the LinkTree page, Instagram or CougarConnect.