Upstate Chapter News, Field Trip Reports & Newsletters

Upstate Chapter Newsletters

The current issue of "Upstate Happenings" can now be read online (using Adobe Acrobat Viewer software which is available free here).

"Upstate Happenings" - February 2010
"Upstate Happenings" - January 2010
"Upstate Happenings" - December 2009
"Upstate Happenings" - November 2009

Upstate Chapter News & Field Trip Reports

February 16, 2010 (Tuesday) - 7:00 p.m. - Special Presentation by Patrick McMillan

The SC Native Plant Society invites the Upstate community to hear Patrick McMillan’s Against the Grain: Hope and Crisis in our Grasslands. Patrick, writer and host of the ETV nature program Expeditions, is a professional naturalist, biologist, and educator. The presentation will be Tuesday, Feb 16, at 7:00 pm. in the J. Verne Smith Technical Resource Center Auditorium, Greenville Tech Main Campus, 620 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville. A reception follows. (NOTE: this is a change from the Native Plant Society’s usual meeting place.)

	Patrick McMillan

Patrick says his education really began in Alleghany County, NC. His childhood there consisted of one long walk through the woods, punctuated by pesky daily tasks like school and dinner. He spent every day familiarizing himself with the area’s woods, fields and streams. By the time he entered the University of North Carolina his explorations had already documented plants formerly unknown in North Carolina. Patrick is still walking, exploring, learning, and discovering.

Patrick describes Against the Grain: Hope and Crisis in our Grasslands as follows: “I have been privileged that my work with Expeditions has allowed me to work in grasslands across the continent. Their story has had a profound impact on my view of ecology and the environmental movement here in the US. Over 40% of our continent was once covered with grass, the largest of the world's terrestrial biomes. However, grasslands are also the world's most threatened biome. Native grasslands were once found from coast to coast in the US. Here in the southeastern US grassy balds are one of the most threatened natural habitats. They harbor rare species and are popular because of their fantastic scenery. But they are disappearing at an alarming rate, despite our best efforts to manage them. What's missing? What is wrong with our strategy? Perhaps the answer lies in grasslands elsewhere, in the Great Plains, where weather, fire, and keystone species have shaped the heartland of the continent. Even here grass is in great danger and the system has nearly collapsed. Its collapse is due to our choices, whether plow, cow, poison, or gun.

“We look back at the actions of people in the 19th century and ask how they could have done that? How could you possibly make the decision to completely wipe out a species like the Bison? How could they have been so short sighted? The actions of those people are not far-removed from those that are happening right now with other keystones that are seen as varmints! What questions will our grandchildren ask in the 22nd century? Join me for a fascinating look at grasslands here at home, and abroad, their past and their future. This is a tale most don't know and a story that is politically charged, emotional and deeply rooted in human history.”

Patrick McMillan received his BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and his PhD in Biological Sciences from Clemson University, where he is currently Director of the Campbell Museum of Natural History.

Saturday, June 27, 2009: Field Trip to Roan Mountain with Patrick McMillan

Arriving at Carver’s Gap on the North Carolina/Tennessee border is an experience in itself. Upon exiting the cars, the first thing anyone does is grab their jacket! For those who don’t remember to bring one, they absolutely positively will next time. Then, each driver says something about the route they took, or should’ve taken. All roads lead to Roan Mountain — if you’re on the right one.

The SCNPS Roan Mountain Field Trip has nearly become a tradition. It’s a special place to experience no matter how many times you go. Saturday, June 27th, was no exception. Many in our group of twenty had visited before.

Native Plant Society member Dr Patrick McMillan, Clemson botanist and host of the popular Expeditions TV program, was our guide. Nearly half past ten, amidst cool and fast rolling fog, we began the gradual ascent of Round Bald. Patrick spoke of his growing up years exploring the Roan Mountain area since he was from nearby Sparta, NC. He highlighted the trail walk with facts and observations about the harsh and constantly evolving landscape. He remarked about how the blackberry vines are newcomers to the grassy fields as the habitat changes.

The narrow trail curved several times and we entered a quiet red spruce-Fraser fir forest protecting us briefly from the wind. A bird call sounded a few trees away. Patrick lifted a dead tree limb looking for salamanders — something he would do a dozen or more times that day.

We explored Round Bald and the beginning slope of Jane Bald. The view was awesome! Several Gray’s lilies were spotted before we broke on the trail for lunch. Afterwards, we backtracked to the parking lot where we carpooled up to Roan Mountain Gardens. It was a popular place — people were everywhere. The walkway observation deck was surrounded by Catawba Rhododendron still in bloom.

From the Gardens, we walked down a gravel road to the Cloudland Trail trailhead. After several stops for botanizing, the seven-tenths of a mile trek wound around and up to another observation deck. From here the mountain panorama was absolutely incredible while the wind was gale force! Walk back twenty feet to the steps and the air was calm. What an exhilarating place. The Cloudland Trail was a great way to wrap up the Roan Mountain Field Trip. If you had been getting in any ways tired from the day’s five plus hour walk and talk with Patrick, you completely forgot about it here. On our way back to the Gardens, we saw the cutest ever little gray mouse about the size of a cotton ball hopping in the leaf litter. What an expedition! We gave Patrick a good round of applause and thanked Janine for coordinating a great field trip. Let’s keep going back to Roan Mountain. — Steve Marlow

Monday, June 15, 2009: Expeditions with Patrick McMillan nominated for Emmy

Expeditions with Patrick McMillan, a PBS nature series featuring SCNPS member Patrick McMillan, has been nominated for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Southeast Emmy Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in television programming excellence. The series airs on Sunday evenings at 7:30 on SC ETV and is distributed nationally to PBS affiliates. The Emmy-nominated episode, “Darters and Dace — Jewels of Our Mountain Streams,” aired in March 2008. In it Clemson University naturalist McMillan and guest expert Jeff Smith travel across the watersheds and along the mountain streams of the Appalachian Mountains in search for fish, some as brilliant as those found on coral reefs. Winners will be announced at the 35th Southeastern Emmy Awards on June 27, 2009.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009: Station Cove Workday

Workday volunteers at Station Cove

On a cold March 4, 2009 a group of SCNPS volunteers conducted a work day on the Station Cove Trail. This is a continuation of our efforts, begun in mid 2006, to work in partnership with The SC State Park Service, US Forest Service, and Palmetto Trail to enhance and protect this Trail and its abundant botanical resources.

Nine volunteers and Oconee Station Manager Scott Alexander (see photo) worked together on several pre-planned items including: 1) removal of Japanese honeysuckle that grows densely along the beaver ponds just below the trail, 2) removal of heavy lumber material remaining from trail construction work in 2007, 3) enhancement of the “photo station” near the waterfall, 4) re-enforcement of retaining logs in an area near the falls where the trail drops off sharply to the creek, and 5) litter pickup (the latter was minimal, consisting of a few cans, a wrapper or two, and a single “flip-flop” from a distant summer day).

The trail is in good shape, but a few minor improvements might be called for as addressed in recent monitoring reports. We will follow-up on those.

Spring is a little behind this year due to the cold temperatures we have experienced, but the trilliums (by the hundreds or more) are up and set to open any time. Today they were all still closed except for a small group of five that must have been in the “right place”. Thanks to all the folks who participated today, and to Scott Alexander who is always active in the planning for the trail and in the work days.

My First Plant Rescue!

Writing is not my forte, but then again, neither was rescuing plants until I joined the group that went to the Greenville Landfill Saturday, 1/31. And then I just couldn’t say no to Janie when she asked that I share the experience of my first plant rescue with you (especially since we both wear publicity hats: she for SCNPS, me for Greater Greenville Master Gardeners). Sooo, after being teased by my manly husband, who showed up before I left that morning with his rifle saying (as Rambo would) “OK, where are the plants that need to be rescued?” I headed out to meet the group early that morning with my 13-yr-old daughter, Caroline. Now, as a suggestion to others that want to bond with their teenage daughters by rescuing plants together, bribing with breakfast at Starbucks works wonderfully! Worries about fitting in with all the pick-up trucks when I showed up in my Audi, latte in hand, were quickly put to rest as we were welcomed into the shivering fold and followed native plant guru, Rick Huffman, down the road that would lead to the landfill. I was relieved to see that our destination wasn’t a big smelly garbage dump (as I had feared when I read “Greenville Landfill”) but rather a huge wooded area full of sunshine and nature. After some instruction from Rick, as to what treasures we were rescuing, we spent about 3 hours collecting (sorry, Rick, for not being able to use the Latin names instead of these common names, but hey, it’s my first time) Broomsedge, St Johnswort, Needlegrass, Wild Quinine, Goldenrod, Ragwort, and my daughter’s favorite, Prickly-pear Cactus. As the temperature warmed into a gorgeous Saturday, time flew by as we shared stories and got to know each other while digging, potting and filling about three pick-up trucks with our plants!

Then it was off to eat lunch at the Clock (the other bribe that worked on my teen who has a health food mom) where I learned even more from everyone, including the fact that Bill Sharpton is related to Al. Ok, I don’t think he was telling me the truth about that, but his knowledge of apples is amazing! Ask him anything about how to grow, store or eat apples and he knows.

Now, fortified with onion rings and sweet tea, we were ready to transplant our rescued plants at Conestee Nature Park where a prairie restoration is underway. I envisioned hacking away at the red clay as usual, but — as was the case all day — was pleasantly surprised to find the area tilled and ready to be planted! By now, other volunteers had shown up and the plants just flew into the ground. I turned several times to find pros, like Bill Stringer and Lynne Lucas, instructing and encouraging Caroline, who loved learning from the pros. We were finished by 2pm and as my daughter and I stood, arms around each other, gazing at our accomplishment, she was the first to say, “Are we already finished?” There are many more stories I could mention about people we worked alongside Saturday that added to this positive experience, but you’ll just have to come out and meet them yourself when the SCNPS has their next plant rescue! Thanks again to all of you — we learned a lot and had a blast! — Kristi Jennings

Nov 22, 2008: SCNPS’s Upstate Chapter and Upstate Master Naturalists work together at Conestee Nature Park. Article by Cathy Foster:

It is a cold, Saturday morning and at 7:00 am I load my pickup truck with a shovel, gloves, and boots to embark on a native plant rescue and prairie restoration. This is a joint volunteer day for the Upstate Chatpter of the SC Native Plant Society and Upstate Master Naturalist Association. It is also the start of a great partnership as both groups are working on similar projects at the Lake Conestee Nature Park and Clemson Experimental Forest. Last night I googled “prairie” and read that prairies or grasslands are one of the most endangered ecosystems worldwide. Prairies (from the French word for meadow) are an open, almost treeless, rolling landscape covered with grasses and forbs. The Piedmont prairie was once common in the Carolinas but has declined to fragmented patches. The decline of the prairie ecosystem has been caused by urban and rural development, agriculture, fire suppression, climate, and invasive species.

This morning some of us carpool to the landfill, and on the way Frank Holleman describes a few plants we will rescue: Needlegrass, Wild Quinine, even Cactus…wait a minute! I have been working on learning forest wildflowers and trees…now add grasses and prairie forbs? I learned this poem in the master naturalist class: “Sedges have edges, Rushes are round, Grasses are hollow, What have you found?” I also learned that forbs are broad-leaved, herbaceous plants other than a grass, sedge, or rush (ex. goldenrod, aster, coneflower, clover). I am starting to get confused and have way too many Grasses, Forbs, and a Prairie!

Nov 22: SCNPS’s Upstate Chapter and Upstate Master Naturalists work together at Conestee Nature Park: much to learn. It’s a good thing I joined Native Plant Society to help me through this maze! We arrive at Twin Chimneys. The landscape at the landfill could be called scraggly and desolate, but prairie plants are everywhere. Rick Huffman and Bill Sharpton show us the plants to rescue. We get to work, but it is not so easy to dig in this hard-packed soil. Soon we warm up and our coats are hanging on shrubs. It is very easy to lose tools and jackets in this landscape. Now I know to get a spade; I am learning on the job. Amazingly, we are a rescue machine of 15 volunteers…identifying, digging, carrying, and loading plants onto the trucks. We move down the gravel road and the landscape changes to a “sculpture” of a few leafless trees, sumac, and rocky soil. Some of us look at rocks and a few birdwatch, but not for long…back to work! Our leaders found cactus.

We finish the rescue and head out for lunch at the Clock restaurant. We warm up with home cooking (even mustard greens and okra) and enjoy our conversations. Onward! We caravan to Lake Conestee Nature Park and at 12:30 pm our trucks roll into the restoration site. Bill Stringer is on his tractor plowing the field. More volunteers arrive to help and some unload the trucks while others organize the plants. Bill and Rick discuss the plan of action, and then Rick shows us how and where to plant (he makes it look way too easy!). We get to work tromping through the thick, clay soil and planting. Conestee Foundation members are also here to help. Jeff Beacham tells us about the yellow-bellied slider turtles that come to this area to lay eggs. We notice many birds watching us as well as crickets at our feet. I think there must be a long waiting list of plants and animals eager to use this habitat that we are restoring. With 25 volunteers working, the acre site is soon full with a variety of prairie plants: Splitbeard Bluestem (Andropogon ternarius), Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Purple Lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis), Yellow Indiangrass — South Carolina’s state native grass! (Sorghastrum nutans), Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides), Green Needlegrass (Piptochaetium avenaceum), Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium), Maryland Golden-aster (Chrysopsis mariana), Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum), Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa), Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), Grass-leaved Golden-aster (Pityopsis aspera var. adenolepis), several species of Goldenrod (Solidago), and more.

It is 3:00 pm, the wind picks up, the clouds roll in, and the temperature drops, telling us it is time to stop for the day. We will get to the invasives in the small stand of trees and add more plants as needed next time. It is almost Thanksgiving and nature is thankful. — Cathy Reas Foster

Fall, 2008: Native Grass Seed Collection

Seed Collection Trips — plus so much more! Yes, the grand purpose started out as a joint project with the Forest Service to obtain NATIVE grass seeds for use in planting roadsides and other torn up areas with natives rather than exotics. That evolved into habitat restoration so we shifted to collecting seeds of native forbs as well as grasses. SCNPS volunteers locate and gather the seeds and the Forest Service grows them as plugs ready for transplant.

Always there is the fun element of education in these field trips. Bill Stringer constantly, patiently and enthusiastically explains how to identify the various plants even though he has told us the same things last year, and the year before. Always there is the adventure and excitement of locating and learning some rare plant or an old favorite. Whether the find is a Georgia aster by a railroad track near Central, Schweinitz’s sunflower near Rock Hill, or a pitcher plant in the Francis Marion Forest — it becomes a treasure. The treasure remains where it is of course, but it also lives in my mind.

Perhaps the finest part always is the sharing and caring with the other enthusiasts on the trip. The routine is this. Vans are provided and we drive around watching for patches of unmown grass and going to places that have been good gathering the year before. It is always a game of chance to be there at the right time for dry ripe seeds, and sometimes we lose and just go on to the next spot. Finally, everyone piles out, gets a bucket with belt from the back ofthe van and start stripping seeds into their containers. Of course everyone is watching for other plants of interest, and saying “what is this, Bill?” Although Bill is our leader, there are always other knowledgeable folks to ask, and to marvel with over the wonders of nature. We never seem to stay at one spot long enough to get bored before continuing the quest for new patches of seed-bearing natives.The seeds are carefully bagged and labeled at each stop with the location and identification of each seed type. And, it’s okay to take a few seeds for your own backyard nature preserve.

Lunch is generally at some wayside diner type of place and then back to the quest. Each scheduled day is for a different general location that hopefully corresponds with seed ripening time. Although I am generally tired by the end of the day, the walking is not extensive, no heavy lifting. What to bring: gloves, water, patience, devotion to native plants, and a sense of adventure.

Watch for scheduled spring and fall dates in your newsletter. You really don’t want to miss these excursions! — Diane Coiner

June 8, 2008: Station Cove Partners: An Update

Station Cove Partners celebrating completion of trail project

In early 2006 the SC Native Plant Society began work, in concert with SC State Park Service, US Forest Service, and other groups, to improve the trail into Station Cove Falls. Together these groups now form the “Station Cove Partners.” Station Cove supports one of the richest and most diverse botanical communities in South Carolina and has long been recognized by SCNPS as one of the “best wildflower walks in all of South Carolina.”

To date our SCNPS has provided more than 780 volunteer hours to this trail project. Work has been completed on rerouting of the trail, construction of rock steps, and other improvements. During the past year, the Partners have focused on the development of two new information kiosks for the trail. Our SCNPS efforts have included successful application for a $3,000 grant from the Mountain Lakes Region of the SC National Heritage Corridor. The Partners hope to have the kiosks in place in 2008.

All is not work however. On Saturday May 31 members of the SCNPS, US Forest Service, and SC State Park Service picnicked together at Oconee Station State Historic Site. This was the second annual Station Cove Partners Picnic. Scott Alexander, Park Manager, and other members of the park staff, hosted the event again this year. Good food, thanks very much to Carolyn Alexander, and nice door prizes, were the featured items. Also featured was the partnership itself.  Scott Alexander of SC State Park Service, Rick Huffman, Upstate President for SCNPS, and Vern Shumway of US Forest Service all shared their thoughts on the importance of the delicate natural features of Station Cove and the benefits of working together to help protect these resources and the compatible public access facilities.

In conjunction with the above “protection goals”, the SCNPS members at the picnic announced a new effort to help monitor and maintain the trail. Teams, consisting of SCNPS members, will walk the trail on a scheduled basis to implement, or otherwise report, any needed trail maintenance work. More details on this process will be available for SCNPS members in the near future.      

The Station Cove Partners include:

SC Native Plant Society

SC State Park Service

US Forest Service, Andrew Pickens District

Palmetto Conservation Foundation

Mountain Lakes Region, SC National Heritage Corridor     

January 8, 2008 - Upstate Chapter members attend DHEC public hearing

On January 8, 2008, DHEC held a public hearing at North Greenville University on a permit application by a public utilities contractor for the Cliffs Communities to discharge approximately 175,000 gallons of sewage effluent per day into the North Saluda River near the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 25. At the beginning of the public hearing, it was announced that the Cliffs Communities had submitted additional materials to DHEC for permission to spray sewage effluent onto its golf course instead of discharging directly into the river, but also seeking permission to discharge into the river in circumstances such as persistent freezes, rain, or flood when it was not feasible to spray the effluent onto the golf course. However, the application to discharge directly into the river has not been withdrawn.

Because this public hearing was recorded, we are making available several of the audio files of comments made by the public. These are just a sample of the arguments made against the permit. The DHEC officials and members of the public comment both on the application to discharge directly into the North Saluda and the plans to spray the effluent on the golf course, with the possibility of discharge into the river. Concerns included the effect of the discharges and the spray on the river, whether there would be adqequate natural buffers along the river to control runoff of the effluent and other materials, whether there would be adequate monitoring, who would enforce the requirements of the permit, who would operate and oversee the sewage treatment plant, and the impact on trout and people using the river.

Mary Anne Inglis on behalf of Rep. Bob Inglis
Robert Henley, Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District

John Tynan, Upstate Forever
Anita Armstrong, Trout Unlimited
Andy March, Saluda Lake Foundation
Ron Sobczak, the Bartram Group of the Sierra Club
Kevin Miller, American Whitewater

Kenneth Curtis
John McDonald
Steve Jarrett
Rick Huffman, SCNPS
Frank Holleman
Elaine Bearden
Karen Cleveland
Frank Farmer
Gene Best
Jeff Reno
Bryan Doren
Ken Boyles
Diane Anastos
Rick Sutherland
Lynn Hughes
Herbert Smith

Upstate Chapter Board of Directors meets with representatives from the Conestee Foundation to discuss long range plans for Lake Conestee Nature Park

Jeff Beacham talks with Upstate Board

Members of the Upstate Chapter's board of directors met at the Lake Conestee Nature Park with Jeff Beacham, Executive Director of the Conestee Foundation to view the property and look together at long range plans for the park. Also present were some members of the Conestee Foundation's board of directors who helped answer questions about future plans for the park. The Conestee Foundation has asked that the SC Native Plant Society be involved in providing input for the plan and play an active role in establishing a prairie site at the park. SCNPS could also be involved in working with developing an education program and materials for secondary school students. The park is a valuable asset for our community and we look forward to working with the Conestee Foundation to make this a very special place!

Stumphouse Mountain Land Protected For Future Generations

Citizens of Walhalla and Oconee County banded with environmental and conservation groups to raise the funds to complete the purchase of a large tract of land on Stumphouse Mountain, including Issaqueena Falls and the historic Stumphouse Tunnel site, to protect it for the use and enjoyment of future generations of South Carolinians.

For more information, please read about it on the Nature Conservancy's website

May 12, 2007: Station Cove Trail Project Workday

On Saturday May 12 a group of SC Native Plant Society volunteers continued work on the planned improvements to the trail leading to Station Cove Falls. In addition to a scenic waterfall, this trail leads to one of the finest and most diverse native wildflower areas in upstate South Carolina. Over the past year SCNPS has worked with partners (SC State Park Service, and US Forest Service) on an overall improvement plan for this trail. Some of the specific items already completed include construction of a new 1,300 ft trail segment and the building of rock steps at appropriate locations along the trail.

The work on May 12 involved construction of a series of split rail fences (using locust rails) to help protect sensitive wildflower areas and to encourage visitors to stay on the constructed trail route.

SCNPS Volunteers participating on May 12 included:

• Diane Coiner
• Heyward Douglass
• John Garton
• Les and Joni Grady
• Frank and Anne Holleman
• Janine McCreery
• Bill Sharpton

Scott Alexander of the State Park Service and Vern Shumway of the USFS provided significant assistance during this fence work. To date (since spring 2006) our SCNPS members have contributed more than 700 volunteer hours to this important trail and wildflower conservation project. We look forward to continuing this work in partnership with the State Park Service and USFS.

December 3, 2005: Plant Rescue at Greenville County Landfill Site

Members of the Upstate Chapter of SCNPS joined forces with Friends of the Reedy to rescue native plants from the new Greenville County Landfill site and re-plant them along the Reedy River corridor restoration project at the Church Street bridge in downtown Greenville. This is an ongoing project and we anticipate that there will be additional "rescues" scheduled in the first quarter of 2006.

May 21, 2005: Upstate Chapter Float Trip on the Tyger River

It was early on Saturday, May 21. The temperaure was in the 50's when we met at the old Lowes at 6:30 AM to ride Sunrift's van to the Tyger River. Bill Sharpton drove and we had a van full when we pulled out with 9 canoes and one kayak. According to the river gage the water temp in the Tyger was 19.8 C, not much colder than the forecasted air Temp of low 70's. It was going to be a cool day. Also, the gage showed a rising river from all the rain Friday.

We met the others, 19 boats in all, at the Little Cricket in Cross Anchor and caravaned to the River. The water was up alright and a bit muddy. It took until 10 AM to set shuttle, get everyone unloaded and briefed on what to expect. The sun was out, the wilderness scenery was beautiful, the atmosphere was brisk, and we were floating downriver at a rapid clip. The flow was so great that not much paddling was required, just enougth to steer.

There were a total of 31 souls in 19 boats, including 7 from the Sierra Club and 8 who saw the article in the newspaper. Everyone got home safely with a few scratches, some sunburn, wet clothes, bug bites and a few less articles which were claimed by the river.

April 2, 2005: Upstate Chapter Native Plant Sale in Greenville a Huge Success!

The Upstate Chapter's spring native plant sale at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church in Greenville was a huge success - in spite of somewhat uncooperative weather. Many thanks to all of our members who volunteered their time to help organize, load & unload, make "buying" trips, and answer questions about the plants. Special thanks to Susan Lochridge for another fine job of bringing it all together.

February 20, 2005: Upstate Chapter Transplants "Rescued" Natives at SC Welcome Center on I-85

On Sunday, February 20, several members of the SC Native Plant Society gathered at the I-85 Welcome Center at Fair Play, SC to transplant rescued plants into a native meadow site we are developing there. It tried to rain the entire time we were there, but fortunately we were able to complete our task in relatively dry conditions.

Previously, the site had been ripped with a sub-soiler to a depth of 8 to 12 inches in rows 8 feet apart. This gave us very workable conditions for digging holes to transplant into. Also, the plants will have an easy time of getting roots down to a reasonable depth before the heat and drought of summer arrive.

Earlier this year, the following species had been transplanted on the site: bushy bluestem, cardinal flower, and woodland sunflower. On Sunday we added: little bluestem, indiangrass, silky oatgrass, big bluestem, river oats, grass-leafed aster, beardtongue, late purple aster, meadow beauty, whorled coreopsis, St. John's wort, and more woodland sunflower.

The transplanted plants will develop and make a showing this upcoming growing season. In early spring we will rough-till the areas between the rows, and put down seeds of the above species and more. By the growing season of 2006, the site should be well covered with a diverse community of native grasses and wildflower forbs, similar to meadow sites found in much of South Carolina prior to the arrival of Europeans.

Any questions? Contact Bill Stringer at 864 979 8034
or e-mail bstrngr@clemson.edu

January 15, 2005: Upstate Chapter Native Plant Rescue

Eighteen members of the SCNPS and Friends of the Reedy River participated in a day long plant rescue and replanting project. The rescue took place in an undeveloped portion of the new Greenville County landfill site. Native grasses, forbs, ferns, and shrubs were loaded into trucks and transported to two sites on the Reedy River. The forbs, grasses, and shrubs were planted in the Urban Reforestation site beside the Church Street bridge in downtown Greenville and the ferns were planted in the woodland site owned by the Friends Of the Reedy below Cleveland Park .

August 10, 2004: Upstate Chapter Board of Directors works behind the scenes to encourage US Forest Service and SC PRT to relocate portion of the new Oconee Connector bicycle trail.

August 10, 2004: Upstate Chapter Board of Directors adopts policy for native plant rescues.

The Upstate Chapter's Board of Directors unanimously approved a set of guidelines for native plant rescues which had been drafted by Wes Burnett and Bill Stringer. Included with the guidelines is a form to be signed by all those who participate in any native plant rescue operation sponsored by the Upstate Chapter.

Native Plant Rescue Policy & Guidelines (PDF)
Native Plant Rescue Participant Agreement (PDF)

June 17, 2004: Field Trip Report - Upstate Chapter visits Wayah Bald

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