Tag Archives: Walk Difficulty: Easy

Wateree River HP & WMA – Southern Dogface (Eastover, near Columbia, SC)

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on October 21,2023 at the 3,674-acre Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. Our target species is the Southern Dogface, but we will also be looking for other late-season butterflies as well. We will drive to various areas and walk some of the trails. Areas may be a little overgrown, but the walking is mostly on level ground and easy.

Meet at the first kiosk that is located on the right, about 0.45 miles along Goodwill Road after entering the property. GPS coordinates for the kiosk are 33.94949, -80.65303. The HP / WMA entrance is located at 15001 Goodwill Road, Eastover, SC 29044 (GPS coordinates 33.94353, -80.65551) on the north side of Garners Ferry Road, US Highway 378, just across from Goodwill Baptist Church.

No restrooms are available on the property. Refer to the SCDNR website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Marty Kastner at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

See the website link below for hiking trails and other information about the Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area.

SI Group Hundred Acre Woods – Goatweed Leafwing (Orangeburg, SC)

TIME CHANGED (from 10:00am-3:00pm to 1:00pm-4:00pm)

DATE CHANGED (from September 30 to October 14)

On Saturday, October 14, 2023, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at the SI Group Hundred Acre Woods in Orangeburg, South Carolina, to look for the Goatweed Leafwing (we believe there is an existing, ongoing colony) and other fall butterflies. There will be a short drive on an unpaved road to get to our staging point, and, after parking, we will walk around the property. This site was last visited in 2019.

There is a porta potty on site. Restaurants and gas stations are nearby. The walk will be on flat ground, but some field areas may be overgrown.

The address is 725 Cannon Bridge Road, Orangeburg, SC 29115 (GPS coordinates 33.465095, -80.884050). Traveling south on Cannon Bridge Road from Highway 301, go past the railroad crossing and come in the third entrance on the left just after the main parking lot area for the SI Group and just before the fenced-in electrical substation enclosure. After turning in, look to your right and follow the short dirt road, on the east side of the electrical substation enclosure, towards the tree line where we will meet and line up our cars. After everyone has arrived, a safety officer from the SI Group will lead the caravan of cars back to the Hundred Acre Woods parking area.

Please register online at the CBS website or RSVP to Diane Curlee, our trip organizer, at the email address below if you plan to participate.

Gum Swamp Road and Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary (Aiken Co, SC)

This is a Full CBS Walk to areas near Aiken, South Carolina, to look for the Texan Crescent, Tawny Emperor, Hackberry Emperor and other summer butterflies. On Saturday, August 5, we will drive along Gum Swamp Road and stop at various locations along the road to explore areas of interest (or wherever we see butterflies). On Sunday, August 6, we will explore areas within the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary that are generally not open to the public. The gate to the lakes (see below for the location) will be open on Sunday at dawn if you want to do some birding before our butterfly walk.

We will meet both days at the Kathwood Lakes parking area (GPS coordinates 33.33728, -81.84345) of the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary. We will leave some cars at this location and consolidate the number of vehicles. Kathwood Lakes is located on Silver Bluff Road just before the paved road turns to dirt and approximately 200 yards after crossing the railroad tracks coming south. Kathwood Lakes is the name Google Maps uses for the bodies of water at this location.

If you are coming from the north, Beech Island is the nearest place with bathrooms, places to eat and gas stations. If coming from the south, Jackson is the nearest place for these items. If coming from the east down Silver Bluff Road, (SC 302), Aiken will be the last town on your way. Jackson will be to your south on SC 125 if you need to stop just prior to the meeting spot.

No restrooms are available along Gum Swamp Road. Please RSVP to John Demko at the email address below if you plan to participate.

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Loretta Lutman’s Home Butterfly Garden 2023 (Randolph County, NC)

On Saturday, July 8, 2023, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) has been invited to a butterfly walk at Loretta Lutman’s extensive private butterfly garden in Randolph County that has many nectar plants all around her house. In addition, she has installed her “blue garden,” a sculpture garden of butterfly images with blue being the dominant color. This is a beautiful addition to all her planted beds.

Loretta has previously stated, “The tour of my garden includes photos of what was once a scrubby wooded lot with no sun, to a full-fledged butterfly garden full of nectar plants with the surrounding woodlands supplying host plants. Around and in back of the house are several butterfly sculptures in the ‘blue’ garden. After your tour, sit a spell in the gazebo (with fans), view the garden, and enjoy butterflies, skippers, and the surprise goldfinches that come to forage on coneflower petals. Listen to the delightful sound of the waterfall sprinkler.”

As well as developing her own extensive butterfly garden, Loretta has spent many years as a volunteer working at the nearby NC Zoo in their butterfly gardening efforts. She also is the author of a scientifically accurate children’s book on the butterfly life cycle.

If you would like to attend, please contact Loretta Lutman at the email address below to RSVP and obtain her address (which, for privacy and security concerns, is not published here). If it happens to rain (banish the thought) on July 8, this walk will be rescheduled to July 15.

CANCELLED – Etheredge Mill Pond – Aaron’s Skipper (North, SC)

CANCELLED – After numerous recent scouting visits, no Aaron’s Skippers could be found. Consequently, this year’s walk has been CANCELLED! Here’s to hoping they’ll be back next year.

The Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Etheredge Mill Pond near North, South Carolina, to look for Aaron’s Skipper fall brood and other late-season butterflies. Please note that this is a Tuesday walk. Locations of interest will be around the mill pond. At times, we will be walking along the fairly wide shoulders of paved roads.

Meet on the east side of Etheredge Mill Pond at the corner of Highway 178 / North Road and Highway 172 / Redmond Mill Road (GPS coordinates 33.62726, -81.04808) in the open area on the north side of Highway 178 and just to the west of Highway 172.

No restrooms are available on the property. Please RSVP to John Demko at the email address below if you plan to participate.

REVISED DATE – Super-Sod Farm and Surrounding Area – Common Sootywing (Orangeburg, SC)

REVISED DATE – Moved to Wednesday, May 24 (from Monday, May 22) due to expected weather conditions.

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will explore areas around and possibly inside the Super-Sod Farm in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Please note that this is now a Wednesday walk. Our target species is the Common Sootywing which has been recoded here in the past.

Meet at the Super-Sod office at 3086 Five Chop Road, Orangeburg, South Carolina, 29115. The GPS coordinates are 33.4594, -80.7433.

Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, sunscreen, and bug spray. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended. Dennis Forsythe will lead. Please register on the CBS website or contact Dennis at dennis.forsythe@gmail.com if you can attend.

Sumter National Forest, Enoree District, South Carolina

The location for this trip has been changed from Chester County to Newberry and Laurens Counties.

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk to the Enoree District of the Sumter National Forest in South Carolina. Please note that this is a Sunday walk. Our target species are the Pepper and Salt Skipper, Common Roadside-Skipper and possibly Dusted Skipper.

Meet at the BP gas station on Highway 66, Whitmire Highway, just off I-26 at exit 60. The GPS coordinates of the gas station are 34.4383, -81.7628.

There are bathrooms in the camping area of Sumter National Forest, but we may not be near them until the afternoon. There is also a rest stop on westbound I-26 shortly before exit 60. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, sunscreen, and bug spray. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended. Dennis Forsythe will lead. Please register on the CBS website or contact Dennis at dennis.forsythe@gmail.com if you can attend.

DATE CHANGE – Folly Beach – Yucca Giant-Skipper (near Charleston, SC)

===== DATE CHANGE =====

The date for this walk has been changed to WEDNESDAY, April 12 due to the prediction of heavy rain on the original date of April 8.

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk to Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve at the north end of Folly Beach in South Carolina. The target species is the Yucca Giant-Skipper.

Per the Lighthouse Inlet HP website, there is no close accessible parking and a paved surface leads to a natural, unimproved surface out to the beach area. Alison Smith will lead the walk. We will meet at Alison Smith’s home at 8:30 AM and carpool because parking is limited at the heritage preserve entrance and may be an issue. Contact Alison at sweetgrassess@gmail.com if you are coming and she will send you her address.

RESCHEDULED – Wateree River HP & WMA – Henry’s Elfin & Falcate Orangetip (Eastover, near Columbia, SC)

RESCHEDULED

Due to the forecast for rain on Saturday, March 18, this walk has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 21, starting at 11:00 AM. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you will still be able to attend.

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk at the 3,674-acre Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. Our target species are the Henry’s Elfin and Falcate Orangetip, but we will also be looking for other early-season butterflies as well. We will drive to various areas and walk some of the trails. Areas may be a little overgrown, but the walking is mostly on level ground and easy.

Meet at the first kiosk that is located on the right, about 0.45 miles along Goodwill Road after entering the property. GPS coordinates for the kiosk are 33.94949, -80.65303. The HP / WMA entrance is located at 15001 Goodwill Road, Eastover, SC 29044 (GPS coordinates 33.94353, -80.65551) on the north side of Garners Ferry Road, US Highway 378, just across from Goodwill Baptist Church.

No restrooms are available on the property. Refer to the SCDNR website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Marty Kastner at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, sunscreen, and bug spray. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended.

See the website link below for hiking trails and other information about the Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area.