Tag Archives: No amenities

Southern 8ths Farm & Cheraw SP (Chesterfield Co., SC)

On Sunday, March 23, 2025, tentative plans are for Tom Austin to lead a second-day SCAN trip to a new Southern 8ths property from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Brad Turley, the Southern 8ths Farm owner, is in the process of buying land in Chesterfield County, adjacent to Cheraw State Park, located roughly at GPS coordinates 34.6604, -79.8907. He is interested in getting some eyes on that property while we’re in the area. A specific meeting location will be provided later.

Afterwards, those who wish can head over to Cheraw State Park in Patrick, SC on Society Hill Road.  The GPS coordinates for the meeting location are 34.6196, -79.9452. The target species are Brown Elfin, Henry’s Elfin, Hessel’s Hairstreak and Great Purple Hairstreak. There is also an option, if time permits and there is interest, to go to Carolina Sandhills NWR to look for Frosted Elfin. Walking is off trail and easy.

There are no restroom facilities. Tom Austin will lead the Southern 8ths walk and Dave and Marty Kastner will lead the Cheraw State Park walk and, if we go, Carolina Sandhills NWR walk. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Tom or Marty at one of the email addresses below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. For any of these walks, sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

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

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the 3,674-acre Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. Our target species is Southern Dogface, but we will also be looking for other late-season butterflies as well. We will drive to various areas, walk some of the trails and quite possibly “bushwhack” through fields following the elusive Southern Dogface. Some 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 33.9495, -80.6530. The HP / WMA entrance is located at 15001 Goodwill Road, Eastover, SC 29044 (GPS coordinates 33.9435, -80.6555) on the north side of Garners Ferry Road, US Highway 378, just across from Goodwill Baptist Church.

No restrooms are available on the property. Dave and Marty Kastner will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Marty 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.

Coosawhatchie HP & WMA (Frosted Elfin – Yemassee, SC)

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at the 10,879-acre Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. We will look for lupine and Baptisia tinctoria (horsefly weed) and a new population of Frosted Elfin, as well as other early-season butterflies. The walking is mostly on level ground and easy.

Meet at the Pocotaligo Road kiosk that is located about a quarter mile into the property. The property entrance on Pocotaligo Road is located at GPS coordinates 32.6916, -80.9193. Directions from I-95, take SC-68 West in Yemassee, exit#38. Turn onto Simmons Road and follow it to Pocotaligo Road.

No restrooms are available on the property. Refer to the SCDNR website link below for additional information and a map of the property. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to our leader, Tom Austin, 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.

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

DATE CHANGE – Originally Saturday, March 8, 2025

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the 3,674-acre Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. We will be looking for early-season butterflies, as well as a possible over-wintering Mourning Cloak or Southern Dogface. We will drive to various areas, walk some of the trails and quite possibly “bushwhack” through fields. Some 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 33.9495, -80.6530. The HP / WMA entrance is located at 15001 Goodwill Road, Eastover, SC 29044 (GPS coordinates 33.9435, -80.6555) on the north side of Garners Ferry Road, US Highway 378, just across from Goodwill Baptist Church.

No restrooms are available on the property. Dave and Marty Kastner will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Marty 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.

Peachtree Rock and Shealy’s Pond HPs (Brown Elfin – Lexington Co., SC)

DATE CHANGE – Originally Saturday, March 1, 2025

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the 460-acre Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve and, if time permits, Shealy’s Pond Heritage Preserve. Our target species at Peachtree Rock is the Brown Elfin, but we will also be looking for other early-season butterflies as well.

Meet in the parking area next to Bethel United Methodist Church. The church address is 811 Peachtree Rock Road, Lexington, SC, and the GPS coordinates are 33.8334, -81.2012.

There are no facilities at this site, but gas stations and restaurants are nearby. Dave and Marty Kastner will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Marty 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.

Tillman Sand Ridge HP & WMA (Jasper Co., SC)

Tillman Sand Ridge Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area is a preserve of about 2 square miles in the Outer Coastal Plain of western Jasper County, adjacent to the Savannah River. It was established to protect one of the northernmost populations of Florida gopher tortoises, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, and many rare plant species. The preserve has examples of two important ecosystems, longleaf pine savanna and Outer Coastal Plain floodplain forest.

Directions: From the little village of Tillman (at the junction of Highways 336 and 321) turn onto Sand Hills Road. Continue on Sand Hills Road to the kiosk at a small parking area just off the left side of the road. GPS coordinates for the kiosk are 32.499295, -81.1999621.

There are no organized hunts at this location, but all participants should wear orange for the walk. Do not walk on any of the gopher tortoise mounds. There are no facilities at this site.

For those who need to stay overnight, hotels are available in Hardeeville.

Alison Smith will lead. Contact her at [email protected] if you plan on participating.

CANCELLED – Pre-Symposium Walk – Mason Farm Biological Reserve (Chapel Hill, NC)

CANCELLED – Due to damage, flooding and road closures from hurricane Helene, the CBS Board has decided to cancel the October 5 symposium and this walk that was scheduled for Friday, October 4.

LOCATION CHANGE (due to hunting at previous venue)

This is a pre-symposium butterfly walk but anyone is welcome whether they plan on attending the symposium or not.

We will meet at the parking lot at Mason Farm Biological Reserve trailhead. There is no street address, but the GPS coordinates are 35.89233, -79.01647. The walking loop is about 2 miles or so and is flat. The trail winds through several habitats including hardwood forest, mixed pine forest, open fields, and has a nice boardwalk section through a wetland. Approximately 60+ species of butterflies have been tallied here over the years and seasons. Of course, we will not have that diversity in October, but it’s still a nice walk. Jeff Pippen and Dave and Marty Kastner will lead.

No restrooms are available on the property. Please bring water, snacks (or a late lunch), binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

Directions – From the north, drive to Finley Golf Course Road in Chapel Hill. Drive around the Finley Golf Club clubhouse and parking lot and past the driving range. Directly after the driving range at the power lines, take the right fork onto Mason Farm Acc Road (which passes under the power lines). After about 0.38 miles, turn to the right on the gravel access road to the creek, then drive over the concrete ford (which always has at least some water flowing over it, but should be passable). The trailhead parking lot is just to the south of the creek.

Please use the symposium registration form if you are attending the symposium and plan to participate. If you are NOT attending the symposium, you can register for this walk online at the CBS website or RSVP to Marty Kastner at the email address below.

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

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at the 3,674-acre Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. Our target species is Southern Dogface, but we will also be looking for other late-season butterflies as well. We will drive to various areas, walk some of the trails and quite possibly “bushwhack” through fields following the elusive Southern Dogface. Some 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 33.9495, -80.6530. The HP / WMA entrance is located at 15001 Goodwill Road, Eastover, SC 29044 (GPS coordinates 33.9435, -80.6555) 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. Either register on the CBS website or 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.

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

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the 3,674-acre Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area. Our target species are 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 33.9495, -80.6530. The HP / WMA entrance is located at 15001 Goodwill Road, Eastover, SC 29044 (GPS coordinates 33.9435, -80.6555) 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. Either register on the CBS website or 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.

Post-Symposium Walk – Wateree River HP and WMA (Eastover, near Columbia, SC)

This is a post-symposium butterfly walk at the 3,674-acre Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area but anyone is welcome whether they plan on attending the symposium or not. 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. The Southern Dogface has been seen consistently at this site.

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. Please register online at the CBS website or 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 SCDNR website link below for hiking trails and other information about the Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area.