Tag Archives: South Carolina

NABA Count – Congaree National Park (Hopkins, SC)

On Saturday, August 13, 2022, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) count at Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for mid-season butterflies.

Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center (GPS coordinates 33.82984, -80.82343) where we will divide into smaller groups. Some groups will have longer areas to walk than others. Some of the trails will have roots and/or may be overgrown. There are no restaurants nearby. You do not have to be an expert to participate and may come for a whole or half day.

Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Claudia Santiago at the email address below if you can help with this important count.

Gum Swamp Road (Jackson, SC in Aiken County)

On Saturday, August 6, 2022, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk along Gum Swamp Road in Aiken County near Jackson, South Carolina, to look for the Texan Crescent, Tawny Emperor, Hackberry Emperor and other summer butterflies. We will drive to Gum Swamp Road and stop at various locations to walk / scout along the road.

We will meet 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 Map 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.

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

On Saturday, May 21, 2022, 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 and other early to mid-season butterflies. 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 Marty Kastner at the email address below if you plan to participate.

Sumter National Forest, Enoree District – Harvester (Clinton, SC)

POSTPONED (originally scheduled for April 16)

Due to predicted rain at or near 100%, this walk, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 16, 2022, has been POSTPONED and rescheduled for Sunday, April 24, 2022. The meeting time and place will be the same as listed below

On Sunday, April 24, 2022, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at the Sumter National Forest, Enoree District, near Clinton, South Carolina, to look for the Harvester (found last year) and other early butterflies. There will be some driving on unpaved roads to get to locations of interest.

Meet at the BP Gas Station, 3536 Whitmire Highway, Clinton, SC 29325 (GPS coordinates 34.43873, -81.76258). The BP station is just to the southwest of I-26 at exit 60 (which is for Highway 66). Although there is a restroom at the BP station, it has been suggested we NOT use it unless something has been purchased. If traveling on westbound I-26 (heading northwest from the southeast), there is a rest stop approximately 1.4 miles before reaching exit 60.

Refer to the SCNFS (South Carolina National Forest Service) website link below for additional information about and maps of the Sumter National Forest Enoree District. Please RSVP to Marty Kastner at the email address below if you plan to participate.

Manchester State Forest – Frosted Elfin (Wedgefield, SC)

TIME CHANGE – Start moved back to 10:30am

On Saturday, April 2, 2022, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Manchester State Forest near Wedgefield, South Carolina, to look for lupine, the Frosted Elfin, and other early butterflies. There will be a fair amount of driving, mostly on unpaved roads, to get to locations of interest.

Meet at St Marks Episcopal Church, 6205 Camp Mac Boykin Road, Pinewood, SC 29125. The church is located at the junction of Camp Mac Boykin Road (Highway 51) and St Marks Church Road (GPS coordinates 33.74781, -80.15217).

Refer to the SCFC (South Carolina Forestry Commission) website link below for additional information about and maps of Manchester State Forest. A recent trailmap can be accessed and downloaded directly (without going through the SCFC website) at:

https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/trailmap-manchester.pdf

Please RSVP to Dennis Forsythe at the email address below or Marty Kastner at [email protected] if you plan to participate.

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

DATE CHANGED TO SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2022

Due to a weather forecast for heavy overnight rains on Friday extending into the morning of Saturday, March 19, 2022, this walk has been RESCHEDULED to Sunday, March 20, 2022. We will meet at the same location listed below but, due to cooler temperatures, will delay starting by 1/2 hour, changing the start time from 10:00am to 10:30am. Hope to see you there.

On Sunday, March 20, 2022, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for Henry’s Elfin and other early season butterflies. We will drive to various areas and walk some of the trails.

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.

NABA Butterfly Count (SCRA, Aiken County, SC)

On Saturday, July 9, 2022, NABA (North American Butterfly Association) will hold a butterfly count in the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) at the Silver Bluff Audubon Center in Jackson, South Carolina. Audubon’s Silver Bluff Sanctuary is a 3,400-acre woodland overlooking the Savannah River. Here you’ll find extensive pine forests and bottomland hardwood forests; beautiful walking trails; 50 acres of lakes and ponds; 100 acres of grassland; and all manner of birds, butterflies and wildlife. Refer to the website below for specific directions and additional information about Silver Bluff Sanctuary.

Meet at the Silver Bluff Audubon Visitor Center in Jackson, South Carolina. The GPS coordinates for the gate just outside the visitor center are 33.32451, -81.84501. Please RSVP to John Demko at the email address below if you plan to participate.

Important note: using the street address, some GPS systems tell you that you’ve arrived one mile before you actually reach the Silver Bluff gates. At that point, Silver Bluff Road transitions from a paved road to a well-maintained sand/clay road. Continue driving for one more mile and you’ll see the gates on your right. As stated earlier, the GPS coordinates above are for the gate located just outside the visitor’s center.

On this same date, there will also be another group over on the Georgia side of the river doing a NABA count in the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park. If anyone is interested in participating with this other group in Georgia, contact John Demko at the email address below for more information.

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

=== DATE CHANGE ===

Due to Hurricane Ian’s predicted landfall in South Carolina (along with the expected accompanying rain and possible flooding and tree damage due to high winds), the date of this walk has been changed to October 22.

This is a full CBS walk and a joint outing with SCAN (South Carolina Association of Naturalists) to 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.

NOTE – HP & WMA rules state that “All users must wear international orange from October 1 thru March 1.” so please bring an international orange cap or vest.

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

South Tibwin Trail – Francis Marion NF (near Charleston, SC)

The first CBS butterfly walk of the year will be held on March 5 at South Tibwin Trail in the Francis Marion National Forest. Target species will be the Falcate Orangetip. South Tibwin (both the trail and a road) is directly off Highway 17 approximately 3 miles southwest of McClellanville, South Carolina. The entrance is well marked by a forest service sign. There is a parking area, GPS coordinates 33.07048, -79.52006, just off the highway. The entrance to the trail is gated so the entire area must be explored on foot. There are no restroom facilities on site. The terrain is fairly even and consists mostly of dirt roads or mowed paths. Full length of the trail(s) is approximately 5 miles and includes several loops. Refer to the website below for a map and additional information. There are a variety of habitats – marsh, pine forests and fields. Bring hydration, insect repellant, binoculars, cameras and lunch. Contact Alison Smith at the email address below if you plan on attending.

Congaree Creek HP and Timmerman Trail

TENTATIVE

We will meet in the parking lot of Congaree Creek HP located at 634 Old State Road, Cayce, SC 29033; the GPS coordinates are 33.942633, -81.032142. We will explore areas in part of the Heritage Preserve and along Old State Road and the Timmerman Trail. Our target species are Goatweed Leafwing and Texan Crescent. Walking is easy but could be several miles if you choose to do that much. There is a restroom at the Cayce Tennis Center on Fort Congaree Trail Road, but we will not be in that area until later in the day. Marty and Dave Kastner will lead. Please register on the CBS website or with the Kastners if you plan to attend.