Carolina Butterfly Society

NABA Butterfly Count (Congaree NP, Hopkins, SC)
2026-09-19 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Congaree National Park, 100 National Park Rd, Hopkins, SC, 29061
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Location: Congaree National Park, Hopkins, SC

Meeting Time: 9:00 am – to 3:00 pm
Meeting Spot: Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center, 100 National Park Rd, Hopkins, SC 29061 (GPS coordinates 33.8298, -80.8234)

Description: We will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) seasonal count at the 26,693-acre Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for late-season butterflies. The park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. The lush trees growing in its floodplain forest are some of the tallest in the eastern United States, forming one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies remaining in the world. The Congaree River flows through the park. About 15,000 acres are designated as a wilderness area. Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property. After meeting at the visitor center, we will divide into smaller groups. Some groups will have larger areas to explore than others. Some of the trails will have roots and/or may be overgrown. 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.
Target Species: All butterflies
Notes: There are restrooms at the visitor center but no restaurants nearby. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leader: Theresa Yednock
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: N/A
Sign-up: Please contact Theresa Yednock at theresa_yednock@nps.gov if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: N/A

Sandhills Game Land (Hoke, Moore, Richmond, Scotland Counties, NC)
2026-09-26 10:00 - 2026-09-27 16:00 | Sandhills Game Land, 35.026875, -79.559467
SAVE THE DATES!
Dates: Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026
Location: Sandhills Game Land, Hoke, Moore, Richmond and Scotland Counties, NC

Meeting Time: 10:00 am – to 4:00 pm (tentative)
Meeting Spot: TBD

Description: The scenic Sandhills Game Land encompasses 63,061 acres across Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties in North Carolina, with 32,235 acres being in Richmond County. The Game Land is one of the largest remaining examples of a Longleaf Pine ecosystem in North Carolina. There is approximately 6700 acres of Oak/Hickory dominant forestland on the Game Land.
Target Species: Fall butterflies
Notes: Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leaders: Harry LeGrand and Lori Arent
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: TBD
Sign-up: Please contact Harry LeGrand at hlegrandjr@gmail.com or Lori Arent at ljarent1@gmail.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: TBD

Bio Way Farm (Ware Shoals, SC)
2026-09-26 10:30 - 15:00 | Bio Way Farm, 197 Bio Way, Ware Shoals, SC, 29692, United States
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Location: Bio Way Farm, Ware Shoals, SC

Meeting Time: 10:30 am – to 3:00 pm
Meeting Spot: The address is 197 Bio Way, Ware Shoals, SC 29692 (or GPS coordinates 34.4700, -82.2583). The GPS coordinates for the driveway entrance on Bio Way are 34.4703, -82.2587.

Description: This will be a joint outing with SCAN, the South Carolina Association of Naturalists. We will walk the roads and trails of a 120-acre organic farm that is managed for ecological restoration and biodiversity. There is a mix of upland meadows and forest habitat as well as a 5-acre lake and riparian zones to explore. Additional information about Bio Way Farm can be found on the web using the link below.
Target Species: All fall butterflies – Over 30 species have been identified at Bio Way Farm with many more possibilities to be discovered. Laurens County is an under sampled area of South Carolina so, perhaps we can fill in some of the species “holes” on the range maps.
Notes: There is a restroom and drinking water at our meeting location. Gas and food are nearby. Wearing sturdy walking or hiking shoes is recommended along with long sleeves and long pants as we may go off trail in some locations to look for as many butterfly species as possible. It is also recommended you use a good bug spray, wear sunscreen, and carry water with you. Be sure to bring those other items you may need (camera, binoculars, field guides, etc.).
Trip Leader: Chris Sermons
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: There are many accommodation options in the Greenville, SC area. Bio Way Farm in Laurens County is about 45 to 50 minutes to the south of central Greenville.
Sign-up: Please contact Chris Sermons at biowayfarm@gmail.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: N/A

SI Group Hundred Acre Woods (Goatweed Leafwing – Orangeburg, SC)
2026-10-03 10:00 - 15:00 | SI Group, 725 Cannon Bridge Road, Orangeburg, SC, 29115, United States
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Location: SI Group Hundred Acre Woods, Orangeburg, SC

Meeting Time: 10:00 am – to 3:00 pm
Meeting Spot: We will meet at the access road to the Hundred Acre Woods. The address is 725 Cannon Bridge Road, Orangeburg, SC 29115 (GPS coordinates 33.4651, -80.8841). See Directions below for additional information.

Description: The walk will be on flat ground, but some field areas may be overgrown. There will be a short drive on an unpaved road to get to our staging point. After parking, we will walk around the property to look for our target species, the Goatweed Leafwing (there has been an existing, ongoing colony in the past), but we will also be looking other fall butterflies.
Target Species: Goatweed Leafwing
Notes: There will be a porta potty on site. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leader: Diane Curlee
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: Restaurants and gas stations are nearby.
Sign-up: Please contact Diane Curlee at dianecurlee8@gmail.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: 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.

Wateree River HP & WMA (Southern Dogface – Eastover, SC)
2026-10-10 10:00 - 16:00 | Wateree River HP & WMA, 15001 Goodwill Road, Eastover, SC, 29044, United States
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Location: Wateree River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area

Meeting Time: 10:00 am – to 4:00 pm
Meeting Spot: 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.

Description: Wateree River HP & WMA is a 3,674-acre tract that was set aside as a mitigation site for the Haile Gold Mine in Kershaw County and is comprised of the old Cook’s Mountain and Goodwill Plantation tracts. We will drive to various areas, walk some of the trails and quite possibly “bushwhack” through fields to look for late-season butterflies. Some areas may be a little overgrown, but the walking is mostly on level ground and easy.
Target Species: Southern Dogface, other fall butterflies
Notes: There are no facilities at this site but there is a gas station nearby. Walk difficulty is easy. 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.
Trip Leaders: Marty & Dave Kastner
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: N/A
Sign-up: Please contact Marty and Dave Kastner at kastners@aol.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: N/A

Santee NWR Bluff Unit (Summerton, SC)
2026-10-17 10:00 - 16:00 | Santee NWR Visitor Center, 2125 Fort Watson Road, Summerton, SC, 29148, United States
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Location: Santee National Wildlife Refuge, Bluff Unit, Summerton, SC

Meeting Time: 10:00 am – to 4:00 pm
Meeting Spot: Meet at the visitor center at 2125 Fort Watson Rd, Summerton, SC 29148. GPS Coordinates are 33.5326, -80.4317.

Description: We will explore the pollinator garden at the visitor center and then drive the short distance to the Bluff Unit where we will park and walk the access road towards the Bluff Unit open fields. Blue Mist Flower should be blooming and is a great nectar source for butterflies. Santee NWR was established to benefit migratory waterfowl, other birds, and terrestrial and aquatic wildlife found within the ecosystem of the Lake Marion reservoir.
Target Species: Seminole Crescent, Broad-winged Skipper
Notes: There are restrooms at the visitor center. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.
Trip Leaders: Marty and Dave Kastner
Lodging & Dining Recommendations: N/A
Sign-up: Please contact Marty and Dave Kastner at kastners@aol.com if you are planning to attend. You can also register by using the “Register” link above.
Directions: N/A
