Tag Archives: Bathrooms at the meeting place

Blue Ridge Mountains – Olympia Marble (Western Madison County, NC)

Below are the details for the upcoming field trip to western Madison County in North Carolina. This event is limited to current members of CBS in good standing (with membership dues paid for 2023). As stated below, this trip is limited to 15 participants (on a first-come, first-served basis) so you are encouraged to reserve your spot early. If you are interested in attending but are unsure of your membership standing, please send an email to Dave Kastner (at the address below) and he will let you know your status. If you are not currently an up-to-date member, you can renew your membership and will be placed on the participant list after dues are received.

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This trip is limited to 15 participants. A wait list will be kept in case of cancellations.

Target Species:

Probable – Silvery Blue, Olympia Marble, Elfins (Eastern Pine, Brown, Henry’s), West Virginia White, Common Roadside Skipper, Hairstreaks, Duskywings, Zebra Swallowtail.
Possible – Northern Crescent, Early Hairstreak, Gulf Fritillary.
Unlikely – Cobweb Skipper (current early record April 9).

The exact locations of the Olympia Marble populations are NOT TO BE DISCLOSED. You must agree in order to join this trip.

The entire trip will be in western Madison County. Pete Dixon will be your leader. Those wishing to attend, please email Dave Kastner (kastners@aol.com), who will verify your CBS membership and forward your email to Pete. Pete will send participants the directions to his farm, where the trip will start both days.

The first day (Tuesday) trip will start at 1:00 by carpooling in 4 cars from Pete’s farm. Expect to be back to the farm by 5:00. The second day, Wednesday, will start at a morning time that Pete will set on Tuesday, based on predicted temperatures and amount of sun. The trip will end at about 4:00 for everyone. Carpooling will be based on the different times people need to leave for their drive back home.

For those who plan to arrive early on Tuesday, Pete can send you the website/directions for a trail that is on your way to his farm where Olympia Marbles have recently been discovered. The trail is about a mile round trip.

For places to stay overnight, there are several rental cabins and B&Bs in the county. Pete has 2 rental cabins on his farm, and there are several others nearby. Mars Hill has a Comfort Inn, and there is a Fairfield Inn in Weaverville (Buncombe County). For something unusual, the old jail in Marshall is now a boutique hotel. Hot Springs has many short-term rental properties. Mars Hill, Marshall, Hot Springs, and Weaverville each have a variety of restaurants and brewery taprooms. Weaverville is 40 min. to Pete’s farm; Marshall is 25 min; Mars Hill is 35 min. Hot Springs is 15 min. Obviously, there are many hotels and restaurants in Asheville, which would be another 10 to 30 min., depending on what area of Asheville you are in.

The planner for this field trip is Gail Lankford, who regrets she will not be able to attend. Feel free to contact her before March 20 at whocooksforyou64@gmail.com for more information.

The proposed rain date for this trip is April 4 and 5.

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Greensboro Arboretum, NC

On Saturday, October 22, 2022, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at the Greensboro Arboretum to look for late season butterflies. This 17-acre site features 14 plant collections, special display gardens and distinct structural features. The extensive variety of plants offers chances to observe butterflies and provides rich educational opportunities for children and adults, landscape designers, and homeowners. Refer to the website below for a map and additional information.

Meet at the arboretum entrance at 401 Ashland Drive, Greensboro, North Carolina 27403 (or for those who prefer GPS coordinates, 36.07027, -79.84208). The contact person for this walk is Laura Karendal.

NABA Count – Congaree National Park (Hopkins, SC)

On Saturday, September 17, 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 seasonal 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.

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.

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.

Greensboro Arboretum, NC

On Saturday, September 10, 2022, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at the Greensboro Arboretum to look for late season butterflies. This 17-acre site features 14 plant collections, special display gardens and distinct structural features. The extensive variety of plants offers chances to observe butterflies and provides rich educational opportunities for children and adults, landscape designers, and homeowners. Refer to the website below for a map and additional information.

Reynolda Gardens (Winston-Salem, NC)

On Saturday, August 13, 2022, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Reynolda Gardens which serves as a 134-acre outdoor horticultural oasis open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk. Revive your senses as you connect with nature and immerse yourself in this peaceful landscape complete with lush, colorful gardens, two miles of scenic walking trails, wetlands, paved pathways, thick woodlands, and an expansive meadow for visitors to explore and enjoy. There is also a waterfall, located along the Reynolda Village trail but we will initially be exploring the gardens listed above. Refer to the website below for a map and additional information.

Meet at the garden entrance greenhouse at 100 Reynolda Village, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27106 (or for those who prefer GPS coordinates, 36.12564, -80.28474). Please RSVP to Barbara Cullen at the email address below if you plan to participate.

Pat Holder’s Home Butterfly Garden (Randolph County, NC)

On Saturday, July 30, 2022, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Pat Holder’s native plant home butterfly garden in Randolph County. There will be safe parking on the side of the country road as well as a little parking in Pat’s driveway.

If you would like to attend, please contact Pat Holder at the email address below to RSVP and obtain her address (which, for privacy and security concerns, is not published here).

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

On Saturday, July 9, 2022, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold 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 9, this walk will be rescheduled to July 17.

Reynolda Gardens (Winston-Salem, NC)

On Saturday, June 11, 2022, the Triad Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will hold a butterfly walk at Reynolda Gardens which serves as a 134-acre outdoor horticultural oasis open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk. Revive your senses as you connect with nature and immerse yourself in this peaceful landscape complete with lush, colorful gardens, two miles of scenic walking trails, wetlands, paved pathways, thick woodlands, and an expansive meadow for visitors to explore and enjoy. There is also a waterfall, located along the Reynolda Village trail but we will initially be exploring the gardens listed above. Refer to the website below for a map and additional information.