Tag Archives: South Carolina

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.

REVISED DATE – Carolina Sandhills NWR and Cheraw State Park – Elfins & Hessel’s Hairstreak (near McBee, SC)

REVISED DATE – Moved to Sunday, April 2 (from Saturday, April 1)

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk at the Carolina Sandhills NWR (National Wildlife Refuge) and Cheraw State Park in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Our target species will be all the elfins and Hessel’s Hairstreak.

Please meet in the parking lot at the visitor center of Carolina Sandhills NWR. The main entrance is on US Highway 1, about 4 miles northeast of McBee, SC. The address is 23734 U.S. Highway 1, McBee, SC 29101, and the GPS coordinates are 34.502551, -80.223653.

There are restroom facilities at Lake Bee, but we will not be near there until later in the day if at all. There are gas stations in McBee. We will drive to different areas at both locations and stop to look for butterflies. Walking will be minimal. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, sunscreen, and bug spray. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended. Marty and Dave Kastner will lead. Please register on the CBS website or contact kastners@aol.com if you can attend.

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.

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

=== CANCELLED ===

This walk has been cancelled due to expected rain almost all day in Orangeburg. If at all possible, we will try to reschedule for a later date.

On Saturday, September 10, 2022, 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.

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, Arthur Sweatman 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.

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.

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.