Tag Archives: Walk Difficulty: Easy

REVISED DATE – Super-Sod Farm and Surrounding Area – Common Sootywing (Orangeburg, SC)

REVISED DATE – Moved to Wednesday, May 24 (from Monday, May 22) due to expected weather conditions.

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will explore areas around and possibly inside the Super-Sod Farm in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Please note that this is now a Wednesday walk. Our target species is the Common Sootywing which has been recoded here in the past.

Meet at the Super-Sod office at 3086 Five Chop Road, Orangeburg, South Carolina, 29115. The GPS coordinates are 33.4594, -80.7433.

Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, sunscreen, and bug spray. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended. Dennis Forsythe will lead. Please register on the CBS website or contact Dennis at dennis.forsythe@gmail.com if you can attend.

Sumter National Forest, Enoree District, South Carolina

The location for this trip has been changed from Chester County to Newberry and Laurens Counties.

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk to the Enoree District of the Sumter National Forest in South Carolina. Please note that this is a Sunday walk. Our target species are the Pepper and Salt Skipper, Common Roadside-Skipper and possibly Dusted Skipper.

Meet at the BP gas station on Highway 66, Whitmire Highway, just off I-26 at exit 60. The GPS coordinates of the gas station are 34.4383, -81.7628.

There are bathrooms in the camping area of Sumter National Forest, but we may not be near them until the afternoon. There is also a rest stop on westbound I-26 shortly before exit 60. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras, sunscreen, and bug spray. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended. Dennis Forsythe will lead. Please register on the CBS website or contact Dennis at dennis.forsythe@gmail.com if you can attend.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.