Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center where we will divide into smaller groups. Some will have longer areas to walk. Some trails will have roots and may be overgrown. There are no restaurants nearby. Contact David Shelley if you can help with this important count. You do not have to be an expert to help and may come for a whole or half day.
Tag Archives: Walk Difficulty: Easy
Edisto Memorial Gardens
The Edisto Memorial Gardens is owned and operated by the City of Orangeburg. There is No Admission Fee. Come see this South Carolina treasure and hopefully we will spot some butterflies too!
Suggestion: Park in the Upper Parking Lot and park toward the far end.
Restrooms are located to the far-right upper corner of the parking lot. Follow the sidewalk to the buildings down the hill and to the right.
We will meet in the Lower Parking lot to begin our walk. Follow the pavement to the far upper left and walk down the incline to the parking area below. Our walk will end back at the Upper Parking area.
This is an easy walk with some steps and moderate inclines. There is a board walk that enables us to see the North Fork of the Edisto River. The Edisto River is the longest free flowing Black Water River in North America. What makes this a black water river? Come and discover the answer.
Bring: Bug Spray, Water, Snacks, Insect Guides, Camera.
We will see Roses, Canada Geese, Turtles, a Chinese Waterwheel, and the river. We hope to see butterflies. There will be an opportunity to stand on a million gallons of water, you will not get your feet wet! Come see how the old city dump was transformed (1920’s) into an area of beauty before it became the “in thing to do!”
The gardens are affiliated with the American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) and has an American Rose Society Award of Excellence Test Garden.
The Edisto Memorial Gardens are located at 218 Riverside Drive, SW, Orangeburg, SC 29115. The website is: www.orangeburg.sc.us/edisto-memorial-gardens.
Contact: Diane Curlee, cell phone (803) 378-0536 if you are planning to attend the walk.
Lowcountry – Francis Marion NF
On Saturday, May 15, there will be a walk in the Francis Marion National Forest near Huger, South Carolina. The walk will start at 10:00 AM and everyone should meet at the intersection of Dog Swamp Road (dirt road) and 3047 Steed Creek Road. The GPS coordinates of the meeting place are 33.074667, -79.736444 (or 33°04’28.8″N 79°44’11.2″W). Google Maps indicates this location is 55 minutes or 38 miles from the Coburg Cow sign in Charleston.
Jock Stender will lead and Alison Smith will co-lead.
Please either register for this walk on the CBS website or contact the trip leader(s) so he/she will know you are coming. It is always wise to pack a portable lunch, snacks and plenty of water. Long pants and close-toed shoes are recommended. Bring your camera, binoculars, field guide, sunscreen and bug spray.
Carolina Sandhills NWR, Cheraw SP and Horseshoe Mountain
The first walk for the CBS Midlands Chapter will be on April 3. We will visit Cheraw State Park and Horseshoe Mountain. Due to a recent controlled burn and lack of nectar, we will NOT explore Carolina Sandhills NWR; we will only meet there in the parking lot at 10:00 (which, due to the expected cool temperature, is later than the original time of 9:30 ). 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. We will caravan to Cheraw SP and then to Horseshoe Mountain.
Please note that masks and social distancing are mandated on all federal lands (Sandhills) and masks are only required in areas where people congregate at Cheraw SP. If you want to explore the Carolina Sandhills NWR, a youth turkey hunt is taking place on this date and our permit limits us to either side of Wildlife Drive from Hwy 1 to RT 9. Please bring an orange hat or vest to wear in the NWR other than the parking lot.
Please note that the area at Cheraw SP is not a trail and we will be walking on uneven ground covered with pine needles and some vegetation. Also, at Horseshoe Mountain there is a walk with some steps to get up to the top. The high temperature is only supposed to be 59 on Saturday, but we did see butterflies while scouting when it was only 55 degrees. It is supposed to be sunny.
As before we will practice social distancing as much as possible during the walk. Be sure to bring your mask since the area will be more crowded on a holiday weekend. Bathrooms are available at Horseshoe Mountain.
The target species are Henry’s Elfin, Brown Elfin, Frosted Elfin and Hessel’s Hairstreak. Please bring your binoculars, camera, field guides, lunch, snacks and water. We will end around 3:00. Marty and Dave Kastner will lead the walk. Please sign up on the CBS website or contact Marty and Dave if you plan to attend. kastners@aol.com
CANCELLED – Timmerman Trail of the Cayce Riverwalk
CANCELLED
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and out of an abundance of caution, this walk has been CANCELLED.
This walk will begin at 11:00 (to allow the sun to get up over the trees) and end between 3:00 and 4:00. The GPS coordinates on their website is for a different location than where we will be exploring. The GPS coordinates for where we will meet are 33.934482, -81.037010. To get there, take I-77 to exit 2 and exit onto 12th Street Extension heading north. Turn right onto Fort Congaree Trail. Go straight and park on the side of the road just before the gate. There are restrooms at the Cayce Tennis Center, but it is currently not known if they will be opened. Much of the Timmerman Trail is paved, but we will be walking a dirt road (which is Old State Road). On 3/12/20, Marty and Dave Kastner saw 25 Falcate Orangetip butterflies, mostly males, along with 10 other species.
Marty and Dave Kastner will lead. Please register on the CBS website or contact Marty if you are coming. kastners@aol.com
CANCELLED – Parris Island, South Carolina
CANCELLED
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have been informed by our contact at Parris Island that, “It has been extremely difficult to get non-DOD affiliated personnel on the Depot, especially Friday-Sunday.” Consequently, this walk has been CANCELLED. The invitation to visit Parris Island is still open and we intend to include it in the planning schedule for 2021.
This is a very rare opportunity to butterfly on Parris Island.
The walk will be LIMITED TO THE FIRST 12 PEOPLE who sign up by September 12 either on the CBS website or by contacting Marty Kastner at kastners@aol.com. When you register, you will need to provide your FULL NAME, DATE OF BIRTH and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. This information will be given to John Holloway (our trip leader and the natural resources person for Parris Island) which he will submit to Parris Island base security for the purpose of vetting all attendees. Dennis Forsythe is the organizer for this walk.
We will meet at the Parris Island Gateway entrance just south of US Highway 21 at Malecon Drive. Once through the main gate, we will pull over to caravan. The GPS coordinates for the front entry gate are 32.375001, -80.716649.
Long pants, sturdy shoes and a hat are recommended. Please bring sunscreen, insect repellent, water and lunch. Binoculars, a camera (for the photographers in the group) and field guide will be helpful for butterfly identification.
CANCELLED – SI Group Hundred Acre Woods
CANCELLED
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the SI Group is currently not allowing any groups to visit their Hundred Acre Woods habitat conservation and management area. Consequently, this walk has been CANCELLED.
The target species is the Goatweed Leafwing and other fall butterflies. There is a porta potty on site. The walk will be on flat ground, but some field areas may be overgrown.
The address is 725 Cannon Bridge Road, Orangeburg, SC 29115. Come in the second entrance after crossing the railroad tracks coming from Hwy. 301. Look to your right and go towards the tree line. We will line our cars up near the tree line. After everyone has arrived, Arthur Sweatman from the SI Group will lead the caravan of cars to the Hundred Acre Woods. Restaurants and gas stations are nearby. Marty Kastner is our trip organizer; please contact Marty if you are coming. kastners@aol.com
Limited NABA Count – Congaree National Park
Due to the Coronavirus/Covid-19 outbreak, this NABA count will be a “by invitation only” event. Each group will be limited to one or two persons who have been specifically asked to attend. We are sorry for the inconvenience and hope to see you for the counts next year.
CANCELLED – Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center where we will divide into smaller groups. Some will have longer areas to walk. Some trails will have roots and may be overgrown. There are no restaurants nearby. Contact David Shelley if you can help with this important count. You do not have to be an expert to help and may come for a whole or half day.
Edisto Island including Roxbury Park and the Hutchinson House
Note that this trip is scheduled for Sunday (instead of the normal Saturday). Our target species will be the Great Southern White.
The Midlands Chapter of the Carolina Butterfly Society will hold a walk on Edisto Island on Sunday, August 30. Due to Covid-19, social distancing will be practiced. Please have a mask at hand for necessary times that may arise. Please note that we are not going to Botany Bay as previously planned due to the large crowds that visit there. Tom Austin will lead. Contact him if you plan to attend. tbausti@g.clemson.edu
We will meet at Roxbury Park at 10:00am in the parking lot. (There is a portalet in the parking lot.) Traffic should be low and social distancing shouldn’t be an issue. We’ll spend the morning at Roxbury before heading to the Hutchinson House after lunch. We’ll roam the trails there until we disband. We should be the only ones on the Hutchinson House property. (There is a portalet behind the house.)
Address for Roxbury Park is: 4494 Hwy-174, Meggett, SC
Address for the Hutchinson House is: 7666 Point of Pines Rd, Edisto Island, SC
Hutchinson House, which is now owned by Edisto Island Open Land Trust, is a freedman house constructed circa 1885 by a former slave. Efforts are in place to restore the home and grounds.
CANCELLED – Gum Swamp Road
CANCELLED
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and out of an abundance of caution, this walk has been CANCELLED.
This is in Jackson, South Carolina near Aiken. Our target species are Texan Crescent and Tawny and Hackberry Emperors. We will meet at the Kathwood Lakes parking area 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 just before the dirt road portion of Silver Bluff Road and approximately 200 yards after crossing the railroad tracks coming south on Silver Bluff Road. Kathwood Lakes is the name Google Maps uses for the bodies of water at this location. The GPS coordinates are 33.337279, -81.843453. 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. John Demko will lead. leveljohn7@gmail.com