August 6, 1997
Dear SCAN members,
The July field trip proved so popular we had 45 members and guests at the home of Tommy and Evelyn Dabbs, despite some very hot humid typical July weather. Evelyn plans a busy day for visitors, and we were kept busy seeing interesting animals and plants to suffer too much from the heat. First was a bird-banding demonstration, followed by your choice of butterflying in the garden, or enjoying the flora and fauna of the Black River swamp from a jon boat with Tommy at the helm. After eating lunch together on the shady deck, Evelyn organized botanical tours, which offered typical riverine and inner coastal plain plants along with a spice of deer flies and other fauna. We also got to see a fawn still wearing its spots race around the edge of the crowd. Any time the heat became annoying, you could go sit on the deck in the shade and watch the hummingbirds at the feeders, or perhaps watch a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis in one of Evelyn’s rearing cages. These cages provide great close-ups of the butterfly life cycle, but their real utility is to protect the caterpillars and chrysalises from the ravages of fire ants. As the flora/fauna list shows, we saw a lot of interesting flora and fauna. A very special thank you is given to Tommy and Evelyn Dabbs for having us, and to Greg Mancini for setting it up and doing the leg work.
Other Items of Note: Al Segars, a SCAN member from Beaufort, suggests any members, especially teachers, would find this conference very informative.
“COASTAL CONNECTIONS: Join marine educators for South Carolina and Georgia as they convene at Skidaway Island State Park in Georgia on October 10 – 12, 1997 for the 10th Annual Conference of the South Carolina Marine Educators Assoc. (SCMEA) to be held jointly with the Georgia Assoc. of Marine Educators (GAME). Over 100 educators will gather for three days of workshops, concurrent sessions, exciting field trips and hands-on exploration of marine and aquatic environments designed for teachers and other adults interested in our coastal biosphere. Contact one of the following for information regarding registration, housing, fees, and programs. Fred James, 800-476-7272, fcjames@cs1.presby.edu, or Sarah Mitchell, (912) 598-2367, smitchell@ocean.nos.noaa.gov.
For those of you who have access to the internet, you can now find a catalog of South Carolina trails on line at www.sctrails.net. It provides basic information you would need to plan to use the trail, and would be useful for choosing a day’s outing, planning a backpacking trip, or finding access to a new area to explore. It is provided by the South Carolina State Trails Program, of PRT.
Condolence is expressed on behalf of SCAN to Frank Hill, who lost his wife Caroline yesterday after a long illness. She will be missed.
August Change of Venue
Please note in the following information about the August field trip that our destination is very different from what was announced. Yellow Branch access was never easy, but tree blow-downs in the winter made it too dangerous for group travel. But our regional director, Ted Cottingham, has worked hard and come up with a fine, if different, replacement. If visiting the SC Botanical Garden sounds a little citified for SCAN, listen to this. Its mission is “to promote research and education in the areas of botanical and cultural conservation and environmental awareness.” It serves three functions: it is a living museum of botanical resources, a catalyst and laboratory for ecological research, and is a natural classroom for the public. In addition, we will visit the home of another SCAN member who has a natural and diverse ecosystem in ‘the backyard’. Suzanne and John Morse will be our hosts in the afternoon. SCAN is blessed to have such generous homeowners as the Dabbs and the Morses. Ted’s description follows on the next page.
August 23, 1997
South Carolina Botanical Garden (Pickens County)
Morse Property (Anderson County)
On August 23rd, SCAN will visit for the first time two very interesting sites. At 10:30 a.m. we will meet at the South Carolina Botanical Garden which is located on the campus of one of the South’s premier institutions of higher learning, Clemson University. There we will have a self-guided tour of the Garden. The site consists of 270 acres and is recognized for a multitude of displays, including some of the Southeast’s finest collections of camellias, native wildflowers and over 1,000 species of trees. After we finish touring the Botanical Garden, John and Suzanne Morse will host of tour of their “backyard” located at nearby Pendleton. Their backyard consists of 15 acres of a diverse hardwood forest in the middle of a total of 40 acres of similar habitat. They have seen deer, fox, raccoon, opossum, pileated woodpeckers, barred owls, etc., not to mention a fascinating assortment of insect species in their woods over the 22+ years they have lived there. A creek and a spring with watercress are in the middle of the property.
Come prepared for warm weather with plenty to drink and bring lunch to enjoy at the Garden’s picnic area. For those members who can stay late in the upstate, we will gather for supper and to exchange stories at a local eatery.
Directions to the South Carolina Botanical Garden (Pickens County)
The Garden is located on the eastern side of Clemson University campus, 9 miles from I-85 via US-76/SC-28. Turn left onto Perimeter Road and the entrance to the Garden is 0.4 miles on the left (see map).
Directions to the Morse Property (Anderson County)
Dr. and Mrs. John Morse live approximately four miles from the Botanical Garden, at 114 Shannon Drive in Pendleton, SC . This is behind Tri-County Technical College (see map). From US-76/SC-28, choose the north entrance to Tri-County Tech (top of the hill), almost immediately turn right on Woodburn Road and then left on Shannon Drive, going to the third house on the left.