2017 Annual Meeting

We will meet again this year at the Lake House located at the Clemson facility in northeast Columbia (see the attached map and directions).  This year we have a couple of presentations about herptiles and a presentation on a newly formed alliance in South Carolina to conserve rare plant species in our state.

We hope you all can join us for a potluck supper at the end of the day. You are encouraged to bring donuts or muffins for the morning socializing (coffee will be provided) and a dish to share with the group for supper. There is a refrigerator for food storage and a microwave oven for reheating food. If you would like to bring an adult beverage, please do so. A bag lunch is recommended so that you have an opportunity to explore some of the trails around the Lake House.

2017 Annual Meeting Agenda

• 9:30 – 10:30: Socializing and refreshments (coffee and donuts)
• 10:30 – 11:00: Welcome and Introductions
• 11:00 – 11:50: Whit Gibbons – Many lessons are to be learned from studies of our hidden biodiversity, the clandestine reptiles and amphibians that most people, including scientists, know too little about. Inventories of herpetofauna on private lands offer opportunities for non-scientists to contribute to regional distribution records while learning to accept and enjoy these captivating animals. Whit’s presentation demonstrates how both children and adults can become effectively involved in herpetofaunal surveys that have documented more than 50 species of herpetofauna (one-third of the species known from South Carolina) on a 100-acre tract of private land. Effective inventory was achieved by opportunistic and targeted sampling coupled with the use of a variety of survey techniques (e.g., coverboards, litter traps, minnow traps, dipnets, trashcan traps) easily accessible to the general public.
• 12:00 – 1:30: Lunch
• 1:30 – 2:20: Laura Domingo – Laura will give us a general presentation on the natural history of Box Turtles including the Box Turtle Project that she is involved with.
• 2:30 – 4:20: April Punsalan – April will be introducing us to a newly formed alliance to conserve rare plants in our state. The title of her presentation is The Road to Recovery: Working Together to Conserve and Recover South Carolina’s Rare Plant Species. The road to recovery for listed plant species is a long journey and one that ultimately depends upon an immense amount of collaboration and coordination with partners.
• 4:20 – 4:50: Business Meeting
  •  Treasurer’s Report
  •  Election of Officers – Nominations for officers can be made from the floor provided the nominee has agreed prior to the nomination. The current nominations are:
    • o President – Gordon Murphy
    • o Vice President – Kim McManus
    • o Secretary – Mary Douglass
    • o Treasurer – Greg Mancini
    • o Historian – Gordon Murphy
    • o Database Manager – Tom Jones
    • o Northern Regional Director – Rita Zollinger
    • o Western Regional Director – Kathy Boyle
    • o Central Regional Director – Caroline Eastman
    • o Southern Regional Director – Paul Kalbach
    • o Eastern Regional Director – Jeff Kline  Old Business o Digital SCAN newsletters
  •  New Business
• 4:50: Adjourn
• 5:30-??: Potluck supper – Everyone is encouraged to bring a covered dish, or if you prefer, there are grocery stores and restaurants in close proximity to the Lake House where you can grab some food after the business meeting. You are encouraged to bring you favorite adult beverage to go along with supper.