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Spring 2026
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 Hello SCNPS Lowcountry Chapter members! We’re looking forward to another year of insightful lectures, adventurous field trips, impactful native plant advocacy and outreach, and meaningful community connection. Thanks to all of our members for their interest and passion in learning about and spreading the word about the importance of native plants to the ecosystems in South Carolina! In this issue we announce our 2026 Spring Native Plant Grant Program, showcase our 2025 Year in Review of the activities of the Lowcountry Chapter, and present our January and February Lectures and Field Trips. I invite you to become active with our growing chapter and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, interests in getting involved, or ideas at lowcountry.president@scnps.org. Cheers! Amber Von Harten SCNPS Lowcountry Chapter President |
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Spring 2026 Native Plant Grant Program It’s time again to further our mission of supporting the local community in spreading the love of native plants – Applications are now being accepted for our Spring 2026 Community and School Grant Program! The Lowcountry Chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society (SCNPS) is pleased to offer our community and school grants program in 2026. Part of our mission is to promote native plants through planting, outreach, education, and the removal of invasive, exotic species. Our grants program gives us the ability to support local projects that align with this mission. If your organization, community group, or school is interested in working with native plants in any capacity, we invite you to consider applying for one of our grants! We have two windows each year when grants can be submitted. Our winter/spring window is open now; applications are due by February 10th. Please see our website for details on how to apply. For questions, please reach out to Matt Johnson, Grants Coordinator, at lowcountry.grants@scnps.org. |
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 Mark your calendars! |
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2025 Year in Review Lectures, Field Trips, & Invasive Species Removal Workdays We had a stellar offering of lectures and field trips in 2025 that included the removal of invasive aquatic plants, medical botany, land conservation, and the launch of the City’s Just Eco Corridor. Invasive plant species are a continuing concern in our native habitats. Members worked at Magnolia Plantation and at the new site of the Lowcountry Land Trust offices along Old Towne Creek to identify and remove invasive plant species. There will be more volunteer opportunities to get involved in 2026! See some highlights from the year in our photo albums: Gadsden Creek Field Trip https://photos.app.goo.gl/XVE69BCD4tgRSK1e7 Magnolia Invasive Removal Workday https://photos.app.goo.gl/gpQBVo9jEMk9j1Hr8 Roxbury Park with Tom Austin https://photos.app.goo.gl/eTzEoZB6kDFMr3e98 Black River Cypress Swamp Kayak Tour https://photos.app.goo.gl/ND11pinGabPDj3dRA Dewees Island Nature Tour https://photos.app.goo.gl/UE49oiW1MZWK2RcS6 Lowcountry Land Trust, Lowcountry Conservation Center Workday https://photos.app.goo.gl/PYGTm5AViqJXdnuG9 2025 Lowcountry SCNPS Holiday Party https://photos.app.goo.gl/CFbjhMauxWaEsPNz8 Advocacy When nature needs a voice, the Society heeds the call and shows up to preserve and protect precious native ecosystems! We had the opportunity to respond to two local issues this past year where our support was needed. On behalf of the State SCNPS, the Lowcountry Chapter led the submission of a letter to protest the clearing by Santee Cooper of vital old-growth cypress swamp at Francis Beidler Forest. While the clearing still moved forward, the Society’s input along with thousands of others from across the state helped to inform the concerns about the loss of habitat and species in this natural treasure and allowed some negotiations on how the project would be carried out. In December, an unexpected threat to the Lowcountry presented itself through a proposed project to build a large-scale data center complex that would devastate over 850 acres in one of the area’s most sacred natural places, the ACE Basin. The Lowcountry Chapter was represented at the public hearing where over 400 community members passionately protested the project. There will be additional listening sessions and opportunities for the Society to get involved in ensuring the project does not move forward in 2026. Stay tuned and please let us know if you would like to get involved with the advocacy efforts of the Lowcountry Chapter this year!
Native Plant Markets The Society hosted two successful market-style plant sales to raise funds to support our community and school grant program. The Spring sale was held at Boone Hall Farms in Mount Pleasant and the Fall sale was held in partnership with the Town of Mount Pleasant at the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market. Both markets brought out many native plant lovers to continue the goal of getting more native plants into our community! With the funds raised at the 2025 plant sales, the Chapter awarded a total of $2,250 to two local schools and two community groups in the Spring Grant cycle and an additional $2,750 to one school and two community groups in the Fall Grant cycle. Other Community Happenings 2025 also brought special native plant-related events from the Lowcountry to the Upstate with the Beneath the Oaks with Rebecca McMackin – A Lowcountry Symposium on Creating Resilient Living Landscapes hosted by the Kiawah Conservancy and other partners as well as the SC Native Plant Society State Symposium hosted by the Grand Strand Chapter held at Brookgreen Gardens. See photos from Beneath the Oaks: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gpQBVo9jEMk9j1Hr8 Both events were so inspiring and filled with lectures and field programs highlighting why and how we can garden for ecology and showcased the unique native plants and habitats of both the Lowcountry and the Grand Strand area. We have a rich community that is making an impact across the state and we are planning for another exciting year for our Lowcountry Chapter. Please join us for our Spring 2026 lectures and field trips, volunteer opportunities, and our Spring Native Plant Market slated for Saturday, March 21 at Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market! |
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Spring 2026 Lectures and Field Trips Lectures are typically the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM, and tasty snacks will be provided for socializing (BYO non-alcoholic beverage or water bottle). We will meet in The Citadel’s Byrd Hall Auditorium, 2 Jones Ave, Charleston, SC 29403. Enter Byrd Hall from Jones Ave or Richardson Ave. The auditorium is on your right at the end of the hall. Free parking is available after 5:00 PM in the parking lot south of Richardson Street, accessible from Mims Ave.  Field trips are generally the Saturday following the lecture. Registration is required and opens two weeks before the trip. Tuesday, January 20, 6:30 pm Lecture: Foraging Wild Herbs – Becoming the Ecosystem April Punsalan, Wild Herb Academy Learn why foraging is integral for good health and which wild herbs you can easily form a relationship with along the Carolina coast. Learn the latest science about how – when we forage wild herbs – our mind, body, and spirit literally become the ecosystem. Foraging, when rooted in reciprocity, reinforces ecological restoration and fosters physiological and psychological alignment with the local ecosystem — reminding us that humans are not separate from nature, but embedded within. We are nature. Saturday, January 24, Join us on Saturday, January 24 from 9 am to 11 noon for a walk along the Sullivan’s Island Nature Trail with herbalist extraordinaire April Punsalan. We will meet at the corner of Station 16 and Atlantic Avenue, walk along the Nature Trail towards the lighthouse, and circle back along the beach to wrap up our hike back at Station 16. April will teach us about the many wonderful medicinal properties of plants like Wax Myrtle and Life Everlasting, two plants we are bound to encounter on our walk through the dunes. Registration opens two weeks before the field trip at this link. Tuesday, February 17, 6:30 pm Crystal Anderson, Wildlife Biologist and PhD student, Clemson University’s James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center Crystal’s incredible research has so many insights about community, native plants, and pollinators across our coastal landscapes. She will share her experience transforming a community garden into a learning space, strengthening food security, and inspiring people of all ages to notice and support pollinators. Her research also investigates the impacts of climate on pollinator ranges and highlights conservation planning considerations for the saltmarsh ecotone. Saturday, February 21, 10:00 am Join us Saturday, February 21 at 10 am for a tour of the community garden at Howard AME Church in McClellanville by wildlife biologist and Clemson University PhD candidate Crystal Anderson. Participants will walk through the garden space, see what has been done so far, and have opportunities to provide input. The group will then travel to Hampton Plantation where, for anyone interested, there will be a chance to observe how surveys and research activities are carried out in the field. Registration opens two weeks before the field trip at this link. |
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Register Now! Spring 2026 SC Native Plant Certificate Classes Available in Charleston area & Upstate  The South Carolina Botanical Garden, in partnership with the South Carolina Native Plant Society, is excited to offer a Certificate in Native Plant Studies based on South Carolina’s rich botanical heritage. Through hands-on field-based classes, students learn about the diversity of native plants, plant communities, and the habitats that define South Carolina from the mountains to the sea. Participants will learn about the significant role that native plants play in ensuring biodiversity and how they improve soil, water, and air quality. The Certificate in Native Plant Studies program is composed of 7 core courses and 4 electives (depending on their length, some electives are counted as 2 classes). Upon the completion of all core and elective components, participants receive a Certificate endorsed by the South Carolina Botanical Garden and the South Carolina Native Plant Society. South Carolina Native Plant Society members receive a 10% discount. Contact Sue Watts at watts9@clemson.edu for the discount code or for more information. https://www.clemson.edu/scbg/learn/native-plant-certificate.html |
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Volunteer with Mount Pleasant Waterworks to remove Chinese privet and improve the forest along the Marsh View Trail! Lend a hand – and make a difference – at Mount Pleasant Waterworks’ Privet Pull on the Marsh View Trail on Saturday, February 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. What’s a Privet Pull? During a Privet Pull, volunteers will help identify, flag, and remove Chinese privet, an invasive tree that can crowd out Lowcountry native tree species and threaten wildlife habitat. The Marsh View Trail is part of a public park and is permanently protected through a conservation easement between Mount Pleasant Waterworks and the Lowcountry Land Trust. It is located at the end of Fred McKay Way near MPW’s main office (1619 Rifle Range Road). What to Know: Participants should plan to wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and closed-toe shoes. Bring work gloves and a water bottle. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Parking is available along Fred McKay Way. Questions? Email cgwallover@mpwonline.com. |
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Meet your 2026 Lowcountry Chapter Board Members! President – Amber Von Harten lowcountry.president@scnps.org Vice President – Caroline Wright lowcountry.vicepresident@scnps.org Treasurer – Sharleen Johnson lowcountry.treasurer@scnps.org Lectures and Field Trips – Rebecca Fanning lowcountry.fieldtrips@scnps.org Membership – Beverly Barfield lowcountry.membership@scnps.org Education and Outreach – Paula Carr lowcountry.outreach@scnps.org Grants Coordinator – Matt Johnson lowcountry.grants@scnps.org Plant Sale Coordinator – Eddie Bernard Hospitality – Valerie Torres lowcountry.hospitality@scnps.org Publicity – Laura Moses lowcountry.publicity@scnps.org Representative to the State Board – Samantha Porzelt lowcountry.rep@scnps.org Board Member at Large – Katie Ellis |
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