Since the 1700s, the unique places of South Carolina have lured both amateur and professional botanists, who have scoured the state from the coast to the mountains looking for, and finding, special plants. Modern botanists are still finding new plants, a testament to the state’s biodiversity. But today’s botanists face a new task: to not only document new species but to protect many of them from extinction.

For our June meeting, State Botanist Keith Bradley will present “Conservation of South Carolina’s Botanical Heritage: A special Flora and its Future.” Drawing on the history and legacy of botanical exploration, Keith will discuss new discoveries and the actions being taken across the state to conserve our imperiled flora.

Keith A. Bradley is a Botanist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) specializing in plant species and ecosystems of the Southeastern United States and Caribbean. He is also an Affiliate Faculty of the University of South Carolina’s A.C. Moore Herbarium. He has been active in the regional conservation community for 30 years, working on a broad array of biological conservation research, land management, and planning issues.

Keith grew up in Miami, Florida, and his work in Florida on recovery of endangered species and their habitats has led to two awards from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including the Regional Leader in Recovery Award in 2008 and the Coastal Program Conservation Partnership Award in 2010. He is widely considered an expert on the flora of the southeast. He has been with SCDNR for three years.

The June 20th meeting will be held at the Kroc Center in Greenville (424 Westfield St, Greenville, SC 29601), and via Zoom. Socializing begins at about 6:30 pm.