About the Lowcountry Chapter
South Carolina Native Plant Society Lowcountry Chapter
SCNPS Lowcountry Education
Based in Charleston, the Lowcountry Chapter meets monthly September through May (except December) on the third Tuesday at 6:30 pm. Meetings are held in Duckett Hall 101 Biology Auditorium, 2 Jones Avenue, on The Citadel campus. Free parking is available after 5:00 pm in the parking lot south of Richardson Street, accessible from Mims Ave. Please join us for refreshments after the lecture.
SCNPS Lecture
Monthly Meetings
Our monthly Lecture Series is free and open to the public. We meet on the 3rd Tuesdays at 6:30pm at The Citadel. Meetings are held in Duckett Hall 101 Biology Auditorium, 2 Jones Avenue, on The Citadel campus. Free parking is available after 5:00 pm in the parking lot south of Richardson Street, accessible from Mims Ave. Please join us for refreshments after the lecture. Check our calendar for upcoming lectures and field trips (usually the Saturday following the lecture).
Dr. Porcher field trip. Credit: Laura Moses
Field Trips
Meet like-minded people to learn about and enjoy the outdoors. Our field trips are usually free, open to the public, may be full or half-days, for the experienced and novice, easy to moderately strenuous. Check our calendar for upcoming field trips.
Lowcountry Plant Sale
Native Plant Sales
Each spring and fall, we hold a Native Plant Market with many vendors who can help you select the right native plants for your yard. The sale is free to attend and volunteers are on hand to help carry the plants to your car.
SCNPS Lowcountry Education
Education and Outreach
Please join us at a meeting or field trip or plant sale. We’d love to have you! You do not have to be a native plant expert to volunteer.
NPS Lowcountry Spring 2023
Meet our Leadership Team!
Volunteer Board of Directors
President and Representative to State Board – Samantha Porzelt
Vice President – Austin Trousdale
Treasurer – Mary Conley
Lecture and Field Trip Coordinator – Amber Von Harten
Membership – Caroline Wright
Education and Outreach – Lauren Boyd
Grants Coordinator – Matt Johnson
Plant Sale Chair – Eddie Bernard
Plant Sale Volunteer Coordinator – Lisa Cyrulik
Publicity – Laura Moses
Hospitality – Amanda Lyons-Archambault
Board Members at Large – Colette DeGarady, Katie Ellis, Sharleen Johnson, Montana Feix
SCNPS Facebook
Subscribe to Email and Follow Us on Social Media
Sign up for our email list to get news of upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube at the links below.
butterfly book nook
The Lowcountry Chapter’s Grants Program supports local projects that align with our mission to promote native plants through planting, outreach, education, and the removal of exotic species. The Chapter awards grants of up to $750 each to School Projects and Community Projects. 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, offered twice a year in fall and spring application cycles. For more information, please contact Matt Johnson at lowcountry.grants@scnps.org.
Please read below for details about each funding opportunity, as well as a list of past recipients.
School projects must be directed at educating students about native plants or plant communities in the Lowcountry of South Carolina (currently we are only considering projects in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester Georgetown, and Horry counties). Priority will be given to those projects involving cultural significance, rare species, or the removal of invasive/exotic species. Individual award amounts will not exceed $500. Awards will be given at the discretion of the Board of the Lowcountry Chapter of the SCNPS.
Community Projects must be directed at protecting, preserving, restoring, and/or educating the public about native plants or plant communities in the Lowcountry of South Carolina (currently we are only considering projects in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, and Horry counties). Priority will be given to those projects involving public land, cultural significance, rare species, or the removal of invasive/exotic species. Individual award amounts will not exceed $1,000. Awards will be given at the discretion of the Board of the Lowcountry Chapter of the SCNPS.
Spring
- Grant applications due between January 1st – February 1st
- Winners announced by March 1st
Fall
- Grant applications due between August 1st – September 1st
- Winners announced October 1st
For application requirements and additional information please view the Grant Application Details.
If you have questions about the application process or your specific grant application, or to submit your application electronically (preferred), please e-mail scnps.lowcountry.president@gmail.com.
Brookgreen Gardens removing Lonicera fragrantissima. Credit: Brookgreen Gardens
2021 Community Grant Winner - Brookgreen Gardens
“We completed our project in 2021, after removing invasive plants from our gardens and replacing them with natives. We are continuing to add in more native plants, including planting more Silene caroliniana var. wherryi ‘Short and Sweet,’ that we had planted a small quantity of with this project, and will add an additional 72 to the Gardens this spring. This is an ongoing effort, as more invasive plants pop up, like Ligustrum, and we continue to add more native plants to our collection.”
Edisto Island Open Land Trust Pollinator Garden. Credit: Edisto Island Open Land Trust
2021 Community Grant Winner - The Edisto Island Open Land Trust
“The Edisto Island Open Land Trust has finished the primary construction of the garden beds, irrigation system, and deer fencing for our Native Plant Pollinator Garden at the Hutchinson House. The first round of plants went in the ground in April of 2021 and we had great success with establishing most of the species. Efforts are now underway for 2022 to mulch the walkways, improve the deer fencing, and introduce new plants to fill in gaps and replace those that didn’t fair well in the garden.”
James B Edwards Elementary School Indigenous Plant Sale. Credit James B Edwards Elementary
2021 Community Grant School Winner - James B Edwards Elementary School
Thirty-three students in Mrs. Platt’s SAIL class formed a business, Indigenous, and have been growing native perennials for the semi-annual fundraiser sales at the school and for a partnership with Boone Hall’s longleaf pine restoration project. They’re educating the community on the vast beauty and benefits of SC native plants.
Interested in Becoming a Member?
Members get the opportunity to be the first to sign up for field trips, and early access to plant sales. As a member, you will be an integral part of an organization that plays a critical role in protecting and preserving our state’s natural habitats. SCNPS is an advocate with a strong record across the state for the preservation and restoration of sustainable landscapes that support the life of not just essential flora and fauna, but of all of us. We are in the field, in courtrooms, and everywhere in between, and the stronger our membership, the louder our voice.
Join Us