July – August 2025 Lowcountry News

The Lowcountry Chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society is pleased to present our Fall Grants Program. 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! Please read below for details about this funding opportunity, as well as application requirements and due dates.

Projects must be directed at protecting, restoring, and/or educating the public or students about native plants or plant communities in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Eligible projects must be located in one of the following counties: Bamberg, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper, or Orangeburg. The maximum grant award is $1,000. Awards will be given at the discretion of the Board of the Lowcountry Chapter of the SCNPS.   The grant period opens August 1 and applications are due by September 10.

Please see complete info for applying at this link.  For inquiries, or for help with your application, please contact Grants Coordinator Matt Johnson at lowcountry.grants@scnps.org.

Our state board needs you! We are seeking members to serve on the South Carolina Native Plant Society (SCNPS) state board as officers for a two-year term. Officers lead our organization at the state level and help guide the work of our regional chapters.

If you are interested in serving as a state officer, please contact SCNPS President Dan Whitten at president@scnps.org or your local chapter president. Potential candidates must be SCNPS members in good standing and are encouraged to have leadership experience at the chapter level.

Important dates:

• • To nominate yourself or a fellow SCNPS member, email Dan (president@scnps.org) by August 27, 2025.
  • Candidates for all offices will be emailed to all SCNPS members by September 3, 2025.
  • Officers will be officially elected at the Business Meeting of the Statewide Symposium on October 18, 2025.
  • Officer term begins January 1, 2026 and ends December 31, 2027.

State Board Officer Roles & Responsibilities

Officers are expected to attend monthly state board meetings in addition to their specific duties outlined below. State board meetings average about an hour and a half and cover important administrative and advocacy issues as well as chapter updates from each of our seven regional chapters. We are seeking candidates for a full slate of state office positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

The State President presides over board meetings (monthly on Zoom) and annual meetings of the membership. The President is the official spokesperson of the Society and represents the organization, its mission, goals, and programs to the public. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees and all regional chapters.

The State Vice President assumes the duties of the President in the President’s absence and assists the President in functions necessary for leadership and development. If the President is unable to serve, the Vice President becomes President for the remainder of the term.

The State Treasurer oversees all the organization’s funds and financial administration. While each chapter has its own account and credit card, the Treasurer records all transactions, issues checks, and ensures bills are paid on time. The Treasurer files the tax return, works with the state board to adopt the annual budget, and provides financial reports. Candidates for State Treasurer should have knowledge of basic accounting and QuickBooks (or be willing to learn).

The State Secretary maintains the official records of the organization, including minutes of State Board and Annual Meetings, and keeps these in a permanent archive.

Other Opportunities
We also have several appointed chair positions — such as Communications, Social Media, Website, and Membership — for members interested in helping in other ways. Let us know if you’d like to be considered for one of these or to join a committee.

Questions?
For more information, review the SCNPS bylaws on our website. Additionally, contact your local chapter officers to learn more about how you can contribute to SCNPS at the state level. For questions about each officer role, you may also reach out to the current state officers: President Dan Whitten, Vice President Frank Holleman, Secretary Samantha Porzelt, and Treasurer Tierney Rosenstock.