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 Byrd Hall Auditorium, 1 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.
Lowcountry lecture at Byrd Hall, The Citadel
Monthly Meetings
Our monthly Lecture Series is free and open to the public. We meet on the 3rd Tuesdays at 6:30 pm (except summer) at The Citadel. Meetings are held in Byrd Hall Auditorium, 1 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 2024
President and Representative to State Board – Samantha Porzelt – lowcountry.president@scnps.org
Vice President – Austin Trousdale
Treasurer – Mary Conley
Lecture and Field Trip Coordinator – Amber Von Harten – lowcountry.fieldtrips@scnps.org
Membership – Caroline Wright – lowcountry.membership@scnps.org
Education and Outreach – Lauren Boyd
Grants Coordinator – Matt Johnson – lowcountry.grants@scnps.org
Plant Sale Chair – Eddie Bernard
Plant Sale Volunteer Coordinator – Lisa Cyrulik
Publicity – Laura Moses – lowcountry.publicity@scnps.org
Hospitality – Amanda Lyons-Archambault
Board Members at Large – Colette DeGarady, Katie Ellis, Sharleen Johnson, Montana Feix
NOTE: We have some open board positions for the two-year term beginning January 1, 2025. Please join us! See more info below.
- Utilize the membership software (Neon) to:
- Answer member questions surrounding payment, membership renewal, or new membership
- Update any membership changes (address, payment method, etc)
- Pull membership reports for various events, such as the plant sale
- Send a welcome email to new members (automatic)
- Help to build chapter volunteerism and leadership
- Engage new members and greet members at monthly meetings and other events
- Monitor lowcountry.membership@scnps.org email address
- Attend monthly state Board of Directors meetings (currently 4th Thursday of every month on Zoom) to:
- Provide Lowcountry Chapter updates
- Listen to updates from other chapters, Statewide president, advocacy rep, and more to share with the Lowcountry Chapter Board
- Vote on statewide society updates (budgeting, bylaws, etc)
- Report statewide updates to the Lowcountry Chapter board during monthly Chapter meetings (or via email if necessary)
- Assist with special projects as needed
- Monitor lowcountry.rep@scnps.org email address
- Recruit volunteers to assist with chapter events such as:
- Spring & fall plant sales (directing traffic, setting up plants, assisting vendors, etc) in coordination with the Plant Sale Chair
- Tabling events (assist our Outreach Chair with educational and outreach events)
- Garden maintenance (potentially at Charles Towne Landing, Magnolia Plantation and more)
- Host monthly garden work days (and garden maintenance training) for volunteers (chapter members, Master Naturalist, Master Gardeners, etc)
- Monitor lowcountry.volunteer@scnps.org email address
- Help recruit new volunteer board members during elections
- Board positions are a 2-year commitment
- Elections will take place in the fall of 2024
- The new board members will begin duty on January 1st, 2025
- Attend monthly chapter board meetings (currently 1st Monday of each month, in-person or Zoom)
- Attend chapter lectures & field trips when possible
- Lectures are on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30, in-person at the Citadel (September-May)
- Field trips are typically the 3rd Saturday (depending on this host’s availability) of each month (September-May)
- Attend and assist with chapter plant sales (typically on a Saturday in April and October)
- Actively participate and contribute to chapter board email inquiries
- Attend the statewide annual meeting or symposium when possible (typically in the fall, rotating between chapters)
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.
Pawleys Island Montessori native plant garden
Pawleys Island Montessori native plant garden
Apply for a Native Plant Grant!
The Lowcountry Chapter’s Native Plant Grant 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 spring and fall. If your organization, community group, or school is interested in working with native plants in any capacity, we invite you to consider applying for a grant.
Spring Timeline:
Grant period opens January 1st
Grant applications due by February 10th
Grant awardees notified by March 10th
Fall Timeline:
Grant period opens August 1st
Grant applications due by September 10th
Grant awardees notified by October 10th
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