by Rick Huffman
As we head into spring, when we keep our ear out for the call of spring wildflowers, our Society continues to do good things. Our monthly educational programs are engaging and informative, our field trips with world-class leaders take folks to see wonderful places. We are scheduling meet-and-greet events and doing outreach efforts such as BellFest. Our plant sale is on tap, and our greenhouse and plant sale teams are doing awesome work. We continue to pursue grants to support our growing operations—including our upcoming greenhouse move—and to fund invasive species removal projects like our work on Fig Buttercup.
We’re also stepping up our game in broader conservation efforts. SCNPS leadership represented at Conservation Lobby Day and participated in a historic Treaty Signing between the State and indigenous tribes. In March, I attended the National Native Seed Conference, where over 500 attendees gathered to share knowledge and strategies for building native seed networks. South Carolina Botanical Garden Director Martin Hamilton was also in attendance. There’s a lot of momentum and a clear need for increased quantities of locally adapted genotypes. SCNPS is well positioned to be a catalyst in this effort, just as we’ve done in the past.
Our spring calendar is filling up fast, but make your plans to join us and get out to see our spring wildflowers.
Rick Huffman,
Upstate Chapter President
