SCNPS Statewide Symposium 2025

Plant Prom
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Atalaya Castle, Huntington Beach State Park
Speaker/Guide: Grand Strand Chapter

Join the Grand Strand Chapter for Plant Prom – an evening social at Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park. Don your gardening best and enjoy music and dancing under the stars! Plus, plant-inspired drinks and appetizers! Get to know your fellow SCNPS members from across the state in this fun fundraising event and kick off the 2025 symposium in style.

General Session 1: Symposium Welcome
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Ron Daise Auditorium at Brookgreen Gardens
Speaker/Guide: Grand Strand Chapter and Brookgreen Gardens

The Grand Strand Chapter and Brookgreen Gardens will welcome you to the first session of the 2025 statewide symposium.

2025 SCNPS Annual Business Meeting
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Ron Daise Auditorium at Brookgreen Gardens
Speaker/Guide: SCNPS

The annual business meeting for the SCNPS. Hear from state president Dan Whitten, chapter updates from our eight chapters, and officially elect the 2026-2027 state officers.

General Session 2: Native Plant Gardening at Brookgreen Gardens
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Ron Daise Auditorium at Brookgreen Gardens
Speaker/Guide: Jason Flynn

Preserving and displaying native plants are foundational to the mission of Brookgreen Gardens. In this session, horticulturist Jason Flynn will share Brookgreen’s history of incorporating native plants into a public garden setting and shed light into what you see on the property today. Along with the current work horticulturists do with native plants, he will also share plans for an exciting new native garden area coming soon to Brookgreen.

Field Trip 1: Huntington Beach State Park: Nature Tour
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Huntington Beach State Park
Speaker/Guide: Mike Walker

Join Ranger Mike Walker for a tour of Huntington Beach State Park, one of the most popular state parks in South Carolina. The park features a number of habitats, including salt marsh, beach, maritime forest, and freshwater wetland. Ranger Mike will discuss native plant efforts within the park including pollinator gardens, restoration efforts for endangered seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus), and invasive species management. We recommend also bringing binoculars as it is a world-class birding hotspot.

This is a low-to-moderate intensity hike covering 2.5 miles on paved paths and trails and includes extended standing, for 2.5 hours round-trip. Please make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, hats, bugspray, and personal items (e.g. snacks, medications).

Field Trip 2: Botanizing Freewoods Farm and the Socastee Savanna
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Freewoods Farm
Speaker/Guide: Sudie Thomas

Freewoods Farm is a nonprofit living farm museum replicating life on small southern family farms owned and/or operated by African Americans in the late 19th century. Surrounded by modern development, the property contains a remnant of historic longleaf pine savanna referred to as the “Socastee Savanna” that has been recognized as highly botanically diverse and important.

Grand Strand chapter board member Sudie Thomas will lead a tour of the Freewoods Farm property. Historically, Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) and American chaffseed (Schwalbea americana) were documented here, and the federally at-risk wireleaf dropseed (Sporobolus teretifolius) is currently present. Due to annual mowing that mimics the effects of fire many other wildflowers and grasses remain including: Carolina chaffhead (Carphephorus tomentosus), Carolina loosestrife (Lysimachia loomisii), longleaf milkweed (Asclepias longifolia), crow poison (Nothoscordum bivalve), northern white colic root (Aletris farinosa), hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor), blazing star (Liatris spp.), white-topped aster (Sericocarpus tortifolius), several species of thoroughwort (Eupatorium spp.), and toothache grass (Ctenium aromaticum).

This is a low-to-moderate intensity hike covering 1-2 miles on trails and grasslands and includes extended standing. Please make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, hats, bugspray, and personal items (e.g. snacks, medications).

Field Trip 3: Tour of North Inlet – Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: NI-WB NERR
Speaker/Guide: Jen Plunket

Explore maritime forest and salt marsh ecosystems and learn about the North Inlet – Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a local hub for long-term environmental monitoring and ecological research. The NERR is located on Hobcaw Barony, a 17,000 acre conserved property that is home to fascinating history and modern-day research and conservation. NERR Stewardship Coordinator, Jen Plunket, will lead the group to explore the flora and fauna of this ecosystem.

This is a moderate-to-high intensity hike covering 1-2 miles on uneven paths and includes extended standing. Please make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, hats, bugspray, and personal items (e.g. snacks, medications). Participants should wear waterproof boots or shoes that can get wet/muddy. Close-toed shoes are required, long pants and sleeves are highly recommended.

Field Trip 4: Brookgreen Backwoods – The Bluffs
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Brookgreen Gardens
Speaker/Guide: Kaela Miller, Jason Flynn, and BG Docent

Explore the wild backwoods of Brookgreen Gardens and see an unusual outer coastal plain habitat. On this scenic path that goes along the Waccamaw River, expect to see partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), hickories (Carya spp.), large oaks (Quercus spp.), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), grass-leaved golden aster (Chrysopsis graminifolia), St. Andrews’ Cross (Hypericum hypericoides), blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), and magnolias.

Expect a moderate intensity hike lasting 1.5 to 2 hours through long grasses. Closed toed shoes and long pants are required.

Workshop 1: Native Plant Propagation
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: Evan Baker

This hands-on workshop will provide instruction on how to propagate native plant species from seeds and vegetative cuttings. Evan Baker, Production Manager for Moore Farms Botanical Gardens, will lead this workshop sharing his expertise in plant propagation. Participants will get to practice the techniques described and will take home a few species of plants. This workshop is intended for beginners interested in home garden propagation.

Keynote Presentation: Don’t You Wanna Gentiana?
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Ron Daise Auditorium at Brookgreen Gardens
Speaker/Guide: Scott Ward

Join Scott Ward, Research Botanist at North Carolina Botanical Garden (Chapel Hill), for an overview of the gentian family in the Carolinas for our 2025 statewide symposium keynote address. The Flora of the Southeastern United States (FSUS) is home to 13 genera and 69 taxa (species, subspecies, varieties) of gentians, 33 of which can be found in North and South Carolina. The keynote will include a walk-through on how to identify the different genera and species within this showy family of wildflowers. In addition, we’ll go over specific aspects of each species’ ecological and habitat preferences, while using the many beautiful and diagnostic photographs and technical features of the FSUS flora products (FloraQuest phone app, FSUS website). Lastly, we’ll focus on how conservation and horticulture can work together to bring some of the south’s rarest gentians out of endangerment.

General Session 3: Local Advocacy – Fire, Floods, Development
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Ron Daise Auditorium at Brookgreen Gardens
Speaker/Guide: Becky Ryon

Join Becky Ryon, North Coast Office Director for the Coastal Conservation League, to hear about statewide legislative wins in support of native plants and the four years of advocacy efforts to achieve a conservation outcome for a property next to Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve, home to South Carolina’s most stable population of Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula). Learn about the partnerships, community engagement, persistent lobbying, and other advocacy tactics that you can adapt for your own conservation initiative.

General Session 4: Rare Species – Waccamaw Sunflower
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Ron Daise Auditorium at Brookgreen Gardens
Speaker/Guide: Eric Ungberg

Waccamaw sunflower (Helianthus waccamawensis) is a newly described and narrowly endemic species that is found only in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. In this session, Eric Unberg of the South Carolina Heritage Trust will discuss how it remained overlooked for nearly 100 years since its first collection in 1927. Plus teach you about its ecology, life history traits, and how to identify it.

Breakout Discussion 1: Native Plant Public Policy Issues
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: Rick Huffman

Join SCNPS Advocacy Chair Rick Huffman for a facilitated group discussion of native plant policy initiatives aimed at homeowner associations and local and state governments. Come join the conversation on current and emerging issues and priorities, share strategies for moving the needle, and ask questions about your concerns.

This breakout group may include an activity, such as letter writing, for SCNPS state policy issues.

Breakout Discussion 2: Invasive Species
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: Katie Biggert

Come join the conversation on invasive species – from managing them in the home garden, to organizing community removals, to advancing regulations! SC Forestry Commission Invasive Species Coordinator and SC-Invasive Pest Council President Katie Biggert will facilitate a group discussion of invasive plant issues in the state. This will be an opportunity to learn about current and emerging species, share strategies, stories, and frustrations for managing invasive species, and ask questions about your concerns. This discussion is open to anyone interested in invasive species issues.

Breakout Discussion 3: Open Networking / Break
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: SCNPS

Choose your own adventure! This is a good opportunity to network in small groups or explore Brookgreen Gardens on your own. Alternatively, if you want some unstructured time built into your Symposium schedule, pick this session for a break! You will not have a room to report to or a session leader for this time.

Breakout Discussion 4: Meet your SCNPS Counterpart
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: SCNPS

Are you a SCNPS board member or committee volunteer for your local chapter? Meet up with your counterparts across the state (e.g. education, membership, communications, treasurer, etc.) to trade tips and tricks. Learn how other chapters are overcoming obstacles and find opportunities for statewide collaboration.

Workshop 2: Indigenous Uses of Plants and Invasive Species as a Food Source
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: Susan Hayes-Hatcher

Join the Waccamaw Indian People’s Chief of Council Susan Hayes-Hatcher, for a 30-minute presentation on indigenous medicinal plants and foodways. After the presentation, participants will have the chance to help prepare and sample a small dish of invasive edibles (e.g. dandelion, chickweed, garlic mustard, etc.) – a perfect appetizer before lunch!

Workshop 3: Bog Gardening
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: Jim Luken

Learn how to build a bog garden with carnivorous native plants! Dr. Jim Luken will provide instruction on how to construct a suitable habitat for wetland species such as pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.) and venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula). Participants will learn how to plant and care for these species. They will also get hands-on experience building a demonstration bog garden so they are prepared to create their own at home.

Field Trip 6: Tour of Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve
Speaker/Guide: Trapper Fowler

Explore one of the most botanically diverse sites in the state of South Carolina on this field trip to Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve with Trapper Fowler. During this trip we will seek to find the pinebarren gentian (Gentiana autumnalis) as well as other fire loving plant species. We will discuss prescribed fire and the challenges to burning near the wildland urban interface. Other attributes of this site will be highlighted such as longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem, Carolina bays, black bears, Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula), and red-cockaded woodpeckers.

This is a moderate-to-high intensity hike on unpaved roads and natural terrain covering 1-2 miles and involves extended standing. Please make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, hats, bugspray, and personal items (e.g. snacks, medications). Participants should wear waterproof boots or shoes that can get wet/muddy. Close-toed shoes are required; long pants and sleeves are highly recommended.

Field Trip 7: Huntington Beach State Park: Invasive Species Removal
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Huntington Beach State Park
Speaker/Guide: Mike Walker

Come get some hands-on experience and help make room for native plants to thrive! This field trip is a hands-on volunteer opportunity to help control invasive species within Huntington Beach State Park. State Park Ranger Mike Walker, and park staff will provide instruction on helpful skills such as invasive species identification, tools, and management techniques. We will remove invasive plants such as Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata).

This is a high exertion level activity that will include walking, bending, kneeling in brushy vegetation, and use of sharp tools and herbicides (PPE provided). Please make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, hats, bugspray, and personal items (e.g. snacks, medications). Close-toed shoes are required, long pants and sleeves are highly recommended.

Workshop 4: Getting Creative with Nature
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: Savannah Jordan

Hosted by Savannah Jordan with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, this workshop will include instruction on how to create a variety of nature-inspired crafts, gifts, and artwork. Participants will also learn how their own gardens can become Certified Wildlife Habitats through an informative presentation about using the right plants, foods, and other essential elements to create a backyard sanctuary for wildlife.

Workshop 5: Sweetgrass Basket Making
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: TBD
Speaker/Guide: Vera and Nickole Manigault

Immerse yourself in the vibrant sweetgrass basket culture with this interactive Sweetgrass Basket Making workshop, led by the esteemed Vera Manigault, a proud 8th-generation basket weaver and family. In this engaging 3-hour presentation you’ll experience the art of Gullah storytelling, the chance to weave your own sweetgrass basket keepsake and we’ll top off your experience with our mouth watering Lowcountry menu, packed with dishes like Gullah Shrimp & Grits, Lowcountry Red Rice, Southern Collards, Carolina Okra Gumbo, Southern Sweet Potato Pie, and our famous Charleston Chewies.