The Upstate’s March 21st hybrid meeting will be focusing on invasives. The presentation will be “Regulating the Natural World: Protecting South Carolina from Invasive Species,” co-presented by Clemson colleagues Allison Guggenheimer and Steve Compton.
How do invasive species get to South Carolina and how do we stop them from taking over? Why do we care about them at all? Who is responsible for fire ants and kudzu? Join us for an opportunity to learn who, how, and why Clemson’s Invasive Species Program works to manage invasive plants and plant pests across the diverse landscapes of South Carolina.
ALLISON GUGGENHEIMER received her BS in Zoology at Ohio State University and MS in Wildlife & Fisheries from Texas A&M University. Her research has primarily focused on how anthropogenic disturbance and land management affect wildlife populations. She has always had a passion for educating both formally in the classrooms of Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Clemson Universities, and hands-on with the public with organizations such as the Audubon Society, the Kohala Center, the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts, and TEDx. Most recently, Allison found a wonderful position at Clemson’s Regulatory Services as the Outreach Coordinator which allows her to combine her passions by supporting the protection of wildlife and agricultural industry of South Carolina by teaching citizens about important state environmental regulations and empowering them to take actions to protect their communities.
STEVE COMPTON has a Biology degree from Presbyterian College. Early in his career, he was in the plant nursery business for about 30 years at Happy Plants Nursery in Easley. More recently, Steve was with Clemson’s Department of Plant Industry and managed statewide programs for invasive animal and plants species. He worked with Outreach to make sure landowners knew the rules about preventing the spread of invasive species. He, David Coyle from Clemson Extension, and other regulatory agencies supported each other’s efforts to control invasive species. Steve has recently retired, much to the delight of invasive species everywhere.
The hybrid meeting will be in-person at the Kroc Center, 424 Westfield St., Greenville, SC., and online via Zoom. Socializing starts at 6:30 pm and the meeting kicks off at 7:00 pm. Click here to add the meeting to your calendar.
As a reminder: Bring your own water bottle as we transition away from providing cups and bottled water. We’ll have big containers for refilling bottles as needed, as well as light refreshments.
