The Upstate Chapter is excited to welcome two new Board-level members. Margaret Sirois will be our new Field Trip Coordinator and Jesse Freeman will be our new Publicity Committee Chair. We welcome them both to the team!
Margaret Sirois is stepping into the role of Field Trip Coordinator for the Upstate Chapter of the SCNPS. Originally from Maine, Margaret boasts an extensive career as an environmental scientist with the US Environmental Protection Agency, where she dedicated 35 years to environmental stewardship.
Retiring to Greenville, SC, Margaret was a member of the Upstate Master Naturalist Class of 2014. This pivotal experience connected her with the SCNPS and other volunteer opportunities.
Margaret is thrilled to be planning field trips that are not only educational but also enjoyable, aiming to share her passion and knowledge with others. “I continue to learn about and be amazed by the native plants, wildlife and geology of the Upstate,” she says.
Jesse Freeman has taken over the role of Publicity Chair. Jesse is a proud South Carolina native with roots in the Midlands. His journey with plants began at age 10, working at his grandparent’s nursery and garden center, Wingard’s Market. He studied Classics and Economics at the College of Charleston, later pursuing Computer Science at Clemson; for the past 18 years, he’s been immersed in a career writing software for electric meters.
Now residing in Chesnee on the quiet shores of Lake Blalock with his wife and two teenage daughters, Jesse finds solace in nurturing his yard, trail running, and travel. On Saturday mornings, you’ll find him volunteering at Hatcher Garden in Spartanburg.
Eager to give back to the plant community that enriched his life, he looks forward to volunteering with and learning from the South Carolina Native Plant Society. “Throughout my life, I’ve felt a profound pull towards plants and the natural world,” he says. “Now, I’m actively embracing that connection.”
