2018 S.C. Naturalists Meeting - Focus on Congaree National Park

Map shows current river flow and past channels too

Founded in 1976

The membership of the South Carolina Association of Naturalists (SCAN) comes from across the state to Columbia for their annual meeting each January. During the remainder of the calendar year, these SCAN members will fan out for field trips in every corner of the state, such as their December visit to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. The 2018 annual meeting featured a pair of rangers from Congaree National Park to discuss the history surrounding the old-growth hardwood forest there, and how the history birding is celebrated there now.

Clemson Facility Map

President Gordon Murphy greeted the SCAN members at the Lake House meeting facility at the Clemson Sandhills facility outside of Columbia. New members were asked to stand and be recognized, and were presented with published journals from 20 years of field trips. The format for the annual meeting consisted of guest speakers, with a break for lunch when members could get outside and explore the nearby walking trails around the lake area. The end of the day includes a business meeting to elect new officers, followed by the announcement of the 2018 field trip schedule.

            

Dr. David Shelley is the Director at the old-growth bottomland forest research and education center at Congaree National Park and he shared perspective on earth system science using geology to illustrate the passage of time. “A kind of prehistoric climate change helped to form the Congaree River floodplain as we know it today,” said Shelley. “There is evidence that the river was once a braided stream type of ecosystem, but that changed as Ice Age cycles came and went, creating mega channels from increased melt flows in Spring. Eventually the river narrows and as its course meanders over time, we are left with the rim swamps and bottomlands we observe today.”

Thanks to Dr. Shelley for sharing his passion

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about S.C. State Parks click on Hickory Knob State Park - Edisto Beach - Huntington Beach - Myrtle Beach - Hampton Plantation

To view my latest Birding Journal Observations click on November / December 2017 

To view Field Notes and Photos click on December 2017 - September 2017 - January 2017- December 2016 - June 2016 - February 2016- December 2015 - October 2015 - September 2015 - August 2015 - July 2015 - June 2015 - February 2105 - October 2014 -  September 2014 - August 2014 - June 2014 - March 2012 - February 2012 - October 2011 - September 2011