Upcoming UMNA Meetings:

Monday, March 23, 2025, 2:00 p.m. Executive Board Meeting. Location: Steve Lewis’ home at 118 Cliffside Trl, Pickens, SC 29671.

Carson will send out a Zoom link one week prior to the meeting for those wishing to join remotely.

Thursday, March 26, 2026. 10:00 a.m. General Meeting. Program Program and Speaker: South Carolina’s Weather and Climate by Dr. Hope Mizzell, State Climatologist, DNR. Location: Mauldin Library at 800 W Butler Road, Mauldin.

Approximately one week prior to the meeting Carson will send out a Zoom invitation for all wishing to attend virtually.

Thursday, May 28, 10:00 Program Meeting: Catawba Nation Ethnobotany, by researcher, author and Clemson Extension agent, Dr. Robert E. Carter. Location TBD.

Thursday, July 23, 10:00 Program Meeting: Wilding with Purpose, by Jon Fritz, owner of Bluestem Landscape Design LLC. Pickens County Museum and native Garden, Location: 307 Johnson Street, Pickens.

Thursday, September 24, 10:00 Program Meeting: All About Bees, by Chris Bridges, Bridges Bee Farm. Location: TBD.

Thursday, November 16, 10:00 Annual Meeting and covered dish social: Speakers: Table Rock Fire of 2025 and Current Status by Austin Williams and Carson Barefoot from Greenville Water. Location: TBD.

Looking Ahead for Programs:

       5/28 Dr. Robert E. Carter, Researcher, author, and Clemson Extension agent

       Topic – “Catawba Nation Ethnobotany”, Location: TBD

      7/23 John Fritz, Jon Fritz, owner of Bluestem Landscape Design LLC. Pickens County Museum and native Garden,

       Topic – “Wilding with Purpose” (Planting native plants), Location: Pickens Co Museum, 307 Johnson St, Pickens.

       9/24 Chris Bridges, Bridges Bee Farm

       Topic- All about Bees, Location: TBD

11/16, Austin Williams and Carson Barefoot from Greenville Water.

Topic – “Table Rock Fire of 2025 and Current Status”, Annual Meeting and covered dish social

Location: TBD.

Get Out and GO! Activities:

** Be prepared to sign UMNA Injury Waiver and General Release Form at the Go! Activity site **

February 19th (24th rain date) 10:30am, GO outing: Bald Rock hike with possible extensions to Eva Chandler or Ashmore HP. Contact Tony McDade (tonymcdade1@gmail.com) to register.

April 1st, Wed, GO outing: Bad Creek Power Station. Replay of last years’ outing. Limited seats available.  Contact Tony McDade (tonymcdade1@gmail.com) to register.

April 2nd, Thurs, GO outing: Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve hike. Mike Landau leads. (Use Chestnut Ridge  PARKING for GPS directions.)
June 18th, Thurs, GO outing: Yellow Branch Falls hike and covered dish at Bobbi Wilhite’s. More information to come.

August TBD Go outing: (Clemson) Geology Museum and SC Botanical Garden picnic. More information to come.

October, Sat, TBD. GO outing: Trail Magic hike and covered dish at Jane and Don Pilzer’s. More information to come.

Watch for more info in Google related emails. If you would like a UMNA related event, date and time posted on the calendar, please send email to upstatemasternaturalistassoc@gmail.com

Special Volunteer Opportunity: Calling BellFest Volunteers!

Saturday, March 21, 10:00-3:00. BellFest at Devil’s Fork State Park. UMNA volunteers needed for the interpretive trail and the UMNA booth. Not only is there fun for your family at BellFest, but volunteers service hours are available.

Thirty-six master naturalists are needed in 2-hour shifts to help unlock the Oconee Bell story on the trail and to man the UMNA information booth.

Contact Tony at tonymcdade1@gmail.com to help on the trail. Contact Cam at cammcdade58@gmail.com to help with the booth.

This is a great opportunity to earn some Master Naturalist volunteer hours! 2025 UMNA graduates, join the fun! 

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Advanced Training Opportunities:

********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** Future Advanced Trainings: ************************* Winter Birding Advanced Training Winter is a great time to be out observing birds! With the leaves down, birds are easier to view. It is also a time when different species show up, our winter resident birds. Join us as we explore Conestee Nature Preserve in search of the many different species of songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors that spend their winter in the park.     February 12, 2026   10:00 AM to 3:30 PM   Conestee Nature Preserve, Mauldin, near Greenville, SC   Your instructor is Tim Lee.   Registration is $65.00.  Maximum Participants: 12 This Advanced Training qualifies for Piedmont Hours. Winter Birding AT – February 12 ************************* Southeastern Master Naturalist Continuing Education Series (SEMNCES) January Webinar – Carolina Bays with Dr. Austin Jenkins! Save the Dates for our upcoming 2026 SEMNCES Webinar Series! Topics are subject to change. Registration will be sent out each month! February 24th @ 7:00 PM – Backyard Wildlife Habitat March 27th @ 12:00 PM – Current Invasive Herps in the Southeast April 28th @ 7:00 PM – Bird Migration May 29th at 12:00 PM – Bat Habitat or Native Azaleas June 30th at 7:00 PM – Coyotes July 31st at 12:00 PM – Southeastern Caves August 25th at 7:00 PM – R3 Recruitment, Retention, and Activation Hunting September 25th at 12:00 PM – Marine Mammals in the Southeast October 27th at 7:00 PM – Wetland Birds in the Southeast November 20th at 12:00 PM – Turtle Diversity December 15th at 7:00 PM – American Chestnut or Mosquitos ************************* Aldo Leopold and Your Land Ethic Aldo Leopold is an important figure in American conservation.  A Yale-educated forester, he was important in the development of environmental ethics and wildlife management in the US.  He referred to the way we relate to the environment as a “land ethic.”  Much of his philosophy is embodied in A Sand County Almanac, a series of short essays and stories published as a book in 1949.  The book is a must for naturalists.   In this advanced class, we will read A Sand County Almanac and meet virtually to discuss the lessons we learn.  Then the fun part, you will have an opportunity to meet at one of three locations to discuss the book in person, write your own land ethic, and go on a nature walk. This is a Hybrid Advanced Training that will feature 2 Online Sessions and 1 in-person session (you select the date of the in-person from 3 options) Online Sessions (Optional): 2/26/2026 – Online Discussion – about sections on Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, Arizona and New Mexico, Chihuahua and Sonora, Oregon and Utah, Manitoba In-Person Session Options: For in-person meeting, pick one place below and be prepared to discuss sections on  Conservation Esthetic, Wildlife in American Culture, Wilderness, and The Land Ethic.  A shelter with adjacent bathrooms is reserved for each park. 3/13/2026 – Santee State Park – 10:00-2:00 3/19/2026 – Lansford Canal State Park – 10:00-2:00 3/25/2026 – Lake Greenwood State Park – 10:00-2:00 Registration: $60.00 Park Entrance Fee: $8.00/person (not included in registration) or Park Pass Book:  Any version will do, but I prefer A Sand County Almanac : With Essays on Conservation from Round River  ISBN-10:  0345345053 (not included in registration) Aldo Leopoldo Advanced Training ************************ Save the Date for Future SCMN Advanced Trainings: Lichens – February 28th – Pickens, SC Birds & Blooms April 1st – Galvins Ferry State Park April 9th – Aiken State Park May 1st – Oconee Station Historic Site April 1 – Invasive Species – Clemson, SC April 2nd – Invasive Species – Clemson, SC *************************

Webinar/ Online Opportunities: FREE Online Short Course *********************** Master Rain Gardener Online Course Master Rain Gardener is a program focused on designing and installing rain gardens and rainwater harvesting systems. The Letter of Completion Track is intended for home gardeners, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, and other residential audiences. To receive a Letter of Completion, individuals must complete four weeks of Master Rain Gardener online course content, complete hands-on class assignments, and pass weekly quizzes. The Online Course will open on March 9th and features 4 self-paced modules. Master Naturalists can use promo code ‘garden‘ for $50 off! MRG counts for 10 Hours of Advanced Training Hours ********************** The Clemson University Entomology Program announces its Spring 2026 Entomology Seminar Series, welcoming a diverse group of guest speakers who bring valuable perspectives from across academia and industry. The series runs from January through April. Seminars will be held beginning at 1:25 p.m. on Fridays in BRC G100 and via Zoom. This season’s speakers include colleagues from the University of Pretoria, University of Arizona, University of Florida and GrowLiv Biologicals. Topics will span insect systematics, vector biology, biological control and applied entomology. Dates and speakers for the Spring 2026 Entomology Seminar Series are: Feb. 20 – Akito Kawahara, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. In‑Person and Zoom. March 6 – Lauren Diepenbrock, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. Zoom only. March 27 – Abida Nasreen, GrowLiv Biologicals. In‑Person and Zoom. April 10 – Lance Osborne, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. In‑Person and Zoom. April 24 – Student Speakers, Clemson University. Zoom only. This series is organized by Linda Tindal, Zee Ahmed and Sruthi Narayanan. It is part of ENT 8090 and is open to all who are interested in learning and connecting. “We’re grateful to our speakers for sharing their time and expertise, and we look forward to thoughtful discussions throughout the semester,” Ahmed said.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Conestee Nature Preserve: There’s always something to do at Conestee (CNP). Want to have fun with children and learn some great interpretation skills from the CNP Education staff? Consider volunteering to support field trips. Contact Jim@ConesteePreserve.org to indicate that you are interested in helping. Counts as advanced training, too!

SCNPS Upstate: Volunteers are always needed.  https://scnps.org/ 

Friends of Bald Rock Heritage Preserve: Sign up on the FoBR website and watch for emails from UMNA, https://friendsofbaldrock.com/

Holly Springs Center. Requests naturalist-educator help for elementary school field trips. The volunteer would teach the same 45 minute class 3 times for sections of the group. Teach a topic you are passionate about. Contact: Pauline Blackstone at blackspm1@outlook.comor 864-915-1472. https://www.hollyspringscenter.com/

Pickens County Museum Native Plant Garden: email Carol Asalon at carol.asalon@furman.edu for more information. https://pickenscountylibrarysystem.com/