Donnelly Tract

January 2012
Welcome to 2012, and another year of exploring the great outdoors with our SCAN family. I hope you are all planning on joining us on January 28th for the annual meeting. But before I get into discussions about our first event of 2012, I should finish out the business of 2011.
In December we made a return trip to Donnelley WMA in Colleton County. This time the weather was more cooperative than it was on our last visit. We retraced our 2009 steps, and Donnelley has so much to offer, that we saw new things this time around. We started by hiking out onto dam of the impoundment located behind the office. The emergent vegetation in the impoundment was alive with waterfowl and wading birds. And as usual, birds were constantly flying in and out of the impoundment. Donnelley is designated as an Important Bird Area in South Carolina, and it’s easy to see why. From here we headed to the upland pinelands to explore isolated depression wetlands that are dominated by herbaceous vegetation. Outside of our eight coastal counties, this wetland type has the least legal protection because they are not connected to traditionally navigable waters, by surface water. In our coastal counties they are regulated by SCDHEC’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management. These wetlands frequently dry out during the summer months, but when inundated, they provide important breeding habitat for amphibians, and foraging habitat for predators. Next we traveled to the Lodge where we parked. The trees around the pond in front of the Lodge and on the islands in the pond were filled with black crowned night herons. Several of us commented that we had never seen such a concentration of night herons. Many wading birds and shore birds were at the pond as well as the old rice impoundments. Overall it was a productive day, and as usual, we had barbeque for dinner.
I’d like to thank Wayne Grooms for hosting the trip and Eran Kilpatrick for sharing his knowledge about habitats, plants, and animals of Donnelley.
We had a very productive planning meeting back in December and I am looking forward to sharing the list of our 2012 trips with you all in a couple of weeks. I would like to thank the nominating committee for their hard work in coordinating with our membership and developing a list of strong leaders for 2012. While I am thanking folks, I’d also like to thank you all for your support during my presidency over the past four years. I have really enjoyed it and when I reach a point where my life is not quite so hectic, I would love to hold the position once again.
Now back to 2012. I hope that you all have January 28th reserved for the annual meeting! We have some really exciting speakers addressing us this year. Miles Hayes and Jacqueline Michel, authors of a new book titled A Coast for All Seasons: A Naturalist’s Guide to the Coast of South Carolina, will speak to us during the morning session. After lunch, two excellent naturalists, Eran Kilpatrick and Patrick McMillan, will be addressing us. Jan Ciegler usually hosts a potluck dinner at her house following the annual meeting, and I am assuming she will this year as well. I am assuming this because I cannot ask her as she is currently in Ethiopia. When Jan returns I will confirm the dinner and send out an email notice to everyone.
Gordon

SCAN ANNUAL MEETING
South Carolina State Museum, Vista Room, Columbia, SC
January 28, 2012; 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

9:30 - 10:00 AM: Socializing. Refreshments may be purchased from the Museum.
10:00 - 10:15 AM: Introduction and Welcome. Gordon Murphy, SCAN President.
10:15 - 11:45 AM: Miles O. Hayes and Jacqueline Michel; The coastal geology of South Carolina is complex, formed by the combined processes of sea level rise, sediment supply, waves, and tides. The presentation consists of two parts. Part I describes the general processes and landforms of the coast, explaining the history of how the South Carolina coast evolved and how processes such as waves, tides, sediment supply, and sea level rise have combined to produce the modern coastal features such as barrier islands, deltas, estuaries, tidal flats, and salt marshes. We include discussion of the impacts of hurricanes, changes in sediment supply that are both natural and man-made, the beach cycle, and methods to control erosion. Part II describes in more detail the coastal geomorphology of each of four compartments: the Grand Strand; the Delta Region; the Barrier Islands; and the Low Country. Explanations are provided for key features of the coast such as Carolina bays, capes, barrier islands, and tidal inlets. The presenters, two coastal geologists, who have 35 years of experience conducting scientific research on the coast, tell their story of discovery and fascination through engaging conversation, richly illustrated original diagrams, aerial photographs, and satellite imagery that paints a truly complete picture of a complex topic rarely so smoothly distilled from the scientific literature.
11:45 – 1:30 PM: Lunch, on your own.
1:30 - 2:30 PM: Eran Kilpatrick; The Salkehatchie region, a five county region sharing a border with the Salkehatchie River in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina, has been a focal point for wildlife research related to herpetofauna, birds, and vascular plants. Since 2008, the South Carolina component of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (SC NAAMP) has existed as the first continual statewide effort to monitor breeding anuran populations. This study, coordinated from USC Salkehatchie, has detected 28 species of anurans, documented new distribution records, and detected variations in breeding chronology. SC NAAMP has also produced a comprehensive dataset for winter, spring, and summer breeding anurans for each major ecoregion in the state. A collaborative study of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) subspecies in South Carolina has revealed novel genetic findings and variations in natural history that could influence the conservation of Coastal Plain subspecies. A 2011 green-fly orchid (Epidendrum magnoliae) study resulted in two county records, multiple new localities, and novel host tree data. A botanical and herpetofaunal inventory along the Savannah River in Allendale County produced a new locality for water toothleaf (Stillingia aquatica) and additional records for unique pond breeding salamanders and anurans.
2:30 - 3:30 PM: Patrick McMillan; “Nature on the Move – How Important Are We?”- One of the most difficult lessons for a naturalist to learn is that change is a constant in nature. Change comes in many forms and man has always been an integral part of nature and change. Places we think of as “natural” or apart from man are for the most part greatly influenced by us and the truth is we are a part of nature, in fact the most significant force of change on the planet. From the Piedmont forests to the mysterious shell rings of the Carolina coast our actions can be seen hundreds, indeed thousands of years later. Not all change is negative, not all choices are bad. But as we will see, the world will never forget you were here. Patrick will take us on a tour across the Carolinas, the Arctic and into the past for a look at how man’s hand is visible across the globe.
3:30 - 4:00 PM: Annual Business Meeting; 2011 officer roster, Treasurer’s report, and unveiling of the 2011 trip schedule.
4:00 PM: Adjourn Potluck dinner at Jan Ceigler’s home.

Dr. Miles O. Hayes is a coastal geomorphologist and sedimentologist with over 50 years of research experience. He has authored over 250 articles and reports and three books on numerous topics relating to tidal hydraulics, river morphology and processes, beach erosion, barrier island morphology, oil pollution, and petroleum exploration. Based on extensive field experience throughout the world, he has developed innovative techniques regarding environmental protection, oil-spill response, and shoreline processes. Three of the original concepts proposed and developed by him are: 1) importance of hurricanes to barrier island and nearshore shelf sedimentation; 2) the effect of tides on shoreline morphology and sedimentation patterns; and 3) the environmental sensitivity index (ESI) for mapping shorelines (with co-author Michel), which has been applied worldwide. Hayes’ teaching experience includes a range of both undergraduate and graduate courses while a Professor at the Universities of Massachusetts and South Carolina. He is presently Chairman of the Board of Research Planning, Inc. (RPI), a science technology company located in Columbia, S. C.
Dr. Jacqueline Michel is an internationally recognized expert in oil and hazardous materials spill response and assessment with a primary focus in the areas of oil fates and effects, non-floating oils, shoreline cleanup, alternative response technologies, and natural resource damage assessment. As of this time, she has participated in research projects in 33 countries. Much of her expertise is derived from her role, since 1982, as part of the Scientific Support Team to the U.S. Coast Guard provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Under this role, she is on 24-hour call and provides technical support for an average of 50 spill events per year. She leads shoreline assessment teams and assists in selecting cleanup methods to minimize the environmental impacts of the spill. She has written over 150 manuals, reports, and scientific papers on coastal resource impacts, mapping, and protection. As a member of the Ocean Studies Board at the National Academy of Sciences for four years, she served on four National Research Council committees (chairing two), and is a Lifetime Associate of the National Academies. One of the original founders of RPI, which started in 1977, she now serves as the company President.
Dr. Eran Kilpatrick is a biology professor at USC Salkehatchie. Eran’s research expertise and interests are focused on the response of reptiles, amphibians, birds, small mammals, and vascular plants to forest management practices including prescribed burning and other fuel reduction treatments. He has conducted research in a varieity of terrestrial and wetland habitat types in the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge physiographic provinces.
Dr. Patrick McMillan is the host, co-creator, and writer of the popular and award-winning ETV nature program Expeditions with Patrick McMillan. Over the past 15 years Patrick has worked as a professional naturalist, biologist and educator. His range of experience has concentrated on botany though he is also well-respected through his work in ichthyology, herpetology, and mammalogy. Patrick is a professional naturalist, lecturer, and director of the Campbell Museum of Natural History at Clemson University. In addition to hosting Expeditions, Patrick spends his time at Clemson University fulfilling his teaching, outreach and curatorial duties. He is also a frequent guest on “Your Day,” and the ETV Roadshow on SCETV radio.
Displays: Please bring materials you think other members would like to see (or buy); e.g., books, natural history artifacts, photographs, paintings, hiking equipment, GPS devices, minerals, etc. SCAN is not responsible if your material is lost or stolen.
Jan’s Potluck Supper Invitation by Jan Ciegler - Following the annual meeting, everyone is invited to my home for a potluck supper. I will supply drinks (soft drinks, beer, wine, coffee, tea) and utensils. Each person or couple should bring some food to share, moderate in quantity. (I don’t want a lot of leftovers!) On your way to my home, you can pick up something from a grocery store or restaurant; e.g., Publix, Food Lion, Nick’s Pizza, Burger King, McDonald’s, Rush’s (hamburgers & chicken), Bojangles, Pizza Hut, Atlantic Bread Co., Subway, Lizard’s Thicket, and others. If you bring something from home, use a cooler unless the weather is cold enough to leave it in your car, as the museum has no refrigeration facilities. I’ll handout maps to my home at the meeting, and you can stay as long as you wish. Look forward to seeing you. (803-796-2862, jciegler@sc.rr.com)