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Canceled
Hello, Friends! It is with profound regret that the decision has been made to cancel SCAN’s 2026 annual meeting. The threat of inclement weather from Winter Storm Fern (apropos!) for half the state and for the meeting location is simply too great. We take some solace that the canceling of this meeting may invite Karma to push the storm out of South Carolina earlier, so that people can go outside and enjoy nature without danger this weekend. I am asking the speakers in our current lineup if they will do an online version of their presentation over the next couple of weeks so members can attend via Zoom. If they can’t participate online, we reserve the right to ask them to participate in the 2027 annual meeting. The business meeting, which must be held annually, will be scheduled for sometime in the next few weeks and will be online through Zoom. For those who think that SCAN’s secret motto is “SCAN never cancels," perhaps we can think of it as a deference. This year marks SCAN’s 50th anniversary, and we are not celebrating it only at the annual meeting. We are celebrating it throughout the whole year! Multiple trips scheduled for this year mirror trips taken back in 1976. We are hosting a 50th Anniversary Gala in July. We will continue to celebrate Rudy Mancke‘s vision for years to come via SCAN outings, gatherings and all time spent in nature. Let’s go marvel at this world. “A naturalist is someone who studies the world of nature and marvels at it.” -Rudy Mancke Stay safe and warm! Lee Morris President SCAN

2026 Annual Meeting

January 24 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Join us for a great day of educational presentations and socializing during our once-a-year indoor event. Bring a lunch dish to share.

SCAN 2026 Annual Meeting

Goodale State Park | Community Building
650 Park Road, Camden, SC 29020

 

Agenda

9:00 – 9:40:              Socializing and refreshments (Coffee and breakfast snacks provided)

9:40 – 10:00:            Welcome and introductions

10:00 – 10:50:          Will Mundhenke, SCDNR

Subject of Talk: Nature’s Stewards: SCDNR, State Conservation, and the Naturalist’s Role

Bio: Will Mundhenke is the South Carolina Department of Natural Resource’s State Naturalist and Director of Education. He supervises the Conservation Education, Aquatic Education, and Saltwater Fishing Outreach programs that help bring South Carolinians into their great outdoors. His work focuses on the many ways nature can become a bridge to foster new stewards of our natural resources. He earned his Master’s Degree in Public and Environmental History from the University of South Carolina and began his career working on a volcano for the National Park Service. In particular, he is always thrilled to talk about Redeye Bass or Wild Turkeys in the South.

10:55 – 11:45:          Cassie Castleberry, Clemson Extension / Carolina Clear / Castlebee Farm
Joshua Castleberry, Central Carolina Technical College / Castlebee Farm

Subject of Talk: Watershed Moments in Natural History

Bio: Cassie Castleberry is the Water Resources agent for Clemson Extension/Carolina Clear for the city of Sumter/ Sumter County. She has had a diverse career as a public school teacher, stay at home mom, day school director, and now water resources agent. Throughout that time she has also been an environmental educator.

 Josh Castleberry is Dean of Professional Studies at Central Carolina Technical College. Don’t tell his other programs, but education, environmental, and natural resources management are his favorite programs. If you don’t know him from the college then you probably know him as the snake guy.

 When they aren’t at work, Cassie and Josh are probably out on Castlebee Farm working to maximize the economic and ecological output.

11:45 – 12:05:          Prepare for PotLunch 

12:05 – 1:30:            PotLunch – Socialize over a shared meal and wander the park

1:30 – 2:20:              Sharleen Johnson, Native Plants to the People, LLC

Subject of Talk: Underappreciated Pollinators (Wasps, Flies, and Beetles)

Bio: Formally trained as an ecologist and science educator, Sharleen Johnson’s passion for adding habitat value to developed landscapes led her to launch Native Plants to the People LLC in March 2022.  Her missions are to increase the local availability of diverse native plants and to help people actively engage with the natural world through presentations about native plants and wildlife, pollinator ecology, and sustainable landscaping.  Prior to launching her native plant business, Sharleen worked for 9 years as a marine ecologist for the SC Department of Natural Resources, previously working in non-profit medical research and as a high school science teacher.  Teaching is once again becoming a key part of her working life; this year Sharleen developed and taught a semester-long Applied Ecology (Managing Landscapes for Biodiversity) course at the College of Charleston and also began teaching classes for Clemson’s Certificate in Native Plant Studies.

2:25 – 3:15:              Eric LoPresti, University of South Carolina

Subject of Talk: Natural History is Dead, Long Live Natural History!

Bio: Eric LoPresti has been playing with bugs and plants as long as he can remember; his mother worked at the Audubon Society where he learned natural history from a string of excellent mentors. He went to Brown University, working with Douglass Morse on ferns and caterpillars, then worked for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for two years before getting a PhD at UC-Davis on plant-insect interactions. He did post-doc work at Michigan State on plant evolution and has run labs at Oklahoma State and USC on plant-insect interactions.

3:15 – 4:00:              Business Meeting

  • Approval of 2025 Annual Meeting Minutes
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Election of Officers – Nominations will be accepted from the floor, provided that the nominee has agreed prior to the nomination.

Officers

President       Lee Morris
Vice President     Scott Wietecha
Secretary       Kim McManus
Treasurer       Kate Hartley
Database Manager  Tom Austin
Historian        Gordon Murphy
Webkeeper       Kim McManus

Regional Directors

Northern         Todd Johnston
Western         Ron Ahle
Southern        Tom Austin
Eastern          Caroline Eastman
Central           Dave Kastner and Marty Kastner

  • 2025 Field Trips in review
  • 2026 Itinerary of field trips
  • Old Business
  • New Business
    • Dues
    • Gala

4:00 – 5:00 Adjourn and Building Cleanup

Details

Organizer

  • President