Beginning Thoughts
I've just retired at age 64 and am starting to spend a lot more time in the woods cultivating what has become a lifelong hobby of studying nature. I've recently joined the Audubon Society, the South Carolina Native Plants Society, and the Friends of the Congaree. I live in Columbia, SC, which is right smack dab in the middle of the Xeric Sandhills that go through the middle of the state and pretty much straddle the Fall Line of SC. The advantage of this is that I have Piedmont environments to the NW of Columbia and Coastal Plain environments to the east and the SC Mountains about a 100 miles to the NW. My favorite hikes around this area are Peachtree Rock, the Palmetto Trail at Fort Jackson, and Forty Acre Rock in Lancaster County 60 miles NE of here. Am intending to get more acquainted with Congaree National Park (which is pretty much flooded at present to to the recent flooding in the Midlands of SC) to learn trees better, especially Hawthorns. Am intending to be part of the Christmas Bird County this year also. Just gotta see where Nature takes me!!
James
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Well, I've found that nature does not disappoint those who venture forth into it with an open and curious mind. I've wanted to visit the sandhills of the Carolinas. Supposed to be a pretty unique habitat with unique species. Hope where you are in South Carolina did not get flooded too bad. I was working in the Tennessee side of the mountains when the floods hit, the videos were frightening.
All of the Fort Jackson, Peachtree Rock, and Congaree Bluffs observations are Sandhills types. Like Pine-barren Sandwort and some of the Pityopsis (Grass-leafed Aster) are found in this area. As far as the flood we did get hit pretty hard. I was without water for a few days and had to boil it for a few days when he came back on. I was on high ground so no water damage. It was about 2 miles from here when all the dams started breaking and the major flooding set off a chain reaction. Some bridges are still washed out near my home. Some of my favorite hiking trails were flooded and with all the excess standing water the Mosquitos became a real problem. It's mostly settled down now.
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