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On September 29th, Win and I participated in the bioblitz for Paris Mountain State Park near Greenville, SC. The bioblitz was
organized by Valerie Carter-Stone, Resource Management Biologist, with the SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.
Valerie's principal job is scheduling and conducting forest burns at the state parks.
Win's sister-in-law, Joy, and her son, Ethan, also attended the bioblitz. Overall, the participant turnout for the bioblitz was low.
Competition with football probably hurt. Valerie says that she hopes to have additional bioblitzes next year.
Joy is a excellent birder. She and Ethan spotted 36 different bird species.
Win and I found a few common herps such as the two Northern Water Snakes shown below.
A special treat from the bioblitz was meeting Jules Fraytet and Ben Gregory, the president and secretary, respectively, of the
South Carolina Assiociation of Naturalists. SCAN sponsors monthly field
trips to interesting natural sites throughout the state. Win and I hope to attend some of the future trips.
September was month of significant change in my life. Sadly, my mother-in-law passed away ten days after her 101st birthday.
She had a long, interesting, and successful life. Happily, I retired from my engineering career. Now I hope I will have more time
to enjoy my family, nature, photography, and farming.
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