South Carolina is state of great natural beauty and rich biodiversity. From mountainous rainforests to isolated barrier islands, the Palmetto State is a remarkable place to encounter abundant plant and animal life. Wild South Carolina, compiled by a mother-daughter team of naturalists, delves into the most intriguing outdoor destinations, offering advice on how, when, and where to experience the state's ecological treasures. Organized by region and illustrated with more than 150 color photographs, this guidebook presents handpicked tours of 38 special parks, wildlife refuges, heritage preserves, and other public lands. Discover the federally endangered peregrine falcon in the ACE Basin, the breathtaking synchronized displays of fireflies at Congaree National Park, the world's largest showing of rocky shoals spider lilies on the Catawba River, the rare Oconee bells nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the world's oldest cypress-tupelo forest, and many more spectacular sights. Bike, hike, paddle, or even ride a horse while visiting the state's dramatic waterfalls, boardwalk swamp trails, lighthouses, limestone caverns, a Moorish-styled castle, and much more. Observe deceptively-beautiful carnivorous plants in full bloom, tundra swans lounging in former rice paddies, and hundreds of raptors flying en masse along rocky cliffs. Grab a pair of binoculars, a water bottle, and your copy of Wild South Carolina to explore the best of South Carolina's natural areas! Experience the wealth of South Carolina's wonders first hand.

The American South is famous for its astonishingly rich biodiversity. In this book, Georgann Eubanks takes a wondrous trek from Alabama to North Carolina to search out native plants that are endangered and wavering on the edge of erasure. Even as she reveals the intricate beauty and biology of the South's plant life, she also shows how local development and global climate change are threatening many species, some of which have been graduated to the federal list of endangered species. Why should we care, Eubanks asks, about North Carolina's Yadkin River goldenrod, found only in one place on earth? Or the Alabama canebrake pitcher plant, a carnivorous marvel being decimated by criminal poaching and a booming black market? These plants, she argues, are important not only to the natural environment but also to southern identity, and she finds her inspiration in talking with the heroes the botanists, advocates, and conservationists young and old on a quest to save these green gifts of the South for future generations. These passionate plant lovers caution all of us not to take for granted the sensitive ecosystems that contribute to the region's long-standing appeal, beauty, and character.

pubescens) and of locating the rare monkey-face orchid (Platanthera integrilabia).

A comprehensive and indispensable reference for identifying and appreciating native flora From its summits to its shores, South Carolina brims with life and unparalleled beauty thanks to its abundant array of native and naturalized flora, all carefully documented in this revised and expanded edition of A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina. Dramatic advances in plant taxonomy and ecology have occurred since the guide's publication 20 years ago; new species have been discovered while others struggle to survive in the face of vanishing habitats and climate change. The authors, all experienced botanists, offer essays on carnivorous plants, native orchids, Carolina bays, the roles and effects of fire and agriculture on the landscape, and detailed descriptions of the plant communities throughout the state's major natural regions. This expanded edition catalogs nearly 1,000 species organized by habitat, with descriptions, color photographs, range maps, and comments on pharmacological uses, suitability for garden cultivation, origin of common and scientific names, and conservation status.

The South Carolina Nature Set offers the best in wildlife and plant identification for The Palmetto State. Our three popular 12-panel folding Pocket Naturalist Guides to South Carolina - Trees & Wildflowers, Birds, and Wildlife - are attractively packaged in an acetate bag and value-priced for savings when purchased as a set.

Celebrating the beauty, diversity, and significance of the state's natural landscapes, Wild North Carolina provides an engaging, beautifully illustrated introduction to North Carolina's interconnected webs of plant and animal life. From dunes and marshes to high mountain crags, through forests, swamps, savannas, ponds, pocosins, and flatrocks, David Blevins and Michael Schafale reveal in words and photographs natural patterns of the landscape that will help readers see familiar places in a new way and new places with a sense of familiarity. Wild North Carolina introduces the full range of the state's diverse natural communities, each brought to life with compelling accounts of their significance and meaning, arresting photographs featuring broad vistas and close-ups, and details on where to go to experience them first hand. Blevins and Schafale provide nature enthusiasts of all levels with the insights they need to value the state's natural diversity, highlighting the reasons plants and animals are found where they are, as well as the challenges of conserving these special places.