Upstate Forever Trips & Events

Field Trips

Conestee Clean-Up

More than 150 dogged volunteers from Upstate Forever and numerous other organizations participated in a clean-up on February 24 at Lake Conestee Nature Park. As a result, 8.57 tons of trash, plus 152 tires, were removed from Lake Conestee and the surrounding wetlands and forest.

Head Foremost Falls

On February 24, 30 Upstate Forever and community members visited the Cleveland tract, which includes the spectacular Head Foremost Falls (see page 8).

Trout stream hike

A group of of Upstate Forever members and Greenville residents hiked up Reedy Cove Creek on March 10, learning about the history of the Eastatoee Valley and issues facing trout streams in the Upstate.

Conservation Lobby Day

Upstate Forever Makes an Impact at the State House

The Upstate Forever Lobby Team at the State House – what a great group!

Members Wayne Pendergrass, Robert Stenhouse, and Jason Hayden (left to right) document their contacts with legislators

On February 13, Upstate Forever had its own Conservation Lobby Day at the SC General Assembly. We came to Columbia in full force, with a whopping 23 representatives, plus one journalist who followed us for the day – this was the best turnout of any conservation organization this year! Following a briefing by the Conservation Voters of South Carolina and the SC Coastal Conservation League, we proceeded to the State House, where we wrote notes and spoke to as many legislators as we could, focusing on funding for the SC Conservation Bank, DOT reform, regulatory takings/community protections, and other conservation issues. After lunch, we fanned out to visit our Senate and House members in their offices.

A huge thank you goes out to the wonderful Upstate Forever members who gave up an entire day to make their voices heard in Columbia: Dick Carr, Emily Davis, Jason Hayden,Suzanne and Hans Hoogeveen, Tom Keith, Tom Kester (Upstate Forever board chairman), Bridget O’Donoghue, Wayne Pendergrass, Boots Plyler, Robert Stenhouse, and Kathy Taylor. We also thank our two interns, Colin Hagan and Mary Hays Huguley, as well as the nine staff members who attended. We hope to see you all again next year!

Upstate Forever members Tom Keith and Boots Plyler talk with Sen. Mike Fair of Greenville (left) in the State House lobby

Visit Upstate Forever’s web site
(www.upstateforever.org) to read the articles about Upstate Forever Lobby Day that appeared in The Greenville News and the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, or to sign up for our weekly email Legislative Updates. For more information about legislative priorities of the conservation community, visit
www.conservationvotersofsc.org.

Art & Conservation Celebration

Art and Conservation Celebration a Grand Success

Executive Director Brad Wyche, Financial Manager Peg O’Donoghue, Office Administrator Gretchen Wilson, and intern Colin Hagan at the sign-in table, ready for the crowd.

It was a beautiful night on January 27 for Upstate Forever’s First Annual Art and Conservation Celebration. More than 200 people attended the event at Saffron’s in Greenville’s West End, enjoying nature-based paintings, sculptures, and photography by 37 prominent artists along with delicious food and drinks provided by Whole Foods. The artists donated 50% or more of their sale proceeds, raising over $10,000 to support Upstate Forever’s programs. See you next year!

The event featured diverse works from 37 prominent artists.