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Did you know that PCF is on Pinterest?
Check out our inspiration boards, pictures of the trail and blueways, recipes, quotes, and more on our brand new Pinterest page! Follow us here. |
 View our online Picasa Web Albums. If you have pictures of the trail that you would like to share, you can email them to us or post them on our Facebook page. 
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Trail Wish List
Maintaining the Palmetto Trail is a huge task and our trail coordinators do a great job. Having the proper tools, however, makes their job much easier. If you would like to donate anything on our wishlist, please contact our office at (803) 771-0870. We appreciate your help!
Wish List:
-Chain Saw Winch
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Palmetto Explorer
August 2012
The Natural Connection to South Carolina
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Paddling for Progress is Coming to the Palmetto State!
Goal of first-ever Blueways Conference is to spark positive change for South Carolina's waterways
This fall, PCF will bring a series of workshops to Columbia, Spartanburg, and Beaufort as part of Paddling for Progress, a brand new conference series that will aim to promote the Palmetto State's waterways. An event like this, involving such a variety of different stakeholders in a rapidly growing field, is truly unprecedented in our state. With so many different speakers, workshops, and valuable training, this low cost experience has an incredibly high value, especially for those participants attending all three days' events.
 The conference series was created in recognition of South Carolina's ecotourism potential, and to call attention to a lack of accessibility to water trails. PCF is bringing together planners, trail builders, waterway and paddle groups, elected officials, outdoor enthusiasts and other stakeholders to discuss how to improve upon one of South Carolina's most important and beautiful resources--its waterways, also known as blueways. With PCF's involvement and development of a 50 mile paddle trail in the Upstate, our staff has seen a vital need for blueway education on a variety of levels.
The series will start with a kickoff event in Columbia on Wednesday, Sept. 12 called "The State of the State: How do we create a paddle friendly South Carolina?" This discussion of the current state of paddling will feature keynote speaker Sutton Bacon, President and CEO of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, author and Wofford professor John Lane, Mary Crockett of the Congaree Land Trust, and Staci Williams of American Rivers.
The next day of events will be held in Spartanburg on Wednesday, Sept. 26. For this workshop, participants will get a chance to learn about the details that go into making the idea of a beautiful paddle trail a reality. Following a quick welcome and light breakfast, participants will head out on a mobile workshop covering several sites in the area. This unique, hands-on experience is a great way not only to learn about creating blueways, but to understand the needs of the paddle community.
Finally, on October 10th, the conference will head to Port Royal and Beaufort, SC. The Beaufort workshop will provide evidence that well-planned, well-designed, safe, accessible water trails are not only worth the investment, but are a vital part of local tourism and economic development.
This workshop will provide and showcase best maintenance practices, a comprehensive discussion on development, and a conversation on promotion of water trail systems. Participants will have the opportunity to paddle one of Beaufort's beautiful paddle trails in this final day of events.
Special ticket pricing for this event is available to PCF members.The Paddling for Progress Blueways Conference is possible by a grant from SCPRT.
Details on speakers for each event, as well as pricing, directions, each day's agenda, and more can be found online here.
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Handlebar Happy Hour at Publick House on August 8th
Meet and mingle with other bicyclists while discussing ways to make Columbia more bicycle and pedestrian friendly
 The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and PCF have organized Handlebar Happy Hour, a series of family friendly gatherings meant to foster open, relaxed discussion about topics the bicycling and pedestrian community faces on a local and statewide level.
This ongoing program, held the first Wednesday of the month from August through November, will provide a place for anyone to openly voice their thoughts on the topics concerning bicyclists and pedestrians in the Columbia community. Publick House Restaurant will host the first of these events on Wednesday, August 8th from 5:30-7:30pm.
Publick House, located at 2307 Devine Street, will offer exclusive food and beverage specials for any participants who arrive on bicycle or foot. Bicyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to travel individually or in groups, and for those interested in riding with others to the event, there are a few rides you can join around town.
Outspokin' Bicycles
3223 Devine Street
Ride Leader: Brian Curran, Owner of Outspokin' Bicycles
Meet 5pm, Depart promptly at 5:15pm
City Roots Farm
1005 Airport Boulevard
Ride Leader: Cait Costello, Palmetto Cycling Coalition
Meet 5pm, Depart promptly at 5:15pm
Cycle Center
1001 Harden Street
Ride Leader: John Green
Meet 5pm, Depart promptly at 5:15pm
Please plan to meet at these locations at 5pm so that the rides may depart promptly at 5:15. For further information and updates on these rides, check PCF's website at www.palmettoconservation.org.
The goal of Handlebar Happy Hour is to relax and have some fun, but these gatherings are also intended to strengthen the cycling community. As those cyclists living and working in Columbia become better acquainted, organizers of this event hope to tap into the collective energy and talents of the cycling community to help continue to make Columbia a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly city.
Starting at 5:30pm, participants will have a chance to arrive at their own pace and mingle before the discussion begins promptly at 6:30pm. Each happy hour will include a speaker from stakeholder groups, like the Department of Transportation or the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, to lead an open forum on topics such as accessibility, law, infrastructure, and community involvement.
If you have any questions about Handlebar Happy Hour or would like to sign up, please contact Meredith Walker at mwalker@palmettoconservation.org or (803) 771-0870.
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Thank you Husqvarna!
This year,  Husqvarna has generously donated a new trimmer and pole saw specifically for Palmetto Trail maintenance in the midlands and Lowcountry. We are always proud to work with companies like Husqvarna that care for our trails and our state. The job of keeping 300+ miles of trail cleared is no easy task but the job becomes much more manageable when our coordinators and volunteers have the right tools. We want to thank Husqvarna for their donation, and also to encourage anyone who is interested in making a similar contribution to contact us. Please check out our wishlist on the left side of this newsletter to see what other tools might improve our ability to keep the trail accessible. If you'd like to donate, please call our office at (803) 771-0870 or contact us via email at sanderson@palmettoconservation.org.
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Welcoming Columbia to the brand new Vista Greenway
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Officer Jennifer Jutkofsky, Columbia PD, and Natalie Britt, PCF's Executive Director, stand proudly by the entrance to the Lincoln Street tunnel. "Officer J" is a valued member of the BPAC and has played a key role in the development of the new greenway.
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Cayce Mayor Elise Partin, right, and two other participants helped lead a ride to the greenway.
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After several years of collaborative work between PCF, the City of Columbia, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and private donors, PCF held the grand opening of the first phase of the Vista Greenway on Friday, June 29th. This new walking and biking path will eventually connect Earlewood and Elmwood to the Vista via Finlay Park. The first completed phase runs through a converted railway tunnel starting at Lincoln and Lady Street in the Vista and emerging at Finlay Park on Taylor Street. The 600-foot tunnel is well lit and equipped with call boxes for safety.
On July 7th, PCF, working with groups like Outspokin' Bicycles, Summit Cycles, and the Elmwood Neighborhood Association, organized a city-wide series of bike rides to culminate in a grand opening inaugural ride of the Lincoln Street tunnel. We were thrilled to see so many bicyclists in the community excited about the new greenway, and feel confident that this project will make a huge impact on the increasing connectivity of our city's neighborhoods and entertainment districts.
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Thanks to our Ft. Jackson Trail Volunteers!
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This group was part of the Fort Jackson Warrant Officer Class. They helped clean up the Fort Jackson passage of the trail.
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 | Board member Ethan Nord was on hand to help with some much-needed mowing on the Swamp Fox Passage.
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Most recently, students from the Central Carolina Technical College Resource Management Summer Internship Program helped clean up brush on the Wateree section of the trail.
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Recently our trail coordinator, Dane Hanna, has had the pleasure of working with some excellent volunteers. We wanted to thank these folks for helping us with some much needed maintenance on the Palmetto Trail. Without such volunteers, we simply wouldn't be able to maintain our beautiful trail, so we salute these individuals and the many wonderful volunteers who give up their time to help us work towards our mission.
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Adventure Awaits
Saturday, Aug. 25
Riley Moore Falls, Cedar Creek, & Blue Hole Falls
 Master Naturalist Bobbie Wilhite will be leading the way on this multi-falls hike. Riley Moore Falls includes a moderate 2.4 mile hike. This 12 foot high waterfall used to power a mill, which you can still see some of the remnants. There is a large pool at the base of the falls and sandy banks that are perfect for swimming or wading on hot summer days.
Cedar Creek is located just above Blue Hole Falls. There is a moderately difficult 1 mile hike to get to this 75 foot waterfall, but it's well worth it once you arrive. The falls cascade into a beautiful blue pool at the base which is surrounded by steep ledges.
Bring a lunch and water bottle.
Cost
Free for PCF Members
$10 for non-members
Call (803)771-0870 to sign-up.
Click here for more info.
Saturday, September 22
Waterfall Hike
10am
Brasstown Falls and Sid Falls  Join Master Naturalist Dan Whitten for an exciting day of waterfall hikes. The hike to Brasstown Falls is a short 1/2 mile round trip hike rated difficult. This cluster of falls includes 4 drops totaling 120 feet. The hike to Sid Falls in 1.5 miles round trip. It is rated difficult, however only the last 100 yards of the hike is actually difficult. Sid Falls is rated excelent with a 55 foot drop. Bring a lunch and water bottle. Cost Free for PCF Members $10 for non-members Call (803)771-0870 to sign-up. Click here for more info.
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Senior Explorers
PCF has kicked off another 
year of exciting trips with the Senior Explorers. Thanks to Palmetto Health and Agape Senior, this year is better than ever! We've got a variety of trips and events planned and we hope you'll join us. Senior Explorers is open to older adults and participation is free. Space is limited.
Tour of Bee City
Friday, July 27th at 9am
Bee City is just a stone's throw from the beautiful Edisto River in Cottageville, SC. This trip will include an educational lesson on the importance of honeybees, a visit to the Nature Center and Petting Zoo, and some exciting take home projects.
 The educational classrooms at Bee City contain beekeeping equipment and learning materials, as well as a glass observation bee hive, where you can get a close look at the workers, drones, and the queen. The Bee City Nature Center features snakes from SC as well as lizards, turtles, frogs & alligators. It's an enjoyable educational experience for all. The petting zoo consists of domestic and exotic animals, which include deer, monkeys, lemurs, wallabies, alpacas and llamas. Each participant will get to bottle their own 8 oz. honey bear, pour a beeswax figurine with melted beeswax, and roll a pair of honey comb candles out of a sheet of beeswax to take home.
Limited transportation will be provided for this trip, and we ask that you sign up early to secure your spot. To sign up, contact our office between August 13 and August 27 at (803) 771-0870 or email Kari Hanna at
kari@palmettoconservation.org.
Thursday, September 6th
Penn Center- Visit the museum and walk the nature trails.
Thursday, October 18th
The Center for Birds of Prey- learn all about hawks, owls, falcons, and more. Afterwards we'll stop for lunch at the Sewee Restaurant.
Dates are of Senior Explorer trips are subject to change. Check our website for up to date information. Visit our website, or call us at (803)771-0870.
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Become a PCF Member Today!
A PCF Membership comes with great benefits, including discounts at local outfitters and special rates on PCF events. Your membership dollars will go towards building and maintaining the Palmetto Trail.
Click here to become a member!
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