Published in the Columbia Star on May 28, 2026 – https://www.thecolumbiastar.com/articles/columbias-downtown-pollinator-garden/
Volunteers with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) planted a native plant pollinator garden in their wildlife habitat in front of their downtown office at 1519 Richland Street. As spring transitions to summer, the plants are flowering and fruiting. In a relatively small space there are over 20 species attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The garden also features the four basic wildlife habitat elements: food, water, cover, and places to raise young.
Three natives planted for monarch larvae are swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata; common milkweed, A. syriaca; and butterfly weed, A. tuberosa.
Passionvine, Passiflora incarnata, is deliberately planted in containers to keep it from spreading across the landscape via its underground rhizomatous roots and taking over the garden. The vine hosts the eggs and larvae of gulf fritillary and variegated fritillary butterflies.
A striking blue flowering perennial plant is false indigo, Baptisia australis. Native Americans and early colonists used the flower to produce a blue dye before the Asian indigo, aka true indigo, Indigofera tinctoria, was introduced to America.
False indigo is a host plant to many butterflies such as orange sulphur, clouded sulphur, frosted elfin, eastern tailed blue, hoary edge, and wild indigo duskywing.
Common yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is a flower attracting an incredible number of pollinators because of the design of the flower face. The nectar that bees and butterflies need is easy to access on the broad flat flower face making for perfect landing and feeding platforms. Insects can stay still and sip from the many tiny florets. American lady, checkerspots, fritillaries, hairstreaks, skippers, and sulphurs visit yarrow for nectar.
Common St. John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, is a host plant to the larvae of the gray hairstreak butterfly. Female azure butterflies lay their eggs on the flower buds and the caterpillars eat the flower parts and developing fruits. The plant also hosts moths like the wavylined emerald, scallop moth, and gray half-spot moth.
Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam,’ Coreopsis verticillata, will start blooming from mid-summer all the way until the first hard frost. Something to consider when planting a pollinator garden is to select a palette of plants for spring, summer, and autumn bloom.
Two varieties of blueberries grow in the pollinator garden: Vacinnium darrowii ‘Rosa’s Blush’ and Vacinnium x Perpetua. Planting blueberries in the garden creates a mutually beneficial relationship between the plants and pollinators. Blueberry flowers provide spring nectar for native bees and the bees perform “buzz pollination” to ensure a large, healthy harvest.
Visit the SCWF downtown pollinator garden to view the entire garden and take home ideas for your landscape.
Published in the Columbia Star on May 28, 2026 – https://www.thecolumbiastar.com/articles/columbias-downtown-pollinator-garden/
SCWF staff, partners, and volunteers recently joined together to install five pollinator gardens throughout the state – talk about busy bees!
As development increases, the resulting habitat loss is a major challenge that affects many pollinator species in South Carolina. Pollinator gardens provide pollinators and other wildlife with critical habitat that can beautify any space, increase native biodiversity, increase pollination services and biological control of pest insects, and provide community engagement and learning opportunities.
These gardens create and enhance habitat for pollinators and other wildlife by incorporating native flowering plants, which are important sources of food and shelter for bees, butterflies, and countless other species. Native plants are adapted to the region’s climate and require less watering, fertilizer, and use of pesticides. Pollinators also require specific native host plants which provide nutrition and habitat to their larval and adult stages. Milkweed, the host plant for monarch butterflies, was planted in each garden to give the adult females a place to lay their eggs and to provide the caterpillars with a source of food.
Monarch butterfly
Butterfly weed
Monarch caterpillars on milkweed
By installing the gardens in public areas, they also serve as demonstration sites to allow community members to connect with imperiled pollinator species and play a part in conservation efforts by replicating the gardens at their own homes. Educational signage was also installed with each garden that displays information about pollinator species, their importance, and how native plant gardens help them.
The first garden installation took place at the Museum of York County, where museum staff and volunteers joined to plant a variety of native plant pathways that lead to spaces where nature-themed outdoor musical instruments will be installed late this summer, including a bumblebee, butterfly, firefly, dragonfly, and ladybug.The museum’s garden is also a Certified Wildlife Habitat, which provides natural sources of food, water, cover and places to raise young and is maintained in a sustainable way that incorporates native plants, conserves water, and does not rely on the use of pesticides. The museum received its certification in 2005 and also has created a Carolina Fence Garden.
The Catawba Nation is the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina, and SCWF is honored to partner with the reservation’s Wildlife and Habitat Program on multiple conservation projects, including Project Prothonotary and the Pollinator Garden Project. At the Catawba Nation, reservation staff and volunteers helped to plant a variety of native plants for pollinators at the Cultural Center and at the preschool on the reservation.
The Catawba Bend Preserve is York County’s newest park, a 1,900-acre preserve in Rock Hill, spanning nearly five miles along the Catawba River. Operated by York County, the preserve offers a serene, natural escape focused on passive outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation. While the preserve is open and walkable, it is designed to be an evolving outdoor destination. Future amenities in various stages of development include mountain biking and disc golf courses, stocked fishing ponds and rebuilt earthen dams, the first mile of a paved, riverfront greenway, primitive tent camping, event spaces, and a motor coach park.
Anne Springs Close Greenway is a 2,100-acre nature preserve in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Dedicated in 1995, it protects native forests, lakes, and pastures from urban development, offering the public a natural escape for outdoor recreation and environmental education. The pollinator garden was installed with the help of staff from the Greenway and volunteers with the Catawba Master Naturalist Program, and it is located next to the Greenway’s Forest Playground. Bluestar (Amsonia) was chosen as one of the focal plants to honor the Greenway’s founder, Anne Springs, who was also a prominent South Carolina conservationist, philanthropist, and outdoor advocate.
To learn more about how to create your own pollinator garden, see our webpage for Enhancing Pollinator Habitat and be sure to follow along with us during the month of June, which is National Pollinator Month!
Savannah Jordan, SCWF’s Habitat Education Manager who led the project stated, “Each garden plays such an important role in providing and connecting habitat for pollinators. No matter how large or how small their size, each one makes a difference. To see pollinators like bees and butterflies checking out the plants right after we put them in the ground goes to show that if you plant them, they will come!”
Savannah Jordan, SCWF’s Habitat Education Manager, stands still as a butterfly lands on her hand, almost as if to say “thank you”!
SCWF would like to thank Skyline Design and Landscape for their assistance in the design and installation of the garden, as well as providing all the native plants and materials. SCWF is also grateful for the following partners and volunteers for their involvement: Anne Springs Close Greenway, Catawba Master Naturalist & Alumni group, Museum of York County, Catawba Bend Preserve, York County Parks & Rec, Catawba Indian Nation, and Landsford Canal State Park.
This project was made possible by Duke Energy’s Catawba-Wateree Habitat Enhancement Program.
Over the past 12 weeks, our 2026 Midlands Master Naturalists have spent countless hours exploring the Midlands and building connections with the natural world around them. From insects and geology to the unique flora and fauna that make this region so special, each week brought new discoveries, conversations, and moments of curiosity. Watching the growth, enthusiasm, and passion of this 2026 class has been incredibly rewarding, and we could not be more proud of all they have accomplished. While the class may be ending, their journey as Master Naturalists is just beginning. We know there are now 20 more people who will continue to ask questions, share knowledge, inspire others, and help foster a deeper appreciation for the interconnected world around us. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who spent these 12 weeks learning alongside us and to all of the parks, instructors, and partners who welcomed us along the way. Your time, knowledge, and support helped make this experience something truly special.
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Congratulations to Evan Dingle, Hunter Griffin, Jennifer Brown, Melinda McGee, Christine Woodham, Anne Kaiser, Glenda R Swearingen, Caroline Eastman, Katherine Kawamoto, Kim Pittman, Ellen Fishburne, Stephanie Pinson, Lexi Thomason Toole, Rebecca Funderburk, Rachel Como, Kate O’Hara-Goergen, Aidan-Lee Houser, Avery Hammett, Allison Bugarin, Mary Dell Hayes, and Nora Solway.
We had a great time earlier this month with a group of nature-loving employees from Whole Foods! Seventeen Whole Foods employees from their Columbia, SC location built ten eastern bluebird boxes which will be installed at schools, churches, or corporate sites around the state.
The group also went on a nature walk with SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager, Jay Keck, who taught them about the local ecosystem as they listened to wood thrush and prothonotary warblers in the background.
Whole Foods purchased the materials from the South Carolina Bluebird Society, who makes pre-cut versions of the boxes for those interested in having an event of their own. (Lean more at: https://southcarolinabluebirds.org/sales/)
Thank you to the Whole Foods employees who took time out of their busy schedules to learn about conservation and wildlife!
This April, women from across South Carolina gathered outdoors to learn new skills, connect with nature, and build lasting friendships through two special South Carolina Wildlife Federation programs: the POWR+ Women’s Fly Fishing Day with guides from the Chattooga River Fly Shop in Mountain Rest, South Carolina and the co-branded Women’s Turkey Camp with Artemis South Carolina.
Both events focused on creating welcoming, supportive spaces where women of all experience levels could grow their confidence in the outdoors while learning from experienced mentors and fellow participants.
During Women’s Turkey Camp, participants spent time learning turkey hunting techniques, practicing outdoor skills, and connecting around campfires and shared experiences in the field. The camp emphasized mentorship, conservation, and helping women feel comfortable and empowered in public hunting spaces.
Later in the month, the POWR+ Women’s Fly Fishing Day introduced participants to the art of fly fishing through hands-on instruction and time on the water. From learning casting basics to gaining a deeper appreciation for South Carolina’s aquatic habitats, attendees experienced firsthand how fishing can foster patience, focus, and connection with the natural world.
Together, these programs highlight the growing community of women engaging in hunting, fishing, and conservation across the country. They also reflect SCWF’s commitment to making the outdoors more accessible and encouraging the next generation of conservation leaders.
Whether sharing stories after a morning hunt or celebrating a first fly cast on the water, participants left these events with new skills, new friendships, and a stronger connection to the outdoors. A big thank you to all of our partners, as well as the Fish America Foundation , Z-Man Fishing Products, and Barron’s Outfitters for supporting this year’s fishing activities and helping make these experiences possible.
Michelin US2 in Sandy Springs has been a WAIT partner for more than a decade. Over the years they have created nature trails on their property with interpretive signage for their employees, created wildlife meadows, given away milkweed seeds to employees, and held education classes focused on wildlife and wildlife conservation. Jay Keck, SCWF’s Industry Habitat Manager, has even brought snakes to the facility to educate employees about how snakes fit into the ecosystem. Recently, Jay and Ami Crowe, an Environmental Specialist with Michelin, installed 13 Eastern bluebird boxes in prime habitat across US2’s campus. During the winter they will inspect and clean the nests while recording what bird species were using the nests around the site. One of the target birds, the Carolina Chickadee, has declined approximately 16% in the last 50 years. With the help of US2 and other WAIT partners, we’re hoping that efforts like this will help slow down or reverse this declining trend for this species and others across the state. Thanks Michelin US2 for being a great WAIT partner, and for providing breeding opportunities for some of our amazing birds and other wildlife.
SCWF and the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) hosted a Spring Habitat Workshop on May 6th at Harbison State Forest. During this interactive workshop, participants learned how to create and enhance wildlife habitats by planting native plants, providing a water source, and adding feeders and nest boxes from SCWF Habitat Education Manager Savannah Jordan.
SCFC Environmental Program Manager Matt Schnabel led everyone on a tour of Harbison State Forest’s certified wildlife habitat garden and gave an overview presentation about SCFC. The event ended with a short hike, led by Manchester State Forest Director Daniel Tew, that included stops at three forested stands that show different management objectives and practices to teach people how forestry practices can affect and benefit wildlife populations. Learn more about how to certify your yard here!
The South Carolina General Assembly is set to adjourn at 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 14th thus ending a two-year Legislative Session. While there are several bills still pending that the South Carolina Wildlife Federation has an interest in, we have nevertheless successfully advocated for significant pieces of legislation that have already made it across the finish line. And, we anticipate, with only a few days left in the session, we’ll be able to help shepherd a few more bills into law.
SCWF, working closely with our advocacy partner Audubon South Carolina, was able to pass legislation that designated the Prothonotary Warbler as South Carolina’s Official State Migratory Bird. That legislation, Senate Bill S.383 now Act 98 of 2026, passed the both Senate and the House receiving a unanimous roll call vote in each chamber and was signed into law by the Governor on February 27th. Subsequently, we were honored to participate in a ceremonial bill signing ceremony with Governor McMaster at Audubon’s Francis Beidler Forest on April 20th. It was a very special occasion for a very special bird that calls South Carolina home each year after traveling thousands of miles on its annual migratory journey to and from Colombia, South America.
The “Hunting Heritage Protection Act”, House bill H.3872, is poised to receive final legislative approval this week after a minor amendment in the Senate. This legislation would ensure that there is no net loss in acreage for hunting opportunities on state-owned wildlife management areas managed by South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources. This initiative was an undertaking by the Sportsman’s Caucus and was supported by and advocated for by SCWF.
Also pending is H.5069, the “South Carolina Protected Lands and Conservation Coordination Act.” This bill, which we expect will be given final approval by the General Assembly before adjournment, establishes a bold long-range State policy goal of increasing the number of protected lands to 7 million acres by the year 2050. Currently, approximately 3.5 million acres of South Carolina’s roughly 21 million acres total land mass are protected from development by one means or another. SCWF has been very active in its advocacy of this legislation and has worked behind the scenes with the sponsor, Representative Travis Moore, and other legislative leaders to fast-track this bill through the House and Senate this year.
As with any legislative session, there are good bill that we have supported and lent our voices to that simply don’t make it into law. One of these bills is H.3409. Introduced by Representative Patrick Haddon, this legislation would increase the qualified conservation income tax credit from $250 per acre to $1,000 per acre. The income tax credit rate available to those who are willing to place their property in a qualified conservation easement or make a qualified conservation contribution has stood at $250 per acre for more than 20 years. That rate has not been adjusted for inflation nor exploding property values and should be adjusted as H.3409 would do. Regrettably, Rep Haddon’s bill has stalled in the House Ways and Means Committee and will not pass this year.
While we enthusiastically supported the SC Conservation Education Act, which was enacted into law in 2025, neither the House Ways and Means Committee nor the Senate Finance Committee committed any money in the respective budgets for FY26-27 to fund this program. The Conservation Education Act, housed in the SC Department of Natural Resources, would fund third-party indoor and outdoor classroom conservation education programs specifically for youth. We hope that the General Assembly will provide adequate resources to DNR in the future to fund this important program.
While the FY2026-27 state budget has yet to be finalized, there is good news for conservation and land protection in the current spending plan. Both the House and Senate, respectively, included record “new” money for conservation grant programs, such as conservation easement funding through the SC Conservation Bank, and land acquisition funding for state resource agencies. In recent years, the Legislature has really stepped up to the plate to fund land protection efforts in our state and we thank the entire General Assembly for their efforts and Governor McMaster who has prioritized protecting our most precious natural resources, land and water, for generations yet to come.
Homeowners and NWF affiliates are fighting to change restrictive local landscaping laws in favor of native plants
Lou Lesesne stands in his Charlotte, North Carolina, front yard (above), which brims with sundrops, coneflowers and other nectar-rich plants that support pollinators such as sweat bees.
FIVE YEARS AGO, when Lou Lesesne moved to a new house in Charlotte, North Carolina, he decided to “get rid of the grass and bring in the pollinators.” Today, his yard boasts expansive beds of ironweed, purple and cutleaf coneflower and other native plants that support native wildlife. “I like to do my part to help the birds and the insects find habitat,” Lesesne says.
This past June, however, Lesesne received a letter from the city of Charlotte warning him he was in violation of a property-maintenance code requiring homeowners to keep nonwoody plants shorter than 12 inches. The city told him to mow down his natural garden or pay a fine of up to $500.
His experience is hardly unique. Across the country, wildlife-friendly gardeners are running afoul of local laws that prioritize “nice, tidy green lawns that are mowed low to the ground,” says Patrick Fitzgerald, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior director of community habitat.
But thanks to advocacy efforts by homeowners like Lesesne—often in collaboration with NWF affiliates—such rules increasingly are being challenged and subsequently repealed or revised. “We’re seeing a lot of momentum to change local landscaping ordinances, especially as more people bump up against rules that don’t allow them to grow native plants,” Fitzgerald says.
Dating back to the early 1900s, municipal property maintenance ordinances are intended to keep neighborhoods looking cared for and neat. The rules often prohibit homeowners from growing nonwoody plants above a certain height, typically 10 to 12 inches. But that requirement stymies the efforts of gardeners who choose natural landscaping. Native plants can grow several feet high—and need to before they can flower and reseed. When mature, some of the ironweeds adorning Lesesne’s yard, for example, can stretch up to 10 feet tall. Allowing such plants to reach their full height provides the pollen, nectar, seeds and other food wildlife need, as well as vertical structure that creates habitat for a variety of species, from insects and birds to reptiles and amphibians.
When Lesesne received his citation, he contacted the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF), an NWF affiliate, for advice on how to save his native plants. He wasn’t the only one, and NCWF has been happy to help. Changing municipal ordinances to encourage natural landscaping is “commonsense conservation,” says Alden Picard, NCWF’s conservation coordinator, who has fielded dozens of calls, emails and visits from concerned native gardeners like Lesesne. “This is something everyone can get behind. It’s a gardening for wildlife campaign. It’s a campaign to let our milkweed, ironweed and joe-pye weed grow tall, flower and go to seed,” he says.
In July 2025, NCWF joined forces with six other local and state conservation groups to create the Coalition to Protect Our Urban Nature. The coalition successfully rallied residents of Charlotte to submit several hundred comments as well as attend public forums to lobby for exempting native gardens from the city’s vegetation-height requirement
Ed Murray, a Charlotte homeowner with more than 100 native plants in his yard, testified on behalf of the proposed change at a city council meeting in fall 2025. He framed native landscaping as a family issue that benefits children. “We live in a very urban area, so it’s not like you can drive 10 minutes and get a lot of biodiversity. But you can still have a place where your kids go out into the yard and see interesting things,” he says. Murray believes that interacting with the native plants, insects and birds in their yard gives his 4-year-old daughter “a significant leg up in understanding the way the world works.”
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles found such testimonies so convincing that, last October, she pledged to exempt native plant gardens from the vegetation-height requirement. This February, the city council approved the change, paving the way for homeowners in the nation’s 14th largest city to create more wildlife-friendly gardens.
Another North Carolina city, Winston-Salem, passed a similar ordinance in 2025. Next up, Murray hopes the Charlotte coalition sets its sights on requiring native plants—and prohibiting the planting of invasive species—on city-owned properties, a policy adopted by Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2024.
In South Carolina, another NWF affiliate, the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF), also is helping reshape rules in the state capital, Columbia, to help homeowners grow—not mow—native gardens. After hearing complaints that residents were being penalized for growing native plants, SCWF teamed up with the Gills Creek Watershed Association and the South Carolina Native Plant Society Midlands Chapter to lobby the city to change its property maintenance ordinance. In May 2025, Columbia amended its rules so that homeowners certified through a recognized program, such as NWF’s Certified Wildlife Habitat® program, can register their yard with the city to avoid fines.
“South Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states. It’s more important than ever that we are able to replace some of the habitat that’s removed when new neighborhoods are built,” says Sara Green, SCWF’s executive director. When homeowners re-create lost habitat by planting native gardens, she adds, it benefits at-risk wildlife, including songbirds and native pollinators. Green has received requests from several other NWF affiliates seeking to change their local landscaping rules.
To support such efforts, NWF published the Guide to Passing Wildlife-Friendly Property Maintenance Ordinances in 2021. “The National Wildlife Federation prioritizes landscaping ordinances because they represent a key lever for increasing native plant habitat in communities,” Fitzgerald says, adding that “there’s been a recent groundswell of interest in advancing local policy changes to benefit wildlife.” In the coming year, he says, NWF will survey its affiliates to assess local advocacy efforts underway, including which of them can be replicated elsewhere.
Legalizing protections for wildlife-friendly gardens at the city level “is a much better return on investment than trying to change rules one homeowners association at a time,” Picard says. “It’s time for local government to wake up, to move forward, so that we have monarchs and bumble bees and songbirds in our yards 50 years from now.”
A committee of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation board is proud to announce the selection of the 2025/2026 scholarship recipients. Congratulations to Ella Michel, Lily Addicot, and Anna Chobot for their selection as SCWF scholarship winners and to Hsuan Hsieh for being selected for the Nicole Chadwick Memorial Scholarship. These impressive young conservationists are all motivated to use science-based solutions to make an impact on the world around them.
Ella Michel is a senior at the South Carolina Honors College studying Environmental Policy and Conservation. Ella is passionate about innovating our energy systems to be more sustainable, with a specific focus on energy efficiency. Increasing energy efficiency has a wide range of benefits, reducing energy bills and emissions simultaneously. She plans to leverage her interdisciplinary degree to approach energy efficiency improvements from a multidimensional perspective, including policy, industry, utility, and community-based solutions. It is through this work that she envisions a future where people can access the energy they need, while our environment is protected.
Lily Addicott is a master’s student in the Environmental Studies and Sustainability program at the College of Charleston, with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Clemson University. Since arriving in Charleston, she has shown a particular passion for geospatial science and wildlife conservation. Her thesis project will focus on quantifying the anthropogenic disturbance on local bottlenose dolphin populations. In the future, she hopes to make her impact on the world by working for a non-profit organization focused on ecology and conservation. Lily spends her free time teaching the sport of orienteering and trying to get people outside reading maps and connecting with nature!
Anna Chobot is a senior Wildlife and Fisheries Biology major at Clemson University with an interest in herpetology and contaminant research. She has worked on two Clemson research projects so far: one studying microplastic abundance in the diet of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) across the Southeastern United States, and the other analyzing the genetic demographics of patch-nosed salamanders (Urspelerpes brucei) within the Tugaloo River Basin. Over the summer, she developed and conducted an independent research project studying microplastic abundance and diversity in water, sediment, fish gastrointestinal, and alligator diet samples across four coastal South Carolina sites. She plans to publish these results and continue to pursue a career in research by attending graduate school after graduating from Clemson in the spring.
Hsuan Hsieh is a PhD candidate in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson University, where her research focuses on forest therapy and nature-based approaches to improving health and well-being. She enjoys guiding forest therapy walks and believes in the idea of “healthy forests, healthy people,” hoping that forest therapy practice can foster greater environmental care and nurture a reciprocal relationship between humans and nature.
SCWF is honored to be able to distribute educational grants to full-time students pursuing a degree in any environmental field at South Carolina schools of higher education. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible, based on their performance in academia and in related community activities. These scholarships are funded by contributions from generous individual donors in addition to the ongoing support received from these funds:
D. L. Scurry Foundation provides educational scholarship funds for individuals attending colleges, universities and technical schools in South Carolina.
The Riverbanks Conservation Support Fund (CSF) provides financial assistance for conservation oriented projects/programs worldwide that promote preservation of the Earth’s biodiversity.
The Nicole Chadwick Memorial Fund honors the legacy of an endangered species biologist who made a long-lasting impact on wildlife conservation in South Carolina.
Banner Image Credit: Piedmont Sandwort by Allison Bugarin
