Nature of the Upstate

In this episode of Nature of the Upstate, we explore the American Persimmon, a small tree with edible fruit that I found growing in my front yard. We’ll learn some of its physical characteristics, how to harvest the fruit, what it tastes like, and some fun folklore.

Resources

Backyard Ecology. (n.d.). American Persimmon: A Native Fruit for You and Wildlife. https://www.backyardecology.net/american-persimmon/

Botanical Online. (n.d.). American Persimmon – Nutritional and Medicinal Uses. https://www.botanical-online.com/en/food/american-persimmmon

Clemson University Cooperative Extension. (n.d.). Diospyros virginiana Profile. https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/demo/plant_profiles/diospyros-virginiana.html

NC State Extension Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Diospyros virginiana. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/diospyros-virginiana/

Pharmacognosy Reviews. (2018). Pharmacological, phytochemical and ethnobotanical review of Diospyros virginiana L. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 12(24), 214–220. https://www.phcogrev.com/sites/default/files/PhcogRev_2018_12_24_214.pdf

Plants For A Future. (n.d.). Diospyros virginiana – American Persimmon. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Diospyros+virginiana

SC Native Plant Society. (n.d.). Diospyros virginiana. https://scnps.org/plants/diospyros-virginiana/

UNC Flora of the Southeastern United States. (n.d.). Diospyros virginiana Taxon Record. https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/main.php?pg=show-taxon.php&plantname=diospyros+virginiana

Wild Abundance. (n.d.). American Persimmon: Facts, Recipes, and Tips. Retrieved June 25, 2025. https://www.wildabundance.net/blog/american-persimmon-facts-recipes/

World Flora Online. (n.d.). Diospyros virginiana Taxonomic Record. https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000649953

In this episode of Nature of the Upstate, we take a closer look at the understudied River Cooter, a common turtle of this part of South Carolina. We’ll learn a bit about how to identify this turtle compared to other basking turtles, their life cycle, and why they’re important in wetlands.

References:

Animal Diversity Web. (n.d.). Pseudemys concinna (River Cooter). University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pseudemys_concinna/

Ernst, C. H., & Lovich, J. E. (2008). Pseudemys concinna (Le Conte 1830) – River Cooter. In A. G. J. Rhodin, et al. (Eds.), Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises (Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5). IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Retrieved from https://iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_006_concinna_v1_2008.pdf

Gibbons, J. W., Greene, J. L., & Dresser, E. M. (1983). Drought-related responses of aquatic turtle populations. Journal of Herpetology, 17(3), 242–246. https://doi.org/10.2307/1563826

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. (2015). Freshwater Turtles Guild. In Supplemental Volume to the South Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan. Retrieved from https://www.dnr.sc.gov/swap/supplemental/reptilesandamphibians/freshwaterturtlesguild2015.pdf

South Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. (n.d.). River Cooter. Retrieved from https://scparc.org/turtles-of-south-carolina/river-cooter/

Unknown Author. (n.d.). River Cooter Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e4a425_54b06852be1e4587a3f1a989fe7f282a.pdf

In this episode of Nature of the Upstate, we take a closer look at the important world of bumblebees. Here in South Carolina, community scientists through the Southeast Bumblebee Atlas have identified four native species. We’ll learn a bit about these four species, as well as why bumblebees are essential to the environment, what threats they face, and how you can support these pollinators in your backyard and beyond.

Community Science projects:

https://www.bumblebeeatlas.org/pages/southeast

https://www.inaturalist.org/

Information about Bumblebees:

Bie, M., Song, K., Dong, H., Zhao, W., Lin, H., Shi, D., & Liu, D. (2025). Advancing sustainable agriculture through bumblebee pollination: Bibliometric insights and future directions. Sustainability, 17(5), 2177. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052177

https://xerces.org/bumble-bees

Field Guides:

Beadle, D., & Leckie, S. (2018). Peterson Field Guide to the Common Bees of Eastern North America. Princeton University Press.
Williams, P. H., Thorp, R. W., Richardson, L. L., & Colla, S. R. (2014). Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide. Princeton University Press.

In this episode of Nature of the Upstate, we explore Shortia galacifolia, also known as the Oconee Bell. This rare flower is found only in a few spots in the Upstate, and searching for it during its brief bloom has become a yearly tradition for some. We’ll discuss its biology, the story of its re-discovery, and the conservation challenges it faces today.

References: 

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2018/03/the-long-trail-of-shortia-part-1-of-2.html

https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2018/03/the-long-trail-of-shortia-part-2-of-2.html

Fox, S. J., Eberth, L., Rogers, S. M., Stetler, H. C., Gabbard, B. L., White, E. E., & Morris, A. B. (2024). The importance of understanding clonal structure for species listing and recovery: Case studies from the rare Oconee bells (Shortia brevistyla and Shortia galacifolia; Diapensiaceae) and the federally endangered bunched arrowhead (Sagittaria fasciculata; Alismataceae). Conservation Genetics.

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/shortia/galacifolia/

https://highsouthadventures.com/Blue%20Ridge%20Escarpment.html

https://www.huh.harvard.edu/book/shortia-galacifolia

https://www.idigbio.org/content/portal-curiosities-asa-gray-and-quest-shortia-galacifolia-%E2%80%93-case-study-importance

https://ourwildyard.com/oconee-bell-flower-shortia-galacifolia/

 https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/shortia-galacifolia/

On chilly, rainy nights, Spotted Salamanders emerge from the forest floor for their annual migration to ephemeral ponds to breed. In this episode, I discuss their life cycle and what I discovered through almost a decade of salamander monitoring.

References: 

https://srelherp.uga.edu/salamanders/spotted-salamander/

https://amphibianx.com/can-you-touch-a-salamander/

Blackwell, E. A., Cline, G. R., & Marion, K. R. (2004). Annual variation in population estimators for a southern population of Ambystoma maculatum. Herpetologica, 60(1), 8-13. https://doi.org/[DOI if available]

Carolina Herp Atlas. (2019). Ambystoma maculatum distribution records in South Carolina. Retrieved from https://www.carolinaherpatlas.org

Kerney, R., Kim, E., Hangarter, R. P., Heiss, A. A., Bishop, C. D., & Hall, B. K. (2010). Intracellular invasion of green algae in a salamander host. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(16), 6497-6502. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1018259108

Mitchell, J., & Gibbons, W. (2010). Salamanders of the Southeast (Wormsloe Foundation Nature Books). University of Georgia Press. https://doi.org/[DOI if available] (ISBN: 9780820330358)

In this episode, we explore the science behind tiny yet powerful ice columns and their role in soil movement and erosion.

References:

Brink, V. C., MacKay, J. R., Freyman, S., & Pearce, D. G. (1967). Needle ice and seedling establishment in southwestern British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 47(1), 135–140. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps67-022

Grab, S. W. (1999). A pilot study on needle ice-induced stream-bank erosion in the Mashai Valley, Lesotho Highlands. South African Geographical Journal, 81(3), 126–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.1999.9713672

Ponti, S., & Guglielmin, M. (2023). Advances in understanding the cooling rates and bending of needle ice: Photogrammetric and thermal observations leading to the spatial distribution of needle ice creep. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 48(13), 2463–2479. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5639