Palmetto Trail is a valuable resource
Story and Photo by Warner M.Montgomery warner@thecolumbiastar.com

Nancy Stone Collum (l) of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation and Nena Powell of The Explorers Club hold an Australian didjeridu donated by Jack Boggs which was auctioned at the club meeting.

"Since 1989, the Palmetto Conservation Foundation has been working on creating a walking, hiking, and biking trail from the mountains to the sea," began Nancy Stone Collum in her talk to the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club on April 11. "It was through the efforts of Kit Smith, a member of our board, and Ken Driggers, our first and only executive director, that we created the Palmetto Trail."

The foundation is involved in many conservation, preservation, and recreation programs in South Carolina. The Palmetto Trail encompasses all three areas. Collum said 270 miles of the total 425 miles from Awendaw on the coast to Caesar's Head in the mountains are now open to the public. The trail is one of only 16 cross- state trails in the US.

Sections of the trail, called passages, include a variety of flora and fauna. There are historical sites in every passage. For example, the Eutaw Springs Passage passes by the Revolutionary War Battleground, and the Blackstock Battlefield Passage passes by the site where Gen. Thomas Sumter defeated British General Tarleton. Complete information on the Palmetto Trail is available at .

The local chapter of The Explorers Club meets monthly for lunch and a talk. Visitors are welcome. For information, contact Nena Powell Rice at 803- 777- 8170 or nrice@sc.edu.