Message from the President...

I'm back in my coffee shop office again as I write, avoiding the weather that came our way with the threat of storms Humberto and Imelda, but looking forward to the next few weeks because many of the projects and volunteer opportunities the CMNA has been working on are coming to fruition!

Soon after you receive this newsletter, many of us will be volunteering at the Big Sit Birding Event at James Island County Park, others will be learning about the now up-and-running MOTUS tower at Caw Caw Interpretive Center, and still others will be planning a Bio Blitz at the not yet open to the public Betsy Kerrison Trail on Kiawah, and planning the new season of wood duck nesting box monitoring!

The reason I mention these projects is that some of them have been years in the making and involve not only CMNA members and CCPRC staff, but also people from other groups like the SC Native Plant Society and Charleston Natural History Society.
Part of my goal is to foster closer relations with like-minded groups so that we are able to provide more volunteer opportunities and collaborations, so I recently met with the president of the SCNPS and MN, Amber Van Harten, and I was also elected as the VP of the CNHS.
I'm looking forward to the opportunities that these relationships might bring!

It's only with the commitment from our team of Directors and Chairs that we are able to put these projects together, and of course with you out there making it all happen on the day, so thank you!!

At one of our Coffee socials a few months ago, several of you mentioned you'd like a more efficient way to earn your Statewide Certification, so this is my next major project: I've been in touch with our Clemson Statewide Coordinator, Mallory Maher, and the President of the Upstate group to start the ball rolling on a weekend retreat that will give you enough hours in one region to satisfy 16 of the 32 hours required for your Statewide Certification.
Once we've done one, another will follow in a different region.

Also, Mallory has agreed to be the guest speaker at our Annual General meeting in January, so stay tuned for that information as the fall class graduation and AGM are now going to be separate events!

So, back to our raison d'etre: learning and volunteering. None of this would be possible without your participation, and we are looking for volunteers to join us on the Board of Directors and on committees starting in the new year. If you have a skill we could use in events, planning, graphic design, web design, finance, or you just want to be involved on a higher level with the association, we'd love to hear from you! You know how to reach me.

A final thought, the next time you receive our newsletter, it will 2026!