Coyotes are now common across the South Carolina Upstate, but they have not always been here. Learn how coyotes reached the region, what they eat, why they thrive around our neighborhoods, and what homeowners should know when one shows up in the backyard.
A flash of electric blue caught our attention high along Pinnacle Mountain Trail. Meet the five-lined skink, one of Table Rock’s smallest, fastest and most colorful residents.
Devil’s Walking Stick is one of the strangest native plants hiding in the Upstate. Learn how to identify this thorn-covered tree and why it is an important part of South Carolina’s forests.
Officials say there are no sharks in Lake Hartwell. But bull sharks can survive in freshwater, the Savannah River once flowed without today’s massive dams, and real alligators have turned up where they supposedly don’t belong. We investigate the Upstate’s newest aquatic conspiracy.
Meet Lucy and Ricky, the newest stars of the PumpkintownSC bird feeder! Set against the stunning backdrop of Table Rock Mountain, these cheerful American Goldfinches have captured our hearts and inspired a new weekly series celebrating the birds, wildlife, and natural beauty of the South Carolina Upstate. Follow along as we share their adventures and introduce the feathered friends that make our little corner of the mountains so special.
With its glossy black body and impressive size, the Great Black Wasp may look intimidating, but it’s one of the Upstate’s most beneficial insects. Discover how this gentle giant controls grasshoppers, pollinates wildflowers, and quietly builds underground nests throughout South Carolina.
The Eastern Box Turtle is one of the Upstate’s most remarkable forest residents. Learn how to identify this iconic South Carolina species, where to find it around Pumpkintown, what it eats, how long it lives, and why protecting its habitat is essential for future generations.
Wolf spiders are common throughout Pumpkintown and the Upstate of South Carolina. Learn how to identify them, whether they’re dangerous, why they come inside, and why these giant hunters are actually beneficial.
Bumble bees may look intimidating, but they’re among South Carolina’s most important pollinators. Discover why these gentle giants are essential to our wildflowers, gardens, and mountain ecosystems.
Have you ever walked into a giant spider web while hiking in South Carolina? Meet the Golden Silk Orb-weaver, one of the Southeast’s largest spiders, and learn why this gentle giant is more friend than foe.