2026 Congaree Research Symposium

Friends of Congaree Swamp is hosting a research symposium focused on celebrating 50 years of environmental and cultural research at Congaree National Park. This event will take place at the University of South Carolina Pastides Alumni Center Ballroom.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026

9:00-9:15 AM – Welcome
Opening remarks and World Wetlands Day commemoration
John Grego (Friends of Congaree Swamp), Kim Connolly (University of Buffalo)

9:15-9:45 AM Five Decades of Research at Congaree Swamp
John Cely (Friends of Congaree Swamp): 50 Years of Changes at Congaree

9:45-11:00 AM Session 1 — Upland and Bottomland Forest Ecology (Chair: John Kupfer)
David Stahle (University of Arkansas): Dendrochronology of Baldcypress in the Deep South
Kimberly Meitzen (Texas State University): Floods, Forests, & People: A Spatial and Temporal Perspective on Environmental Change and Riverscape Conservation
Ray Torres (University of South Carolina School of Earth, Ocean & Environment) Floodplain Water Storage: Lessons from the Congaree River System

11:15-12:30 PM Session 2 — Cultural Interpretation, Social Practices and Land Use (Chair: Tameria Warren)
Aby Sène-Harper (Clemson University): African American Cultural Resources of Congaree National Park: An Ethnographic Overview
Rhonda C. Grego (Midlands Technical College-Retired): Edward C. L. Adams and Tales of the Congaree: A Review of Recent Scholarship
Neal Polhemus (University of South Carolina): Status and Inventory of Old-Growth Bald Cypress in Congaree National Park

12:30-2:00 PM Lunch & Poster Session (Lunch Included with Registration)

2:00-3:15 PM Session 3 — The Meaning of Wilderness and Traditional Landscapes (Chair: Greg Cunningham)
Jess Riddle (City of Atlanta): Are there other Congarees? Exploring the old growth bottomlands for forest giants
Mark Kinzer (National Park Service-Retired): The Wilderness Act and the Congaree National Park Wilderness

3:15-4:30 pm Session 4 — Future Challenges to Congaree National Park (Chair: Neal Polhemus)
Bill Stangler (Congaree Riverkeeper)
Jeffrey Hunter (National Parks Conservation Association)
Bob Janiskee (University of South Carolina)

Poster Session (pdf)