Protecting Land & Water | Advocacy | Balanced Growth
Bring your four-legged friend along to these Upstate gems
The dog days of summer have at long last arrived. Here are some of our favorite ways to spend these last summer days with the whole family:


Don't forget to bring plenty of water for both you and your furry companion on your adventures, and always be on the lookout for signs of overheating.

If it's just too doggone hot out, cool off with an ice-cold beverage at Grateful Brew, What Ales You or Little River Coffee Bar. Plus, save the date for Waggin' at the Waterpark, September 7 at Discovery Island Waterpark and September 21 at Otter Creek Waterpark, when dogs are invited to swim and splash.

What's your favorite summer activity with Fido? Follow @upstateforever on Instagram and tag your photos with #pupstateforever to let us know.
Help remove invasive plants
Join Upstate Forever, TreesUpstate and Conestee Foundation for a morning of beautifying and removing invasive plant species from Lake Conestee Nature Park on Saturday, Sept. 14. Find event and RSVP details here
Citizens Planning Academy
Would you like to learn more about land use policy and planning in Greenville? Join us this October for a 4-week course to become a more effective and influential participant in growth and development in the City of Greenville.  Learn more
Tour Happy Cow Creamery
UF members are invited on a "grass to glass" tour of Happy Cow Creamery on Saturday, Sept. 28. Get a behind-the-scenes look at this local farm and milking parlor — and enjoy fresh samples! Find event and RSVP details here
Join the UF team
Are you a self-starter with a "manage up" mentality? Do you have experience managing a fast-paced office? We are seeking an Office Manager/Executive Assistant to join the UF team! Applications must be received by Sept. 9. Apply now
Save the date for Upstate Forever's Annual Meeting — Sunday, October 13
This year's Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, October 13 from 2-5 pm at Lake Conestee Nature Park, one of our region's natural gems. The park is permanently protected by a conservation easement through Upstate Forever's Land Trust.

Our Annual Meeting is a fun, family-friendly event open to all Upstate Forever members. If your membership has lapsed or you've never officially given, you can click here to make an online donation. An annual gift of $35 qualifies for an individual membership, $50 for a family membership.

Please stay tuned as we share additional event and RSVP details in the coming weeks.
Shared solar brings savings
Duke Energy has unrolled a shared solar program to bring energy savings to low- and moderate-income households. Energy & State Policy Director Shelley Robbins shares details about this exciting new program on the UF blog. Read the article
Finding Common Ground
Chambers English, our 2019 summer Conservation Lands Stewardship Fellow through Furman University's Shi Center for Sustainability, offers an overview of UF's work in this video. Watch Common Ground
Have a great outdoor photo?
Do you have a photograph of the Carolinas that embodies the spirit of the outdoors? If so, we encourage you to enter the Travelers Rest Artists Alliance's landscape photography contest by August 31!  Learn more and enter
Follow @UpstateForever
Join us on Instagram as we showcase the places and people that make the Upstate such a magnificent place to call home. Tag your photos with #MyUpstateForever for a chance to be featured. Find us on Instagram
More news & events
Create a lasting legacy
When you make a planned gift to Upstate Forever, you help us achieve our goals for current and future generations while enjoying a wide variety of tax benefits. Visit our planned giving site to learn about bequests, IRA rollovers, charitable lead trusts, and other ways to give. Read more

Save these dates
Do you know about our other mailing lists?

Greenville County Comprehensive Plan Updates
This year Greenville County has begun developing an updated Comprehensive Plan — a process that takes place once every 10 years. Upstate Forever wants to help demystify and empower citizens to influence the Comprehensive Plan update process. Join this dedicated mailing list to receive updates and alerts for all Greenville-based comp plans.

Planning & Growth Updates for Spartanburg County
Spartanburg County is growing rapidly, with more than 60,000 new residents projected by 2040. Whether you live or work in Spartanburg County or just care deeply about its future, our Land Planning & Policy team will keep you informed and actively engaged in shaping Spartanburg's future growth.

SC Legislative Updates
While the State Legislature is in session from January through May of each year, we dispatch a weekly Legislative Update recapping each week's important energy and conservation news. We also issue Action Alerts on critical, time-sensitive issues and provide the tools you need to contact your elected officials.

To sign up for one or all of the above lists, please click here and select the list(s) you'd like to join .
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Your tax-deductible gift to Upstate Forever will go directly toward protecting critical lands and saving special places in the Upstate.
Click the icons below to learn more about our work
Upstate Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina.  Over the past two decades, we have worked to protect the natural assets that make the Upstate so special — our farmlands, forests, natural areas, rivers, and clean air. We are committed to ensuring that our communities are vibrant and retain their green spaces, outdoor heritage, and unique identities in the face of rapid development and significant sprawl. Our vision is an environmentally healthy, economically prosperous Upstate that offers a high quality of life now and for future generations.

For more information, visit our website at upstateforever.org or send us an email .