Log in

You are here

Home » IOS Tours

Editor's Picks

Group photo at Harvard Herbarium
Taxonomists Huddle at Harvard
The Harvard University Herbaria hosted a novel Oak Taxonomy...
Jeannine Cavender-Bares | Apr 21, 2026
Morgan and friends in Argentina
Argentine Oak Collections through Italian Eyes
Visits to three collections of Quercus in Buenos Aires...
Morgan Santini | Apr 05, 2026
Michel Duhart and Paco Garin at Jardín Botánico Wilson, Costa Rica
In Memoriam: Michel Duhart (1923–2026)
On April 1st, the very day he turned 103, a great friend...
Francisco Garin Garcia | Apr 05, 2026

Plant Focus

Quercus orocantabrica
Species Spotlight: Quercus orocantabrica Rivas Mart., Penas, T.E.Díaz & Llamas
Roderick Cameron and Carlos Vila-Viçosa give an account of this intriguing species from northwestern Iberia with a complex taxonomic and...
Read more

Tour of Southeast USA

Event Date: 
Thursday, 15 October 2026 to Thursday, 22 October 2026

The Tour will focus on Georgia and Alabama, with incursions into South Carolina and northern Florida. Beginning and ending in Atlanta, Georgia, we will visit one of the most oak-diverse regions of the USA, and we plan to see a huge variety of oak species, including: Quercus alba, Q. arkansana, Q. austrina, Q. boyntonii, Q. chapmanii, Q. durandii/sinuata, Q. geminata, Q. georgiana, Q. hemisphaerica, Q. incana, Q. inopina, Q. laevis, Q. laurifolia, Q. lyrata, Q. margaretta, Q. michauxii, Q. minima, Q. montana, Q. muehlenbergii, Q. myrtifolia, Q. nigra, Q. oglethorpensis, Q. pagoda, Q. phellos, Q. pumila, Q. similis, Q. stellata, and Q. virginiana, among others.

Quercus laevis at Davis Arboretum
Quercus laevis at the Donald E. Davis Arboretum at Auburn University

© Roderick Cameron

The Tour will be led by IOS members Ron Lance and Patrick Thompson. 

Ron is a renowned botanist, naturalist, horticulturist, and author known for his expertise in the woody flora of the eastern United States, especially oaks (Quercus) and hawthorns (Crataegus). He serves as a botanist with the North American Land Trust, where he contributes to conservation initiatives, including fieldwork aimed at preserving rare species such as the bluff oak (Q. austrina) across the southeastern United States.

Quercus incana, Pike Co., Alabama
Quercus incana, Pike Co., Alabama

© Roderick Cameron

Patrick is a botanist, conservationist, and horticulturist best known for his leadership in the preservation of Alabama’s native flora, especially deciduous azaleas (Rhododendron sp.) and rare southeastern oaks (in particular, Q. boyntonii). He is curator of Auburn University’s Donald E Davis Arboretum, which we will visit during the Tour.

Quercus boyntonii acorns
Acorns of Quercus boyntonii (or, as it is known to its friends, "Q-Boy") 

© Patrick Thompson

The Tour is still being designed, and Tour leaders will be taking further reconnaissance trips before finalizing the itinerary. You can view a provisional itinerary in the map below:

 

Overnight stops are planned at the following locations (subject to change):

  • Wednesday, October 14: Arrival in Atlanta, Georgia (Tour begins the following day)
  • Thursday, October 15: Aiken, South Carolina
  • Friday, October 16: Statesboro, Georgia
  • Saturday, October 17: Jacksonville, Florida
  • Sunday, October 18: Bainbridge, Georgia
  • Monday, October 19: Andalusia, Alabama
  • Tuesday, October 20: Auburn, Alabama
  • Wednesday, October 21: Pelham, Alabama
  • Thursday, October 22: Return to Atlanta

You can register for the event here. Please write to the Tours and Events Committee with any questions.

 

 

 

 

Event Category: 
IOS Tours