Now in its ninth year,the South Carolina Historical Society’s Winter 2016 Lecture Series, entitled “This Abundant Land: The Natural and Agricultural History of South Carolina,” spans eight weeks and will feature prominent historians discussing topics that range from rice, tobacco, and phosphates to culinary delights and the plantation landscape.

The South Carolina Historical Society was pleased to host Dr. Porcher for their annual lecture series. Dr. Porcher presented a lecture entitled, “Carolina Rice and Sea Island Cotton: The English Connection,”  which discussed the English connections between two of South Carolina’s most lucrative and exploitative crops: rice and cotton.

Dr. Richard Porcher is a scholar, educator, and conservationist. His distinguished teaching career at The Citadel integrated field biology into the curriculum (1970 – 2003). Dr. Porcher is the author of definitive books on South Carolina botanical and cultural resources. He has dedicated the proceeds from his books to student scholarships. Dr. Porcher is a renowned conservationist that uses his knowledge to influence regional environmental policies. He was the recipient of 2007 SC Environmentalist of the Year Award, and has mentored many prominent southeastern naturalists.

Dr. Porcher, in collaboration with Wiliam Robert Judd, recently published a work with the University of South Carolina Press Series entitled, The Market Preparation of Carolina Rice: An Illustrated History of Innovations in the Lowcountry Rice Kingdom, which is the first book to illustrate and describe the implements and machines used to prepare Carolina Rice for overseas markets.