The Southern Appalachians—the nonglaciated mountainous areas of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and southwestern New York—form an evolutionary center for native plant diversity for the northern temperate regions of the world. In 1936 The Southern Appalachian Botanical Club was formed at West Virginia University for "all persons interested in the botany of the Southern Appalachian Mountains." Today, the name and purpose has changed slightly to the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society (SABS) with its focus on the botany of all the eastern states. The membership includes professional and amateur botanists from across the country who are interested in eastern botany, in the journal the society publishes, Castanea, and in the activities of the society.