Conservation Highlights

The St. Simons Land Trust has protected over 145 acres of land on the island and 200 acres in a nearby county in a partnership with another Land Trust. These lands include conservation easements and land owned by the Land Trust, many donated by caring property owners. Following are some highlights of acquisitions that have had the greatest impact either in terms of protecting open space or enhancing quality of life in the community.

Ft. Frederica North Marsh Property, 20 acres - 2007

  • The property consists of 20 acres of upland and marsh adjacent to the north boundary of Ft. Frederica. It was purchased by the Land Trust to prevent 35 homes from being built within the view of Ft. Frederica and to preserve certain historic features on the property.
  • Purchased in 2007 for $3.5 Million in a bargain transaction with the Sea Island Company, the project was funded by a $750,000 grant and 3% loan from the State of Georgia’s Land Conservation Program.
  • A grant from NOAA’s Coastal Estuarine Land Conservation Program is pending which will substantially retire the remaining debt and allow the property to be transferred to the National Park Service.

Wildlife Drive at Frederica Park - 2 acres

  • Located adjacent to the entrance to the Land Trust’s John Gilbert Nature Trail, the Land Trust acquired 2 acres with 500 linear feet of frontage of heavily wooded property along Frederica Road.
  • This parcel was purchased in 2008 for $685,000 using funds from neighboring property owners, the Land Trust Board of Directors, and membership income, plus funds from the partial sale of another property needed for public improvements.
  • This acquisition met the highest priorities of the Land Trust Greenprint, protection of scenic character and tree canopy along major roads serving the island. It also gives the Land Trust the option to expand the Gilbert Nature Trail.

Chevron Property at Frederica and Demere Road Roundabout - 2005

  • Converting an old abandoned gas station at a major intersection on the island, into a landscaped green space designed by Sea Island Company was a milestone for the Land Trust.
  • The project raised $800,000 from the community and generated 900 new members to the Land Trust.  The project fit within the organization’s mission to “protect the natural and scenic character of the island.”

The John Gilbert Nature Trail, 40 acres

  • One of the earliest gifts to the Land Trust was a 40 acre marsh front property on Frederica Road, donated to the Land Trust by Dorothy Gilbert in honor of her husband John.
  • In 2006, the Land Trust, with the help of volunteers, designed and installed a half-mile nature trail through these dramatic woods.  Bridges and a boardwalk cross wetlands and lead to a viewing deck on the eastern marsh, looking toward Sea Island; at the trail’s center, there is a magnificent 200
    year-old oak tree aptly named, “John’s Oak.”
  • The trail receives hundreds of visitors a week. Such an overwhelming response is an indicator of how great the need is on the island for more protected woods and nature trails and has encouraged the Land Trust to provide similar access to other protected properties.

Stolloway Property, 1.78 acres - 2004

  • Protecting 1.78 acres on Frederica Road that could have been developed into many home sites, the Land Trust purchased the Stolloway Property for half its market value. Wooded wetlands and a great many trees were saved in the process and the character of Frederica Road was preserved.

Harrington Schoolhouse Preserve, 12 acres 2004

  • Harrington was the largest of three African-American settlements established on St. Simons during Reconstruction.  Still standing is the last remaining African American schoolhouse on the Georgia coast.  Surrounding the schoolhouse are 12 acres of woods and two ponds which serve as feeding grounds for the endangered wood stork and other aquatic birdlife.
  • The 12 acres and schoolhouse were purchased in 2004 for $785,000 through a joint effort of the Land Trust and Glynn County, using State of Georgia Greenspace funds and contributions from Land Trust members.
  • Harrington experienced a period in the 1990’s when development brought about a great change in the character of the community.  The loss of that character is lamented island-wide, but the Land Trust hopes to protect what tracts remain through continued acquisition of land in Harrington, eventually allowing for a large mid-island park.

Stillwater Hammocks, 2.37 acres 2002

  • Preserving hammocks in perpetuity is important to the scenic character of the island, but also to ensure the quality of its ecosystem in the future. Hammocks provide habitat for many types of marsh wildlife. Developer, Frank DeLoach donated 2.37 acres of hammocks on the north end of the island from his marsh front subdivision, Stillwater.

Frederica Park Fact Sheet
Conservation Highlights
Conservation Easements