In 2017, the St. Simons Land Trust launched its 1% for St. Simons program as a way for businesses to help raise funds to preserve and protect the greenspaces, wildlife, waterways, wilderness areas, tree canopy, trails, and other environmental, historical, and cultural features on St. Simons Island.

That initial program met with tremendous success, and in 2018 it won the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors’ Bureau’s Partner of the Year Award. To help celebrate the third anniversary of the initiative, and to build on the concept that many small coins can soon fill a large jar, the Land Trust decided to refresh, rebrand, and rename the program to say just that.

In fact, the countless small contributions from the program have created funds that are sizeable enough that our business partners wanted to make certain the money went to something tangible. And lasting.

Since there are few things more lasting than the preservation of land, especially seventy-plus acres of marsh-fronted, forested land with historic significance, important habitat for rare plants and animals, and other high-value environmental features, the Land Trust’s leadership completely agreed. With input from its program steering committee and partners, instead of Pennies for Preservation revenue going into a general land acquisition account, the Land Trust has designated those contributions to help pay for and conserve forever the Oatland properties.

The two tracts of land are comprised of roughly thirty-five upland acres each and are located on Lawrence Road on the island’s north end. The northernmost tract, that contains an inholding where Bascom Murrah’s animal rescue center The Farm is located, is contiguous with Cannon’s Point Preserve. The two properties together have more than 500 acres of protected marshlands.

These natural areas provide essential habitat and ample food sources for wildlife, including protected and rare species of birds such as the wood stork and the painted bunting, a species that nests on the acreage during summer months. In addition, several bald eagles that roost in the vicinity use the area for foraging. The properties’ saltmarsh also performs invaluable services such as reducing storm surge, minimizing erosion, supporting essential habitat for fisheries, and provides habitat for manatee and the diamondback terrapin, that is listed as a species of concern in Georgia.

Acquiring the Oatland properties represents land conservation at its finest. It’s an example of multiple organizations, businesses, and countless contributors collaborating with one another to protect and preserve a community’s most cherished assets and ensuring those assets remain healthy and viable for future generations.

Thanks to our generous Pennies for Preservation media partner,

Elegant Island Living,

you can learn more about Pennies for Preservation

and the Oatland North property

in the magazine's October issue or by going to our website.

Sincerest thanks to our Pennies for Preservation

partners, their patrons, and the entire community.

Your 1% contributions turn into protected acres.

by forwarding this information

to your friends, family, and co-workers.