Beloved Charleston landmark and its surrounding landscape recognized for their ecological and cultural significance
Charleston, SC, July 22, 2025 – Lowcountry Land Trust, a nonprofit committed to preserving Lowcountry landscapes and waterways for current and future generations, announced today that the future Angel Oak Preserve has been officially designated a Community Forest by the Old-Growth Forest Network. This national honor places the preserve among a select group of publicly accessible places with ecological and cultural significance. The designation affirms that the Angel Oak and its surrounding forest are local treasures and landscapes of national importance, worthy of permanent protection, reverence, and celebration of their ability to nurture the relationship between people and place.
The future Angel Oak Preserve is the first to receive the Community Forest designation in South Carolina. Two other South Carolina sites, St. Phillips Island and Congaree National Park, are areas recognized by the Old-Growth Forest network under its flagship designation for protected, publicly accessible old-growth forests. The future Angel Oak Preserve will encompass not only the iconic, centuries-old Angel Oak tree but also the surrounding maritime forest, which provides habitat for diverse wildlife and serves as a natural buffer in a rapidly developing region. The 44-acre site, which is anticipated to begin creation in 2026, is the result of a decade-long collaborative effort between Lowcountry Land Trust, the City of Charleston, and many community members and partners to ensure this landscape remains protected forever.
“This recognition affirms what so many in Charleston have long known: the Angel Oak is more than just a protected landscape; it is a promise to future generations,” said Samantha Siegel, Angel Oak Preserve director at Lowcountry Land Trust. “Being recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network affirms our commitment to letting this forest thrive, protected forever, as a place of natural wonder, community connection, and historical remembrance…