Universally Outstanding

North America’s largest “blackwater” wetland, and one of Georgia’s Seven National Wonders” joins a list of fewer than 1,250 places on Earth recognized for “outstanding universal value.” In July, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was inscribed as the 27th World Heritage Site in the U.S. and the first site in the state of Georgia. First designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1937 and a National Wilderness Area in 1974, it now joins the ranks of the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Galapagos Islands, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, England’s Stonehenge, and India’s Taj Mahal as iconic natural and cultural landmarks. 

Comprised of 438,000 acres of upland forests, wet and dry prairies, and wetlands in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida, the Okefenokee is the first ever refuge managed entirely by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to receive this designation. It represents the largest predominantly rainwater-fed lowland peatland in the subtropical zone worldwide and is one of the largest and most intact remaining ecosystems within the North American Coastal Plain Biodiversity Hotspot. As the headwaters of the St. Marys and Suwannee Rivers, it creates a continuous wildlife corridor from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf, providing habitat and breeding grounds for hundreds of species, including many that are endangered or threatened. 

The primary gateways to the refuge in Georgia are Okefenokee Swamp Park in Waycross and Okefenokee Adventures in Folkston, along with Stephen Foster State Park in Fargo. Since 2021, Okefenokee Swamp Park, Inc. has served as the nonprofit partner supporting the World Heritage nomination, including the final phase that led to the UNESCO approval. 

There’s a local twist to the World Heritage Site designation as well: Golden Isles photographers and storytellers Benjamin Galland and Jess Swan of Volo Project were commissioned to shoot photos and footage to support the UNESCO bid. Known for gorgeous imagery, Galland and Swan were the creatives behind the St. Simons Land Trust’s 25^th Anniversary “Seeding for the Future” short film. The images seen here are some of what they captured in their trek though the swamp. They couldn’t be more excited about the recent inscription.

 “It is incredibly evident that the Okefenokee Swamp is the only of its kind. The diverse ecosystems. The deep history. The incredibly wild beauty. To immerse ourselves in this wilderness for almost a week was an experience we will never forget. Jess and I are grateful we had the chance to help document the soul of the swamp. These black waters are right in our backyard, and now we know generations of families will experience the Okefenokee forever.”

Ben Galland, Volo Project

To learn more about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, World Heritage Site designation, or how to visit, go to okefenokeeworldheritage.org.