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.
The Old-Growth Forest Network works to connect people with forests across the U.S. that will be protected from logging and preserved in their natural condition. By designating the future Angel Oak Preserve as a Community Forest, the organization highlights the site’s vital role as both an ecological sanctuary and a living archive of cultural memory.
"The plans for the Angel Oak Preserve perfectly embody what the Old-Growth Forest Network recognizes and honors through our Community Forest designation: a place that is protected, cared for, and shared through the investment of its community, offering an opportunity for people to be immersed in a beautiful forest whether they come from near or far,” said Dr. Sarah Adloo, executive director at Old-Growth Forest Network. “Without this kind of dedicated effort, forests like those surrounding the Angel Oak are far too easily lost when they are thought of as blank space on a map rather than part of the ecological and cultural fabric of the surrounding communities."
While not yet considered an old-growth forest, the Preserve holds the potential to regenerate into one over time and become an enduring model of conservation, stewardship, and community care. Once completed, the Angel Oak Preserve will feature walking trails, immersive experiences, and a more meaningful connection to the ecologically and historically significant site.
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