CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC – Lowcountry Land Trust, in partnership with the City of Charleston and local stakeholders, today announced that the near-final designs of the future Angel Oak Preserve are ready for community members to review and provide feedback. The announcement comes just eight months after the selection of award-winning landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz to lead a comprehensive planning process for the much-anticipated project.
Unrivaled in its features and accessibility, the 44-acre preserve design features boardwalk trails, a nature play area for children, and educational information about the tree and native people that have held the Angel Oak sacred. Charleston residents celebrate the magnetic draw of the enormous, centuries-old tree in the heart of Johns Island – and Lowcountry Land Trust is working to highlight this beloved local landmark symbolizing history, honor, and hope.
Community members can learn more about the project, review the design renderings, and provide feedback online at www.angeloakpreserve.org. Lowcountry Land Trust also encourages area residents to attend one of its upcoming community outreach events (schedule listed below) or request a small group presentation. Angel Oak Preserve Director, Samantha Siegel, is available to answer any questions and can be reached at 843.536.9012 or ssiegel@lowcountrylandtrust.org.
Community Outreach Event Schedule:
- Friday, January 13 – Angel Oak Park – 2 -4 pm
- Saturday, January 14 – KJs Market – 11 am – 1 pm
- Tuesday, January 17 – Johns Island Regional Library – 12 – 1:15 pm
- Presentation by Samantha Siegel begins promptly at 12:15 pm
- Wednesday, January 18 – KJs Market – 11 am – 1 pm
- Friday, January 20 – Angel Oak Park – 2 – 4 pm
- Saturday, January 21 – Sea Islands Farmers Market – 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
- Monday, January 23 – Johns Island Regional Library – 6:30- 8:00 pm
- Presentation by Samantha Siegel begins promptly at 6:45 pm
- Thursday, January 26 – Angel Oak Park – 9 am – 4 pm
- On Thursday, Jan 26, visit with Lowcountry Land Trust staff and Angel Oak Preserve steering committee members to view the near-final designs, ask questions, and provide feedback. Light refreshments will be served.
- Friday, January 27 – Angel Oak Park – 2 – 4 pm
“Building on nearly ten years of community outreach, the Preserve will be a publicly accessible green space that conserves and enhances the Angel Oak’s integrity and surrounding ecosystem; honors the rural and cultural context of the land; and provides a grounding, meaningful experience for all visitors,” remarks Ashley Demosthenes, president and CEO of Lowcountry Land Trust. “We are humbled and honored to have been trusted as the stewards of the forest that protects, shields, and sustains the Angel Oak, as well as the community that has loved it for centuries.”
Lowcountry Land Trust is grateful for the support and leadership of the local community and particularly would like to thank South Carolina Representative Leon Stavrinakis for securing $3 million in foundational funding for the Angel Oak Preserve. The project’s total cost is expected to be $6 million, and fundraising efforts are underway. To donate, visit give.lowcountrylandtrust.org/Angel-Oak-Preserve
ABOUT LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST: Founded in 1986, Lowcountry Land Trust partners with landowners and community organizations to permanently protect and nurture land throughout coastal South Carolina. Lowcountry Land Trust holds conservation easements on over 150,000 acres across 17 counties in coastal South Carolina and manages community-centered places such as the Angel Oak Preserve. More information about the Lowcountry Land Trust is available at www.lowcountrylandtrust.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Victoria Bock, 843.410.0675
