In 2013-2014, after many years of community effort, Lowcountry Land Trust protected 35 acres of forest surrounding the City of Charleston’s Angel Oak Park. In purchasing this land, we aimed to conserve and enhance the Angel Oak’s ecosystem, maintain the rural context of the land on which this iconic tree sits, and to create a consolidated use of the park and preserve across protected property boundaries. At the time of purchase, LLT made clear its intent to bring together a demographically diverse array of stakeholders and community members to share in the design.
Now, as we approach the ten-year anniversary of this success, Lowcountry Land Trust, along with a taskforce of community leaders and stakeholders, and nationally-known landscape architect Nelson Byrd Woltz is poised to implement a master plan for this 44-acre property. The Angel Oak Preserve will feature boardwalk trails, educational programming, and signage to celebrate the history and significance of the land and tree.
Nearly twenty years ago, Mrs. Emily Ravenel Farrow bequeathed Lowcountry Land Trust her beautiful property on the marsh of the Ashley River. Named after Emily Ravenel Farrow and her husband, Ashby Farrow, she intended the Land Trust to use Ashem Farm (now Old Towne Creek County Park) to build a permanent home.
With Emily Ravenel Farrow’s permission before her passing, LLT sold most of the property to the Charleston County Parks and Recreation commission and retained a portion of the acreage to realize this dream. This will be the hub from which we launch our education and outreach programs and convene partners. Located on the marsh of the Ashley River, this Center will be a living representation of a sustainable future.
More information coming soon.
Currently being managed by Johnson Family Farms for the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals, Thornhill Farm is 93.96 acres and is located east of Highway 17 North in McClellanville. The farm contains a seven-acre pond and approximately 22 acres of wooded area. The remaining 65 acres are agricultural fields. Thornhill Farm was a bargain sale purchase in 2014 by the ECLT Foundation (an East Cooper Land Trust-related entity, now Lowcountry Land Trust) using funds from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program and the South Carolina Conservation Bank. Lowcountry Land Trust holds a conservation easement on the entire farm.
LLT hopes to restore Thornhill Farm’s active operations so that it serves as an ambassador site for agricultural conservation, and a model of a land trust connecting community members to local agriculture and with each other.
More information coming soon.
COMMUNITY-ACCESSIBLE, PROTECTED LAND
HELP US PLAN ANGEL OAK PRESERVE
Lowcountry Land Trust is working with internationally-recognized landscape architect Nelson Byrd Woltz and a diverse steering committee to build a 44-acre preserve.
Unrivaled in its features and accessibility, the design will feature boardwalk trails, a nature play area for children and educational information about the tree and native people that have held this place sacred.
The process launched in the summer of 2022 and will include public meetings, surveys, and stakeholder interviews. The goal is to complete a design that honors the rural and cultural context of the land in early 2023.
