Located 20 miles south of Savannah, Ossabaw has so
remained one of the best preserved of Georgia's magnificent barrier islands.
With a total area of 25,000 acres, its many natural zones progressing from the
ocean include beaches, dunes, meadows, ponds, maritime forests and freshwater
and saltwater marshes. Inhabited by the Native Americans from as early as 2200
B.C. to the 18th-century, the island offers numerous archeological sites, as
well as slave cabins, a late 19th-century prefab house and a grand 1920s mansion
in the midst of its undisturbed wildlife. A partnership between the Ossabaw
Foundation and the State of Georgia offers educational programs that share the
riches of the island's ecosystems with school groups, scientists and scholars.
New sources of funding are needed to restore Ossabaw's historic buildings as
educational facilities and to ensure that the island's natural wonders remain a
fertile ground for learning and quiet contemplation.Ossabaw, the northernmost
member of the historically defined Golden Isles, has a fascinating natural and
human history to share. Humans have lived on Ossabaw Island for more than 4,000
years, enjoying and putting to use its rich salt marshes, freshwater ponds,
ancient maritime forest, wind-swept dunes, and deserted white beaches. Shaped
like a wishbone with marsh filling the middle, the island consists of 25,000
acres, of which 11,800 are upland and almost 10 miles are beach, making it
roughly twice the size of Bermuda and counting total acreage the second largest
barrier island on the Georgia coast. The island was the first acquisition of the
Heritage Trust Act of 1975, which protects the island from overuse and
development, but makes public access difficult and rare.
By state law, all of Georgia's barrier island beaches are open to the public,
and Ossabaw is no exception. During daylight hours, the public is allowed to use
the beach for hiking, picnicking, or shelling. However, the interior of the
island is off limits to the public without permission. The management of the
island is the responsibility of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. As
a heritage preserve, the island is open to individuals or groups for "natural,
scientific, and cultural purposes based on environmentally sound practices."
11
Most Endangered Places at National Trust for Historic Preservation - Ossabaw
Island
Georgia
DNR, Wildlife Resources Division
American
Experience - Reconstuction Follow links of Tunis Campbell to see documentary clips.
Sherpa Guides / Ossabaw Island
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