Future Angel Oak Preserve recognized as community forest

Lowcountry Land Trust announced that the future Angel Oak Preserve has been officially designated a Community Forest by the Old-Growth Forest Network. This national honor 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.

This recognition affirms what Charleston’s residents and visitors alike have long known: the Angel Oak Preserve is more than just a protected landscape; it is a promise to future generations. Being recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network affirms Lowcountry Land Trust’s commitment to letting this forest thrive as a place of natural wonder, community connection, and historical remembrance.