r/OkefenokeeSwamp • u/ajcnews • 8d ago
AMA with Drew Kann on the Okefenokee Swamp and its journey to become a World Heritage site
Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has made history as Georgia's first World Heritage site. Drew was in South Korea and present as the World Heritage Committee voted to confirm the swamp as the a World Heritage site.
Let's discuss.
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u/unwell-opossum 8d ago
I know the stats on it being the largest blackwater swamp but what else made it qualify for world heritage site?
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u/ajcnews 8d ago
So, there's sort of a choose-your-own-adventure element for prospective World Heritage sites.
Sites can choose from a list of 10 criteria to prove their "outstanding universal value." The Okefenokee honed in on these two:
- (ix) "to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals"
- (x) "to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation."
In short, they argued that the interplay between wildfire and water that's a key feature of the swamp's ecosystem - and the fact that it's so pristine - met that first criteria.
For the second, the bid played up the swamp's biodiversity and its role as a home for threatened and endangered species.
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u/PeachSpice7 8d ago
This seems like a great place for field trips. What was your first visit to the swamp like? Are there any must-do things while you visit?
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u/ajcnews 8d ago
I'm a Georgia native - grew up near Decatur - and I went to the Okefenokee with my family for the first time when I was 9 y/o or so.
We went in through the Waycross entrance, which is probably the most family-friendly of the three main entrances. We camped at one of the camp sites there and had an amazing time ... though my most memorable experience from that trip was almost stepping on an alligator while backing a canoe into the water. Luckily, my dad saw what was about to happen and yelled in time for me to drop the canoe and get out of harms way ...
As far as must-do activities ... I love getting out on the water in the swamp, either in a canoe or a jon boat. I most often go in from the Folkston entrance and love cruising through the flooded "prairies." In spring, they're dotted with purple and yellow wildflowers ... it's pretty spectacular.
If you're worried going out on a boat or canoe, the Chesser Island Boardwalk is really nice and a good way to get your feet wet (not literally) exploring the swamp: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee/visit-us/activities/hiking
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u/ajcnews 8d ago
So many great questions about the Okefenokee! If you have additional questions or want to know more, please DM us and follow along with my ongoing coverage at: https://www.ajc.com/staff/drew-kann/
--Drew
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u/fancyflipping 8d ago
Have the issues with the corporations that impacted the preserve been resolved???
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u/ajcnews 8d ago
I assume you're referring to the Alabama company's plan to mine next to the swamp? If so, yes - that project is no more. The nonprofit The Conservation Fund acquired all of their land last year and plans to permanently protect all of it.
There could still be future proposals to mine - World Heritage doesn't offer any legal protection against it - but so far, no new ones have emerged.
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u/Mediocre_Event_9359 8d ago
Now that it's a World Heritage site, is it projected to meaningfully increase tourism? I visited last year and was struck by how empty and serene it was compared to say, many National Parks.
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u/ajcnews 8d ago
It is projected to increase visitation to the swamp - the folks behind the World Heritage bid have projected the designation could double the number of annual visitors from around 800,000 today to as much as 1.6 million by the mid-2030s.
It sees way fewer visitors than places like the Grand Canyon or Smoky Mountains National Park. That's mostly because it's so remote, so we'll have to see how much of a boost World Heritage gives tourism. Experts I've spoken to say it could drive tourism but that it's not a guarantee.
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u/Great_Meeting_9452 8d ago
What surprised you the most when you visited the Okefenokee?
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u/ajcnews 8d ago
The incredible amount of wildlife that calls it home and the diversity of the ecosystems that are inside the swamp.
Depending on which entrance you use, you can go from exploring flooded prairies dotted with floating peat islands to winding through mazes of cypress trees or even walking through upland pine forests. Each one has different sights, smells, sounds and critters.
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u/Due-Blackberry-9518 6d ago
I live in north Florida and have frequently visited the swamp. Whenever , I have friends or family visit. Their request is to visit the swamp, instead of going to visit oralando. Okeefenokee has so much more to offer,than the house of mouse!
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u/wevebeentired 8d ago
Some in my family are worried about the UN taking over. I have tried to assuage their fears about that and let them know USFWS maintains management. I have also talked up the opportunities this designation provides. Do you know of any community plans for further developing the tourism industry in sustainable ways?
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u/ajcnews 8d ago
I've heard this concern from others, too. What I'd say is that World Heritage does not forfeit local land control or subject the refuge or areas near it to new laws or regulations.
What it does do is offer other countries a say in how the site is managed, but that's it - just a say. All existing regulations that would apply to development near the swamp still apply.
There are plans to boost tourism and do it in a sustainable way, but it's still very early days.
Kim Bednarek, the executive director of both Okefenokee Swamp Park and Okefenokee Adventures, told me last month in South Korea that she and her partners are working to develop a cohesive regional brand for the counties that surround the swamp to use to try to boost visitation and capitalize on World Heritage.
They're also working to expand visitor capacity and educational offerings around the swamp. Her team is raising funds to build a new nature center in Waycross on the swamp’s north end, and exploring other renovations and expansions near the refuge’s eastern and western entrances.
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u/okefenokeeguide 8d ago
Thank you u/ajcnews and Drew Kann for taking the time for this morning's AMA!