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As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Americans are being invited to pause, reflect on the past, honor the contributions of many generations, and look toward the future we want to create. Here on St. Simons Island, that invitation feels especially close to home. Our history is written not only in documents and dates, but in marsh grass and maritime forest, in old live oaks and shell middens, in quiet trails and treasured places that still have stories to tell.
In 1776, the Founding Fathers made a commitment to an idea larger than themselves. Nearly 225 years later, a different kind of founding generation gathered on St. Simons with a similarly enduring purpose: to protect the natural, scenic, and historic character of this island for those who would come after them. They were the Charter Members of the St. Simons Land Trust, and their early faith helped launch a community institution that has now spent 26 years speaking for the land.
The Land Trust recently honored a special group of Charter Members at an appreciation event, celebrating the households that stepped forward when the organization was just beginning in 2000 and have continued supporting its mission for 10 years or longer. More than 300 households are Charter Members, and nearly 130 of them have supported the Land Trust for at least a decade. Even more remarkably, 70 households have given for 20 years or more. Those numbers tell a powerful story, but the memories behind them tell an even better one.
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“Nick and I were visiting our daughter and family who had recently moved to St. Simons,” Charter Member Peg Shorey recalls. “She had heard about a new organization she thought we’d like — the St. Simons Land Trust. We went to the first meeting which was held outdoors at the rustic Village Creek. Everyone brought food to share. Spirits and enthusiasm were high.”
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That image captures the beginning beautifully: neighbors gathered outside, sharing food, hope, and a belief that ordinary residents could do something extraordinary together. Jody and Jim Fraser put it simply: “The Land Trust provided a way for everyday residents to help preserve the beauty of this wonderful island.”
Roger Steffens remembers receiving the call that brought him into the effort after returning from six years working with the Bermuda Government. Having volunteered with the Bermuda National Trust Gardens and Nature Reserves Committee, he understood the value of conservation across island communities. “I was excited to be part of this conservation effort,” he says.
Because of that early excitement — and because it continued year after year — the Land Trust and its partners have now preserved and protected 1,400 acres, nearly 15 percent of the island’s upland. That legacy includes Cannon’s Point Preserve, a 644-acre wilderness area on the north end of St. Simons with some of the last intact maritime forest on the Georgia coast, and Guale Preserve, 258 acres of natural beauty once connected to historic Musgrove Plantation. It also includes pocket parks, green spaces, and historic properties woven throughout the island’s daily life.
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At the Charter Member celebration, Executive Director Emily Ellison quoted Virginia McGee Richards: “The land remembers but cannot speak.” It is a line worth carrying into this anniversary year. Land remembers who cared for it. It remembers the people who saw pressure mounting and chose preservation. It remembers those who gave, volunteered, advocated, served, and believed.
The story of the United States has always depended on people willing to accept responsibility for a future they might never fully see. The same is true of St. Simons. Our Charter Members became the Land Trust’s Founding Fathers and Mothers not because they signed a national declaration, but because they made a local one. They declared that this island’s beauty was not inevitable. It had to be protected. It had to be cherished. It had to be passed on.
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As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, may we also celebrate the civic spirit alive in our own backyard. The Charter Members of the St. Simons Land Trust remind us that history is not only something we inherit. It is something we help make. And on St. Simons Island, thanks to their founding commitment, the future still has room for wild places, quiet paths, and land that remembers.
For more information about the St. Simons Land Trust, its protected properties, and how to become a member, visit sslt.org.
