Projects
Fort Fair Lawn
09/2016 | 80 acres
In September 2016, the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust secured $2 Million needed to close on the purchase of the historic Fort Fair Lawn site along with eighty surrounding acres. A thorough archaeological review of the site has been conducted and a master plan has been designed for the property to eventually be used as a public park. The site is permanently protected with a conservation easement held by the SC Battleground Trust in order to uphold its archaeological, historical and natural integrity.
Mulberry
11/1996 | 900 acres
Mulberry Plantation is one of Berkeley County’s oldest and most iconic sites dating back to a land grant to Sir John Colleton in 1679. In 1996, the Trust signed its very first conservation easement on South Mulberry! The main house (a.k.a. the “castle”) dates back to 1714 and is surrounded by majestic live oaks on a high bluff along the West Branch of the Cooper River. The South Mulberry house also overlooks the Cooper River being situated just beyond the property’s historic rice fields. The easements on Mulberry protect the property’s historic, scenic and natural resources in an area under intense threat of development.
Old Santee Canal
12/2020 | 695 acres
The Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust has announced the permanent protection of one of the last remaining sections of the 18th century Old Santee Canal and 645 acres of surrounding forestland including nearly two miles of Santee River frontage.
Constructed between 1793 and 1800, the 22-mile Old Santee Canal connected the Santee and Cooper Rivers, providing direct access to Charleston from points inland. The canal was used for less than 20 years, when droughts revealed faults in its design. Years later, much of the Canal was destroyed in the development of Lakes Marion and Moultrie. Today, only two segments remain, one at Old Santee Canal Park in Moncks Corner and a second, northwest of Pineville.
Big Cypress
07/2016 | 1,232 acres
Thanks to the generous support of our members, the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust secured a conservation easement on the 1,232-acre Big Cypress property, preserving more than 3.5 miles of the headwaters of Four Holes Swamp, a principal tributary of the Edisto River. This will help ensure water quality downstream and contribute to the broader conservation goals of the ACE Basin (Ashepoo, Combahee, Edisto).
Oakland
10/2017 | 11,164 acres
Over 11,000 acres of native pineland surrounding Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion’s burial grounds in Berkeley County are conserved by the Trust. Visitors of the historic landmark will forever be able to enjoy the natural vistas of pine forest and native grasses surrounding the site. This project conserved scenic vistas of the native landscape from over a mile of the Palmetto Trail and ten miles of public highways. Beyond its historic significance, the project is notable for the sheer expanse of critical wildlife habitat that will be protected in a rapidly urbanizing area of South Carolina.
Wadboo
05/1997 & 08/2002 | 3,143 acres
In 1997 and 2002, Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust accepted conservation easements on the Wadboo Tract from Santee Cooper totally approximately 3,143 acres. These protections conserve the entire lower section of Wadboo Creek which is a popular canoe and kayaking destination in the Lowcountry. This lower section of the Wadboo constitutes the majority of the navigable section of the creek with almost 6 miles of protected frontage on both sides! The forests along Wadboo Creek are composed of swamp hardwoods and freshwater marsh providing exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities.
DuRant Farm
05/2016 | 121 acres
The Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust partnered with the SC Conservation Bank to protect the beautiful 121-acre DuRant Farm in Hemingway, SC. A special thanks to the DuRant family for helping us preserve the culture and heritage of Santee Cooper country.