08/12/2026
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has officially been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site! - And our own Reed Noss was the biodiversity expert and one of three co-authors for the 270-page nomination report.
Why was Okefenokee added to the prestigious UNESCO list? The case for for World Heritage status can be summed up in five key points:
1.) It’s a *biodiversity hotspot.* More than 1,270 species of plants and animals, including threatened or endangered species find their habitat in the swamp. Because more than 90% of the refuge is inaccessible by foot or by boat, it has been poorly explored by biologists.
“I would predict that we’re going to make new discoveries in the Okefenokee that are not replicated anywhere else.” — Reed Noss
2.) Okefenokee is *diverse, pristine, and ever-changing.* Across its more than 400,000 acres, the refuge contains an array of landscapes - from flooded marshes and threatened longleaf pine savannas to old-growth cypress and scrublands. However, Reed says that its dramatic interplay between periodic wildfires and rain are a vital feature that enriches the ecosystem (see diagram from the nomination report).
“This interaction between fire and water produces this dynamic mosaic of habitats.”
3.) It contains *peat - an important stabilizer for the climate* Peat is rich in carbon, but is waterlogged in the swamp, thus safely secured. When compared with other peatlands, Okefenokee is unusual for its subtropical location, and for its pristine nature (virtually unaltered by humans).
4.) Okefenokee is at the *headwaters of two rivers.* Both the St. Marys and the Suwannee flow from Okefenokee, carrying water stained black by the swamp’s rich organic matter.
“That these rivers themselves are free of dams only adds to the area’s unspoiled ecological richness,” Noss said.
5.) Okefenokee has long been a *human refuge.* The site is rich in burial mounds, pottery shards, and tribal relics. Although no Native American tribes live in the swamp today, it is a spiritually and culturally significant place to the Muscogee (Creek) people.
Congratulations, Reed!! Thank you for this enormous contribution.
Live Wildly National Wildlife Refuge Association
