The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Named for one of the founders of the Mississippi Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, the 3,300 acre Charles M. Deaton Nature Preserve is one of the finest natural areas remaining in Mississippi.

The preserve protects the headwaters of the Pascagoula River, where the Leaf and Chickasawhay Rivers converge, and is part of a 47,000-acre swath of public lands surrounding the Pascagoula River, the largest (by volume) unimpeded river in the contiguous United States.

Plants

• Bald cypress and water tupelo
• Prickly pear cactus
• Cardinal flower
• Indian pink
• Lizard’s tail

Animals

• Swallow-tailed kites
• Gulf sturgeon
• White-tailed deer
• Northern parula
• Alligator snapping turtle
• Eastern hognose snake  

Partners

The following groups have worked together to understand and protect the site's rare and interdependent communities of plants and animals:

• Conservancy staff and volunteers
• Local landowners
• Researchers from Mississippi State University, University of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana State University 
• Mississippi Department of Transportation

For more information on the Charles M. Deaton Nature Preserve, please contact Becky Stowe, Terrestrial Programs Manager.

The Nature Conservancy
South Mississippi Conservation Program
10910 Highway 57, Suite C
Vancleave, MS  39565
(228) 591-1116

Things To Do

Plan Your Visit

Directions

Discussion

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Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

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