Those who have fallen under the spell of its poignant history and mossy banks, like many Mississippi natives, call the Pascagoula the "Singing River." According to legend, the peace-loving Pascagoula Indian tribe sang as they walked hand-in-hand into the river to avoid fighting with the invading Biloxi tribe. So the story goes, on a quiet night you can still hear them singing their death chant.

The Pascagoula Watershed also rings with the calls of 327 species of birds that breed among the sprawling cypress-tupelo swamps, oxbow lakes and pine ridges. Wading birds croon as they forage throughout the bayous. Graceful swallow-tailed kites search for prey among the extensive bottomland forest. The distinctive clattering bugle of the rare Mississippi sandhill crane is heard as it fashions a home in the pine savanna.

In 1974, The Nature Conservancy and other dedicated conservationists rallied to bring 35,000 acres of the watershed under public protection. This "grassroots epic," as E.O. Wilson called it, led to a present-day river corridor buffered by almost 70,000 acres of public and private conservation lands.

Today, the Conservancy continues to play a role in maintaining the grassroots momentum fueled almost 30 years ago, most recently through our role in establishing the Pascagoula River Basin Alliance. Created in 2001, this broad-based coalition promotes the ecological, economic and cultural health of the watershed through the research, communication and action needed to ensure that the Pascagoula remains one of the nation's best preserved river systems.

In 2003, The Conservancy and Mississippi Public Broadcasting joined forces to co-produce an hour-long documentary to highlight the ecological, cultural, historic and recreational importance of the Pascagoula River basin. After 2 years of collaboration, The Singing River: Rhythms of Nature premiered on Mississippi Public Broadcasting on November 13, 2003. Narrated by actor and Mississippi native, Gerald McRaney, the documentary has done much in Mississippi to heighten awareness of the need for continued protection of the river. The documentary won two southeast regional Emmy awards for best documentary and best photography.

For more information on the Pascagoula River Watershed, please contact Rebecca Stowe, Director of Stewardship.

The Nature Conservancy

Mississippi Stewardship Program
138 Main Street Merrill
Lucedale, MS  39452
(601) 947-3111

Nature picture credits (left to right, top to bottom): Photo © Nicole Anderson (Pacagoula River); © Rebecca Stowe/TNC (tiger swallowtail butterfly on buttonbush); © Rebecca Stowe/TNC (gopher tortoise).