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North Carolina's Coastal Plain runs from Virginia to South Carolina and extends inward almost to Raleigh, where the land begins to rise imperceptibly into the Piedmont. The Nature Conservancy has worked in the Coastal Plain for three decades to protect the unique natural communities that thrive here.

The region's numerous rivers, streams and wetlands are the lifeblood of the Coastal Plain, providing rich habitat for plants and animals, soaking up floodwaters and feeding North Carolina's sounds and bays.

In these low lying areas, a rise of mere inches in elevation can bring a host of different species and habitat types. The Coastal Plain has some of the richest biodiversity found anywhere in the world, supporting an amazing range of plant life. Rare animals like the red-cockaded woodpecker make this place home, as do more familiar faces like the black bear, the bald eagle and the American alligator.

The Coastal Plain is the site of some of the Conservancy's most recognized North Carolina projects, from the floodplain forests of the Roanoke River to the longleaf savannas of the Green Swamp to the many state parks and national wildlife refuges that dot the region. The Nature Conservancy works with partners ranging from private landowners and local communities to the U.S. military and a host of state agencies to protect the natural treasures of this amazing landscape.

Click on the map above or the links below to visit The Nature Conservancy's priority landscapes and projects in the Coastal Plain.