Landscape-Scale Projects

Ace Basin
© Tom Blagden, Jr.

ACE Basin
Strategically positioned around the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto rivers, the 1.6 million-acre ACE Basin watershed is one of the largest areas of undeveloped wetlands/ uplands ecosystems remaining on the Atlantic Coast. This remarkable interlocking web of ecosystems includes forested uplands and wetlands, extensive tidal marshes, managed wetlands, barrier islands, and peatlands. It supports 33 types of natural plant communities and provides critical habitat for waterfowl, migratory birds and endangered species. To date, the Conservancy has helped to protect 195,000 acres in the ACE Basin.

Loggerhead turtle
© Tom Blagden, Jr.

Botany Bay Island, located in the Ace Basin, is the yearly nesting site for approximately 50 to 100 sea turtles. The nests are screened to protect them from raccoon predation. The result is that 3,000 to 10,000 sea turtles hatch on the island annually. View a map of loggerhead turtle nesting sites on Botany Bay Island and other sites within the Basin.

Learn more about the Conservancy's on-going efforts to protect the ACE Basin. Download a copy of the ACE Basin fact sheet
(.pdf, 679 kb).

South Lowcountry
South Carolina's South Lowcountry encompasses the Savannah and New-Wright rivers and extends through the Calibogue Sound, Port Royale Sound and Fripp-Trenchars estuarine systems. The priority habitat of the region is wetlands covering 56,915 acres. The wetlands provide important habitat for waterfowl, other wetland-dependent wildlife including threatened or endangered species, and fishery resources. Highlights of this area include 6 active bald eagle nesting territories, twelve active rookeries (some containing up to 2,500 nesting pairs of egrets, ibis and herons) and populations of American alligators. To date, the Conservancy has helped to protect 34,336 acres in the South Lowcountry.

Learn more about the Conservancy's on-going efforts to protect the South Lowcountry. Download a copy of the South Lowcountry fact sheet (.pdf, 847 kb).

Raven Cliff Falls near Caesars Head
© Tom Blagden, Jr.

Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment
The Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment dominates South Carolina's westernmost region, including the northern parts of Oconee, Pickens, and Greenville counties. The mountains provide habitat for 7 plants and one animal on the federal list of endangered and threatened species. The mountains also harbor more than 300 rare plants and animals that are tracked by the SC Heritage Program, including more than 150 plants, 24 mammals, 5 amphibians, 5 reptiles, 4 birds and a few mosses, liverworts, lichens, mussels and caddisflies. Although the Southern Blue Ridge comprises less than 2% of the state's acreage, the mountains still provide habitat for more than 40% of the plants on the South Carolina rare plants list. To date, the Conservancy has helped to protect 38,709 acres in the Southern Blue Ridge.

Learn more about the Conservancy's on-going efforts to protect the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment. Download a copy of the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment fact sheet (.pdf, 1.0 MB).

Sewee to Santee
© Tom Blagden, Jr.

Sewee to Santee
The 796,223-acre Sewee to Santee region extends along approximately 35 miles of coastline, from Dewees Inlet to the North Santee River. The immediate coastal portion of this region consists of eight undeveloped barrier islands with numerous tidal inlets and is backed by 73,000 acres of salt and brackish marshes and intertidal mud flats. It includes the Santee River Delta with 20,000 acres of managed wetlands. The western portion of the region is dominated by the Francis Marion National Forest, which supports extensive longleaf pine and bottomland hardwood forests. Overall, the Sewee to Santee region has a rich diversity of natural systems and native species, including resident and migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds and endangered species. To date, the Conservancy has helped to protect 37,137 acres in the Sewee to Santee region.

Learn more about the Conservancy's on-going efforts to protect the Sewee to Santee. Download a copy of the Sewee to Santee fact sheet (.pdf, 890 kb).

Winyah Bay
Winyah Bay is comprised of 525,000 total acres and encompasses the lower drainage of the Black, Big Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, Sampit and Waccamaw rivers. This vital watershed sustains 123,000 acres of forested wetlands and 23,000 acres of tidal freshwater marshes that support the annual use of up to 40,000 migratory waterfowl, 6 federally threatened and endangered species, and numerous species of migratory songbirds. These wetlands and associated uplands are of national significance. In collaboration with the Winyah Bay Task Force, The Nature Conservancy has also protected Sandy Island, located in Winyah Bay. This 12,000-acre island is the most biologically significant tract in the area. To date, the Conservancy has helped to protect 20,340 acres in Winyah Bay, and the Task Force partners have protected over 56,000 acres overall.

Learn more about the Conservancy's on-going efforts to protect the Winyah Bay. Download a copy of the Winyah Bay fact sheet (.pdf, 978 kb).