TNC Protects Upstate South Carolina Camp
Acquiring a conservation easement on Awanita Valley Camp and Retreat Center protects important wildlife habitat.
Media Contacts
-
Jennifer Howard
Steward Terra Communications
Phone: 843-709-4192
Email: jen@stewardterra.com
The Nature Conservancy has closed on a 484-acre conservation easement on Awanita Valley Camp and Retreat Center in Marietta, S.C. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legally binding agreement that forever limits certain types of development while protecting a property’s value for wildlife, forestry, recreation and other activities.
Awanita Valley hosts close to 14,000 guests annually for summer camps, programs and group retreats. The grounds make up part of the viewshed—or visible landscape—from the western portion of Highway 25, a major thoroughfare between Hendersonville, N.C. and Greenville, S.C.
“Even if you don’t live in the Upstate and have never attended camp or a work retreat at Awanita Valley, you benefit from this conservation easement,” says Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director for TNC in South Carolina. “You get this amazing view, cleaner air and water from these forests, habitat for songbirds and so much more. That’s private land conservation for public benefit.”

The easement was funded by grants from the South Carolina Conservation Bank, the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust, the Upstate Land Conservation Fund, Awanita Valley and Nature Conservancy donors.
“Our goal is always to make sure that we can provide a space in nature for others to come and grow in their faith and strengthen their relationships with their community,” says Brent Wood, executive director for Awanita Valley. “We want Awanita Valley to always be here for the community. Thanks to this conservation easement, it will be.”
Proceeds from the easement will help the camp to fund renovations on original buildings, continue to provide for their equestrian program and most importantly, create inviting spaces where guests can immerse themselves in nature and have transformative experiences that deepen their faith.
The lands of Awanita Valley harbor oak-hickory, pine-oak heath and acidic cover hardwood forests. These forests are habitat for both game and non-game species, including black bear, turkey, bobcat and neotropical migratory birds. There are 16 rare, threatened or endangered terrestrial species reported within two miles of the property.
Protecting this property will help safeguard watershed conditions for the main stem of Gap Creek. The Gap Creek system is known to support the Rosyside dace, Fieryblack shiner and other aquatic species of interest.
TNC also holds a conservation easement on the grounds of nearby Asbury Hills Camp and Retreat Center, placed in 2007.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.