At least as important as the public enjoyment and the preserved setting the park provides, with its trail and boardwalk that stretches out into the marsh with views of Sea Island, is the
marsh itself. Just as the
Land Trust is celebrating its 20
th
anniversary in 2020, this year we are also celebrating the 50
th anniversary of the
Coastal Marshlands Protection Act, a state law that was passed in 1970 to protect tidal wetlands.
When marshlands are protected, so are the island’s uplands as well as the mainland. Wetlands serve as critically important buffers against coastal storm surge while simultaneously acting as natural aquifer filtration systems. When marshlands like those at
John Gilbert Nature Trail are overdeveloped or destroyed, there are negative consequences for the entire coastal region.
Dorothy Gilbert donated her family’s property because she wanted to make certain that the heartrending beauty of that land was never divided into multiple home sites or became the setting for an office building or retail complex. She wanted to make sure that
John’s Oak lived a long and natural life and gave pleasure to generations. She rued the increasing congestion she saw on her beloved island, the growing number of rooftops and subdivisions, the exponential changes that were happening around her every year. There is a much-repeated story about when Mrs. Gilbert met someone new to the island, she said, “Nice to meet you. I hope you don’t stay.”
While she no doubt knew that she could not stem the tide of change, she recognized that there was
something she could do. She could save one magnificent spot of land that had been at the center of her heart and life for decades. While the adage that it “takes a village” is certainly true in many instances, it’s also true that sometimes it takes
only one person to do something significant.
As the St. Simons Land Trust kicks off a year-long series of spotlighting the people who have been generous partners in land conservation and the properties that this community has come together to preserve, we extend
special gratitude to Dorothy Gilbert and her family for providing island residents and visitors with a little piece of heaven that will be protected forever. That’s quite a legacy.
Thank you, Mrs. Gilbert!