Sapelo Island Reserve, Georgia
State
Georgia
State Partner
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Acres
6,110
Est. Date
1976
The Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve protects 6,110 acres of high-quality saltmarsh and tidal waters in the center of the Georgia coast. The Reserve’s outreach and research initiatives focus on the island’s natural ecosystems and its cultural and historical resources. The renowned University of Georgia Marine Institute is located within the Reserve. The island has a rich Native American history, dating back more than 4,500 years. Reserve attractions include Nanny Goat Beach and the Sapelo Lighthouse. The historic Reynolds Mansion sits within Reserve boundaries and is operated as a guest lodge by Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division. The Sapelo Island Visitors Center near the mainland ferry dock welcomes visitors and educates them about the unique ecological, historical, and cultural features of Sapelo Island.
Did You Know…
Sapelo Island is home to Georgia’s last intact Gullah-Geechee community, Hog Hammock, which is located outside of the Reserve.
Latest News from the Sapelo Island Reserve
Welcome, Mackenzie!
We’re happy to announce a new addition to the Sapelo Island Reserve team: Mackenzie Maxwell, the new Volunteer Coordinator. She brings a good mix of customer service and nonprofit experience to her role.
Talk NERRdy to Me: Adam MacKinnon
Talk NERRdy to Me is a monthly column about leaders and luminaries from across our 29—soon to be 30—Reserves. This month, NERRA’s correspondent-at-large Nik Charov interviewed Adam MacKinnon, education coordinator at Georgia’s Sapelo Island Reserve. They talked shipwrecks, disentangling whales, and 4,500 years of Sapelo Island history.
Sapelo Partners on Fish Monitoring
Sapelo Island Reserve partnered up with the University of Georgia Marine Institute, the University of Georgia Marine Extension & Georgia Sea Grant, the University of Georgia School of Forestry & Natural Resources, and the College of Coastal Georgia to create the Estuarine Fish Monitoring Cooperative (EFMC) to track the extent, diversity, health, and abundance of key fisheries in Georgia.