BALD HEAD ISLAND — A 191-acre conservation site on an exclusive Brunswick County island is part of a national network to promote conservation of natural environments for generations to come.
Bald Head Island Woods Coastal Reserve has become the 277th forest in the Old-Growth Forest Network. To date, the network includes sites from 39 states, including four other locations in North Carolina, with a goal to be present in every county nationwide. So far it’s enveloped sustainable native forests in 2,370 out of 3,140 counties.
“Showcasing this forest in the Network is an invitation to others to see what is ecologically possible. Less than one percent of old-growth forests remain in the eastern U.S.,” Dan Camacho, Old-Growth Forest Network, said in a release. “These forests offer a glimpse into the ecological potential of our wild, native forest ecosystems. They offer a blueprint for sustaining biodiversity and a weapon for fighting climate change.”
Bald Head’s maritime forest consists of live oaks and laurel oaks; the Timmons Oak is beloved to the location, believed to be more than 300 years old. The vegetation beneath the tree canopy consists of American holly, yaupon, wild olive, and cat briar. Cabbage palmetto also is present.
A dedication ceremony took place in late January 2025, with representatives from the network, along with local, state, and community partners. This included The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, a program of the Division of Coastal Management in the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
The Coastal Reserve already recognizes and protects BHI maritime forest and interdune swale communities, as added to its program in 1993. Its goal is to promote stewardship of natural areas; the Old-Growth Forest Network designation complements the Coastal Reserve and Dedicated Nature Preserve’s work.
“Maritime forests in N.C., like Bald Head Woods Reserve, are a rare and declining habitat in the state, so it is important to recognize and study these forests and build strong partnerships to work to protect them,” Elizabeth Pinnix, Coastal Reserve southern sites manager, said in a release. “The forest and habitats of the Bald Head Woods Reserve are also protected as a state nature preserve dedicated by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program.”
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