In 1914, Tom Yawkey’s uncle bought Cat Island and nearby coastal land in Georgetown County; decades later, the 24,000-acre preserve sheltered woodpeckers and wetland birds

In 1914, businessman William Yawkey’s uncle bought coastal land in South Carolina, setting in motion a conservation story that would unfold over more than a century. What began as a small holding along the shoreline of Georgetown County eventually became the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Centre, a 24,000-acre protected landscape where marshes, wetlands, pine forests, beaches and maritime forests now provide habitat for a remarkable range of wildlife.According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Tom Yawkey inherited the coastal property in 1925, after his uncle had purchased land there in 1914, and began investing in its conservation and preservation. In 1926, he purchased the remaining tracts of land from the South Island Hunting Club and began improving the property with wildlife protection in mind. The property eventually became the 24,000-acre Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, which includes North Island, South Island, Sand Island and most of Cat Island at the mouth of Winyah Bay. Covering about 31 square miles, the preserve contains marshes, managed wetlands, upland pine forests, beaches and maritime forests, and is managed as a wildlife preserve, research area and waterfowl refuge.From private hunting land to a conservation legacyTom Yawkey is better known to many Americans as the longtime owner of the Boston Red Sox. But away from baseball, he developed a deep interest in wildlife and land management. According to the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Yawkey was a self-taught ornithologist who spent years studying land-management techniques before bringing professional wildlife biologists into the effort. His aim was not simply to leave the property untouched, but to manage its varied habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife. The preserve includes freshwater and brackish wetlands, pine forests, maritime habitats, beaches and rice fields, creating a mix of ecosystems that support coastal wildlife. Currently, the research program at the centre includes studies of birds, alligators, sea turtles, flora, wetlands, and other parts of the coastal environment, which has encouraged more than 150 scientific papers to be published by the staff of this centre.According to a study published in The Anatomical Record, researchers examined a wild adult alligator that had been captured and measured five times over seven years at the Yawkey Wildlife Centre. The animal showed no discernible growth during that period, suggesting it had already reached skeletal maturity. Examination of its limb bones provided further evidence that growth had ceased. The study built on a much longer record of alligator research at the centre. Mark-recapture work there has been under way since 1979, allowing scientists to follow individual animals over periods of several decades. That long-term record makes the Yawkey property especially valuable for studying how animals live, grow and reproduce over time.A refuge for birds, wetlands and threatened wildlifeThe birds are among the creatures that benefit from this protected landscape. The landscape features several habitats which provide the birds with opportunities for both food and nesting. In 2022, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), the Yawkey Foundation donated another 269 acres on Cat Island to the department. The addition included 161 acres of upland pine forest habitat for the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and 108 acres of managed wetland habitat for waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds. The donation also helped preserve an important historic landmark, the Belle Isle Rice Mill Chimney, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Standing 34 feet high, the chimney and its surrounding landscape offer a reminder of the rice culture that once shaped the South Carolina Lowcountry.This blend of natural and cultural history defines the centre. The islands it protects are far from untouched wilderness; they bear evidence of Indigenous and Gullah Geechee communities, historic agriculture, coastal habitation and changing patterns of land use. Archaeological and shoreline studies are currently being conducted to document and protect culturally significant sites threatened by sea-level rise and erosion. The centre also provides habitat for loggerhead sea turtles, while its wetlands support alligators and a wide range of other coastal wildlife. Alligator nesting research, for instance, continues at the site, highlighting the centre’s role in both conservation and scientific study.Why a century-old decision still mattersIn 2026, the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center traces its conservation history back a century to 1926, when Tom Yawkey expanded the coastal property he had inherited and began acquiring additional land with wildlife protection in mind. The property remained under his stewardship for decades before he left it to the State of South Carolina in 1976. It was dedicated as a Heritage Preserve the following year, establishing the foundation for its continued protection as a public conservation area. Today, the 24,000-acre centre protects more than 7,000 acres of longleaf pine habitat that supports the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, as well as wetlands important to waterfowl and other birds and beaches used by nesting loggerhead sea turtles. The landscape has therefore retained the conservation purpose that Yawkey began developing in the 1920s, while becoming part of South Carolina's long-term effort to protect its coastal wildlife.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.