South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve
Property Location
Latitude: 33.23 Longitude:-79.222
Acreage: 24000
County: Georgetown
Property Type: Heritage Preserve - Natural
NO Hunting Allowed on Property
Hours of Operation
Visitation by Guided Tour Only, September-May. Days of the week and times vary during the year. Call for more information on available dates and to make reservations.
Property Description
Spanning over 24,000 acres and encompassing three coastal islands located at the mouth of the Winyah Bay in Georgetown County, SC, the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center was bequeathed to the SCDNR by Tom Yawkey after his passing in 1976. Composed of 31 square miles of marsh, managed wetlands, forest openings, ocean beach, longleaf pine forest, and maritime forest on North Island, South Island, and the majority of Cat Island, the preserve is principally dedicated as a wildlife preserve, research area, and waterfowl refuge. To date, Tom Yawkey's gift to the SCDNR is considered one of the most generous and outstanding gifts to wildlife conservation in North America.
In addition to protecting game species, such as white-tailed deer and wild turkey, the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center is a haven for nongame and endangered species. The diversity of habitats supports over 200 species of birds, rivaling the variety and rarity documented at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. An unusual number of raptorial birds frequent the area to rest during migration, nest, or feed. They include hawks, ospreys, peregrine falcons, golden, and bald eagles.
The uplands on the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center protect a diversity of plant species and provide habitat for small mammals, such as raccoons, fox squirrels, and otters. The federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker also inhabits the longleaf pine uplands of the preserve.
Because the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center's beaches are undisturbed, they provide protected feeding and resting areas for various seabirds, including the brown pelican, least terns, and the federally threatened piping plover, as well as excellent nesting locations for the federally threatened loggerhead sea turtle.
The land that is now part of the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center was originally owned by William "Bill" Yawkey. He and his nephew, Boston Red Sox owner and wildlife enthusiast Tom Yawkey, frequently visited the area together, and Tom inherited the land when Bill passed away in 1918. In 1926, Tom purchased more land and dedicated almost the entirety of the area as a game preserve for waterfowl. When Tom passed in 1976, all 20,000 acres of land were placed in the trust of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. As part of his will, Tom also established the Yawkey Foundation to fund the maintenance of the land. Jean Yawkey, Tom's wife, later contributed 4,000 more acres to the Center, expanding the area to 24,000 acres.