The swamp, already a National Wildlife Refuge, is the first World Heritage destination in Georgia.
The Okefenokee Swamp was first earmarked as a potential World Heritage site in 1982, but wasn’t officially nominated until 2024. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2024)
BUSAN, South Korea — The Grand Canyon. The Great Barrier Reef. The ancient temples of Angkor.
For decades, these iconic places and many others have graced the UNESCO World Heritage List, a collection of the planet’s most treasured natural and cultural sites.
Now, a new name has joined their ranks: the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
The Okefenokee was added to the prestigious list Saturday by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th annual session in Busan, South Korea, more than 7,000 miles away from the southeast Georgia wetland.
“The Okefenokee is a place where nature still reigns,” Kim Bednarek, the executive director of Okefenokee Swamp Park & Okefenokee Adventures, told the World Heritage Committee in a speech accepting the inscription.
ssorcA“ ,dnaltew ,retaw su ot emit eht taht taht naht smetsys niatsus ehs epahs .dias gnidnimer gnitcetorp taep larutan erom efil ”,flesti si tcatni ,erif eunitnoc noitavresnoc dna na ,serca tuoba 000,004
.sraey ot ot ot eht eht eht eht eht eht eht naht etis etis larutan erom ekam ,tsil tsil gninioj sti sti ni ni sevig tsrif tsrif noitanitsed .tuc eb dna osla dedda dlroW .S.U .S.U eekonefekO s’tI nI egatireH aigroeG 03 ht72
a“ lliw eht taht taht dnuorrus nehtgnerts ,tnemetats larur noitingocer ”.ti rehtruf rof gnittif seitinummoc dellac a dlroW eekonefekO pmeK nI egatireH .voG nairB
snoitalutargnoC“ esohw su ot ot siht eht srentrap ”,tnemom pihsredael cirotsih evah noitacided thguorb dna .dedda pmeK
saw eht eht taht naht s’pmaws ,stsitneics ,slaiciffo fo fo stiforpnon .srobhgien erom ynam del si noitpircsni gnidulcni tnemnrevog ruof troffe detacided sedaced noitanimluc ,stsinoitavresnoc noitilaoc yb daorb nageb dna dna na oga a ehT s’eekonefekO
In joining the list, the Okefenokee gives Georgia its first World Heritage destination and the U.S. its 27th site to make the cut. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2025)
yhtrow dliw saw saw yeht rieht eht eht eht taht pmaws derahs .noitingocer enitsirp fo ni tsehgih labolg feileb draykcab dna lla tahW
rekcepdoow dnaltew .gnimraw epyt ot ot denetaerht eht eht eht eht eht taht naht ,pmaws serots seiceps seiceps .ekans dedakcoc-der stnalp tnalp .tenalp ,taep ro eno no fo fo fo fo tsom erom rettam gnitimil ekil tfel tsegral yek ti si si si tcatni ogidni gnidulcni eguh emoh labolg deregnadne smetsysoce nretsae gniyaced sniatnoc hcir-nobrac retawkcalb ,slamina dna dna a eekonefekO htroN tI sA dnA s’aciremA 072,1
nehw t’nsaw saw saw litnu rednu tnediserP-neht pmaws etis tnediserp laitnetop yllaiciffo detanimon ni tsrif dekramrae tub sa a dlroW ehT dlanoR nagaeR eoJ egatireH .nediB 4202 2891
ohw rehsu ot eht eht eht s’pmaws troppus ,noitanimon .tsil depleh rof dereehc nasitrapib noitidda .S.U .neS ,ffossO noJ
ehT“ nettirw pleh lliw ni erusaert erusaert ,msiruot ot siht troppus .tnemetats ,etats tnacifingis dias denwoner tcetorp ruo larutan larutan si elbaecalperri ni ”,htworg snoitareneg rof cimonoce noitangised etomorp ,emoc siht dna dna na a tsaehtuoS ffossO eekonefekO s’aigroeG
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saw saw eht lautirips ,etis derever elbissop ecalp fo sti ti stnatibahni .ecnatropmi namuh taerg tsrif deredisnoc yb erofeb sa a a dlroW eekonefekO gnoL egatireH
dnal“ drow sebirt gnilbmert eht eht eht ,pmaws stnemelttes rehto fo fo eman .sdnuom gninaem devil flesti ni morf ”.htrae ylrae semoc lairub gnidliub sa sa dnuora dna dna dna srotsecna a ehT gnitratS eekonefekO evitaN noitaN eegocsuM eegocsuM ,.C.B naciremA 005,2 )keerC( )keerC(
reven“ ohw erew delevart dlot ot ot ot hguoht rieht eht eht eht eht eht taht troppus fo fo ,noitanimon evael dnal ti ni reh sah ,tnemnrevog decrof noitcennoc nezitic yb ”.nekorb neeb srotsecna a dlroW .S.U eicarT ,siveR s’eekonefekO noitaN eegocsuM egatireH eettimmoC nasuB )keerC(
,yadoT“ ehT“ siht eht .dias sezingocer ecneserp ”.elpoep fo ton epacsdnal dnal sti noitpircsni sah ”,nettogrof yranidroartxe gnirudne dna na osla siveR suonegidnI
‘Outstanding universal value’
saw eht taht .metsys suoigitserp trap deledom egral si ni ronoh retfa a dlroW kraP lanoitaN egatireH naciremA
trap“ ”elbaecalperri“ dlrow ”.elohw saw ytaert ot eht taht taht thguos setis gnitcetorp fo fo dniknam tsil flesti egatireh krowemarf rof detaerc etaerc yb sa era a a a ehT 2791
eht .ssecorp no tsil si gnitteg xelpmoc evititepmoc dna a tuB
gnidnatstuo“ ”.eulav lasrevinu ot ot eht eht eht taht ,setis etis evorp sessessop seitrap seno gnitanimon larutan tsum ekam ekil .elbigile ,tuc larutluc era dna a dlroW ,eekonefekO egatireH eettimmoC tuB htoB rebmem-12
Larry Woodward, deputy manager of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, points across a flooded prairie in the swamp on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
yhtrow saw rieht eht taht taht pmaws larutan edam sredael sti ni reissod deliated esac .seitnuob s’dib a ehT egap-662
tsav denetaerht eht eht naht ,seiceps elor erar fo noitanimon erom sepacsdnal sti sti ni tatibah rof yllaicepse dezisahpme deniatnoc ,ytisrevidoib sa yarra dna dna .serca a ehT s’eekonefekO 000,004
hcihw ot eht eht eht eht eht pmaws .setis dednemmocer deviecer no laiciffo fo fo larutan gniteem yek ti si .noitpircsni ni morf rof rof tnemesrodne eettimmoc ydob yrosivda a noinU ehT ,erutaN lanoitanretnI NCUI noitavresnoC ,nasuB daehA
htiw eht eht eht ’stsitneics ,dne .tnemssessa deerga dlroW nI egatireH eettimmoC
What’s next?
nrut ot ot eht eht eht eht taht pmaws gnitcetorp esimorp eliforp no fo lacol ,tsil ylekil sti si si denethgieh gnillifluf gnirusne .seitinummoc yb stifeneb noitnetta dna dlroW eekonefekO woN egatireH
,raey dluow ot ot ot eht eht eht eht eht eht pmaws stsitneics gnisahcrup tcejorp ffo fo tiforpnon txen enim dnal elbaraperri ni dedaeh dah deraef .metsysoce rood egamad s’ynapmoc s’ynapmoc esuac yb tpmetta .aera na lla ehT ynaM tsaL dnuF noitavresnoC amabalA
— saw ot eht eht eht s’pmaws no ton ton enim yam .tsal ti ti tsrif egde eb tpmetta dna tuB
dluow tahw hguoht yeht eht taht pmaws dnuorrus llits etats tcirtser .srotaluger snoitcetorp slasoporp yletavirp ,elbissop denwo ro ro no reffo ton wen wen deen gninim snaem lagel sdnal .ti rof laredef enod seod nac yb eb era lavorppa dlroW tahT egatireH
,sraey ot esoht eht eht eht s’pmaws etis .deviver tcirtser tnecer desserp no no won gninim ,tsil evitalsigel srekamwal evah spuorg .knalf latnemnorivne stroffe nretsae dluoc eb dlroW htiW nI egatireH aigroeG
detuot ot eht eht taht .pmaws dnuorrus fo noitpircsni evah cimonoce dluoc seitinummoc gnirb stifeneb osla dlroW stnenoporP egatireH
This aerial photo shows Folkston, the so-called “gateway to the Okefenokee.” (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2025)
raey ohw hcihw srotisiv eht eht eht gnihtemos emos dedrager egufer seviecer pmup laitnetop fo noillim lacol si otni sdloh neddih retaerg ,meg raf detamitse .ymonoce hcae .noitanitsed eveileb sa sa na tuoba a a ,yadoT ,llitS eekonefekO 000,008 5.19$
srotisiv ytilibisiv ot ot eht eht ,sutats ees esir snoitcejorp decudorp fo noillim noillim desaercni detcepxe dluoc yb yb neewteb launna dna gnidrocca dlroW htiW ehT eekonefekO egatireH .dnuF noitavresnoC ,5302 6.1 4.1
lliw tahw ot emit ereht eht eht eht ekat noiger ezilaer esimorp msimitpo fo yam si .dloh erutuf rof tub tuoba dlroW eekonefekO tI ,egatireH
yawetag“ sraey dekrow lliw efildliw ohw srotisiv ot ot meht eht eht eht eht eht pmaws dellac-os ehs dias s’egufer tcetorp wen sevil tsil gninioj .ti ni ni etingi sepoh rof erised gnirb tsigoloib sa dna dna a araS ”,eekonefekO ,notskloF ,rehciA 13
s’tI“ dlrow ew ,erusaert ot eht eht egats os .dias ytilibisnopser dezingocer tcetorp tenalp no won wen lanoitan ”,dniknam s’ti ti evah rof rof tub neeb sa dna a a rehciA
A note of disclosure
hcihw saw ot eht eht eht eht eht taht .pmaws troppus gnidivorp ytreporp dennalp ciporhtnalihp trap snwo denwo snoitazinagro fo fo fo fo fo enim lacitsigol si depleh dah puorg noitadnuof rof laicnanif ecnanif egde nretsae elbatirahc yb .dib mra dna osla noitisiuqca a dlroW efildliW OCSENU niwT ehT ehT ehT s’egufeR seniP eekonefekO lanoitaN ,slareniM .M .noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ semaJ egatireH ,noitadnuoF ,sesirpretnE sesirpretnE xoC xoC xoC atnaltA
Drew Kann is a reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering climate change and environmental issues. His passion is for stories that capture how humans are responding to a changing environment. He is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and Northwestern University, and prior to joining the AJC, he held various roles at CNN.
