Okefenokee Swamp Park Jr. Ambassador Program

One of nature’s last remaining treasures sits in our very own backyard. Just south of Waycross, Georgia sits the Okefenokee Swamp.

Did you know?

• The Okefenokee Swamp was named a “Wetland of International Importance” by the Ramsar Convention in 1971.
• It was listed as one of the “100 Most Beautiful Places on Earth” by the National Geographic magazine in 2012.
• It is a proposed World Heritage Site.

I have visited the Okefenokee Swamp many times with my family growing up, but now as a high school student, I get to take a bigger part in its conservation. For the 2024-2025 school year, I have the honor of serving as an Okefenokee Swamp Park Jr. Ambassador. This program allows students to develop an appreciation for the Okefenokee Swamp and act to protect it through three service projects. This past week, I traveled to the Okefenokee Swamp Park to learn more about the land I will help protect.

The Okefenokee Swamp is 407,000 acres in size and supplied almost entirely by rainwater, making it the largest blackwater wetland in Georgia and North America. Not only that, but the Okefenokee Swamp supplies two major rivers: the Suwanee River and the St. Mary’s River. I learned this and more from the passionate guides on the boat tour and nature show. Along the way, I also got a small glimpse of the abundance of plant and animal species in this ecosystem. There were swallowtail butterflies, pig frogs, pitcher plants, cypress trees, and yellow-bellied sliders to name a few. I also spotted multiple alligators and even heard two territorial gators bellow at each other across the park.

I enjoyed seeing the Okefenokee Swamp through a different perspective this week. I had a blast meeting my fellow junior ambassadors, and I look forward to seeing our projects come to life and sharing them with all of you in the coming months.