In 1994, the Conservancy accepted the donation of 300 acres adjacent to the Ocmulgee National Monument in Macon, Georgia, from the family of Margaret J. Scott. The tract, which had been in the Scott/McCall family since the 1800s, became known as the Conservancy’s Scott-McCall preserve.
A recent addition to the preserve by family member Eleanor Lane of approximately 40 acres will help provide a protected corridor between Ocmulgee National Monument and the nearby Lamar Mounds. Both sites contain earthworks and were inhabited from approximately A.D. 90 to the 1600s. The Conservancy’s Scott-McCall preserve is not only archaeologically and historically significant, it also protects wildlife and natural resources located in the wetlands within the preserve.
Upon Congressional approval, the Conservancy plans to convey title of the preserve to the Ocmulgee National Monument, where it will serve to better interpret the site and protect its boundaries. Ocmulgee National Monument was named one of the 10 most endangered national parks by the National Park Conservation Association in 2002 and 2003. The group stated that the park was in danger from development, lack of funding, and pollution. The Conservancy’s ownership of the Scott-McCall preserve has already helped block construction of a freeway that would have divided the monument’s properties and damaged the natural environment. “Ms. Lane should be commended for her generosity and her concern for Georgia’s cultural heritage,” said Jessica Crawford, the Conservancy’s Southeast Regional Director. “Her gift will ensure that many future generations will be able to learn from and enjoy resources that might not have been preserved, had it not been for her.”
