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Sitting shotgun in an open-air vehicle seemingly built for just such a purpose, you bounce happily along a wide dirt road. An endless blue sky dotted with whispers of white fluffy clouds canopies a perfect day. To your right, a verdant grove of towering pines hovers roadside. A gentle whiff of evergreen slips by as you round a curve and head straight into the open plains of brown grasses, scrub palmettos and occasional baytrees. Your breath is suspended momentarily as a pair of addra gazelles dart into sight and sprint parallel with the vehicle, matching your sauntering pace. Just ahead, eight giraffes browse regally on branches of fragrant bay leaves. A small herd of zebras splash a whimsy of color and pattern across a vast grass field. Four young rhinos lift their heads momentarily as the vehicle glides by, returning to their feeding as their curiosity is sated. A family of cheetahs lounge lazily in the shade of a stately oak. Of course, were you on safari through the Serengeti, these wild kingdom vignettes would not be at all out of the ordinary. However, you are not in Africa. You are a mere twenty-minute car ride from the center of St. Marys, Georgia. You’ve entered the world of the White Oak Conservation Center at White Oak Plantation.
This captivating swath of 7400 acres straddling the St. Marys River—6400 comprising the Florida side and another thousand or so in the State of Georgia—is home to one of the world’s most prolific and impressive collections of endangered and threatened species. And for good purpose.
In 1982, Howard Gilman (of Gilman Paper renown) established White Oak Conservation Center with a mission to “conserve threatened and endangered species of wildlife by maintaining scientifically managed populations that provide opportunities for research,
training, reintroduction, and involvement in field conservation programs.” Today, White Oak is making significant global impact on the survival of wildlife and wild places through
the Conservation Center and its affiliation with like-minded organizations throughout the world.
More than 100 cheetahs have been born at White Oak, as well as 25 rare okapi (a relative of the giraffe but with markings like a zebra), 20 white and black rhino, and many other species whose diminishing habitats have left them threatened or endangered.
White Oak’s efforts are focused on bolstering the survivability of wild populations. With a vast complex of research, husbandry, education and conference facilities, the center provides
conservation options for the future by maintaining populations of threatened species in spacious, natural facilities. Indeed, were you an animal, you would be thrilled to call White Oak home.
The center does an excellent job of duplicating natural habitats—recreating meadows, waterfalls, prairie mounds, rock formations, even aviaries for its exotic collection of flying species. But unlike zoos (which endeavor to do the same), White Oak’s expansive acreage serves up a much more realistic “free-range” environment.
White Oak education specialist Justin Conway tells us that at any given time, more than 300 animals occupy the White Oak grounds. But the Georgia/Florida facility is not the only location that is supported by the Gilman International Foundation and its partners.
“Through work done here at White Oak and partnerships around the world, we’re able to make a real difference for wildlife and wild places,” he said. “We take a multi-faceted approach to conservation, working with communities at a grass-roots and holistic level. In the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, an 8,500 square mile preserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, our conservation initiatives are as diverse as the species found in the dense
rainforest. We continually focus on sustainable conservation options for the future.”
A resident of Kingsland, Conway lives on the St. Marys River just a short boat ride away from this magnificent property. He is one of approximately 150 employees who work at the plantation—many of whom live in Camden County. Among White Oak’s employees are two full-time veterinarians. The conservation center actually sponsors training programs for wildlife veterinarians, veterinary technicians, zoologists and researchers and even offers pre- and post-doctoral professionals the opportunity to study rare species in naturalistic
surroundings and groupings. In a joint program with the University of Florida and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the vet residents complete four years of training through a variety of zoo vet programs. Wildlife veterinarians trained at White Oak are now working in a number of zoos around the United States and in Australia.
The entire White Oak “family,” as they view themselves, is dedicated to conserving threatened and endangered species by adhering to their mission to “maintain scientifically-managed captive populations that provide opportunities for research, training, and reintroduction.” The center’s success stories are some of the highest-regarded by world experts who follow the endangered and threatened species saga. Some highlights
follow:
• White Oak imported three okapi that were reared at the Gilman International Conservation Okapi Conservation Project breeding center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The subsequent 31 offspring successfully produced by these animals at White Oak have helped make the okapi one of the most genetically and demographically secure
populations among all the Species Survival Plans in North America.
• Eighteen bongo antelope from 13 different North American institutions were received at White Oak to be conditioned for a repatriation project in Kenya. White Oak staff designed
and built the individual crates for each of the animals and helped coordinate their loading and shipping through the Jacksonville International Airport and on to Nairobi, Kenya. Two staff members accompanied the shipment to their final destination at the Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
• White Oak was the nation’s first institution to ship a captive born black rhino, born at White Oak, to South Africa to genetically enhance the wild rhino population there. The young black rhino male was paired with a female and has subsequently sired four calves, now living in Marakele National Park, Republic of South Africa.
• White Oak successfully produced one of the first litters of parent-reared maned wolf puppies in North American collections.
• White Oak has one of the most successful cheetah breeding centers in the world. There have been more than 100 cheetah cubs born at White Oak. They recently sent some of their own vet technicians to train wildlife professionals at the Cheetah Conservation Fund facility in Namibia.
The grounds of White Oak Conservation Center are as impressive as its work. Beautiful guest houses occupy slivers of wilderness throughout the property. The Big Game Room houses a bowling alley, fitness center, and the Great Hall. Adjacent to that is the Baryshnikoff Dance Studio, built especially for Mikhail Baryshnikoff and the White Oak Dance Troupe. (Baryshnikoff was one of Gilman’s good friends.)
Some of the world’s most noted environmental and conservation conferences are held at the center. And celebrity names abound on the list of donors. A recent donor event was hosted by Isabella Rossellini, one of the center’s staunchest supporters. Which gets us to the point many of you are probably thinking by now: “How can I get to tour the White Oak Conservation Center?”
Well, you can start by getting elected president of the United States. (Heads of State from all over the world have visited White Oak). Or you can spend years achieving great successes in the wildlife conservation field and attend one of the numerous industry conferences there. Or, be employed by a corporate entity that utilizes White Oak for their group retreats and workshops. Or maybe you can get lucky and be the highest bidder of a tour donated to one of the local charities for auction purposes. Being a member of the Conservation Center donor program is certainly a surefire way to secure an invitation to tour the grounds. And rightfully so. After all, the Conservation Center is supported solely by
private donations, various grants and, of course, the legacy left through the generosity of Mr. Gilman. Membership levels that include tours start at $1,000 and offer members invitations to special events, private tours of the center, and publications including the ‘Karatasi’ newsletter.
If you do get to White Oak, you are in for an experience that will linger with you long after your visit. You will marvel at the wonder of a newly born giraffe, rising on spindly legs for the very first time. You will be captivated by the brilliant colors of the rare cassowaries and the fascinating story of how the males incubate the eggs, then raise the chicks whilst the wandering female sets about finding another male to mate with. Your heart will swell with pride at your first sighting of the two bald eagles, those majestic icons of patriotism. White Oak Plantation is a wildlife wonderland just eight miles from St. Marys’ Highway 40. And though straddled between the fresh water swamps of Florida and the pine uplands of Georgia, your experience there is sure to be one straight “Out of Africa.”
Editor’s Note:
For more information on local donor programs and benefits, or visiting the Conservation Center at White Oak call 904-225-3262 or email info@WOcenter.org.