If you’ve driven through Brunswick County lately, you’ve seen the rapid hum of progress everywhere because it is the fastest growing county in North Carolina. New rooftops are appearing where there used to be treelines, and the quiet country roads are getting a little louder every year. Growth is a sign of a healthy economy, but it often comes with a trade-off: the slow vanishing of our natural heritage that makes North Carolina feel like home.
But today, we have a different kind of story to tell. It’s a story about a massive, 1,040-acre conservation victory for the land, the water, and the people who live here.
Unique Places to Save has officially finalized the Boiling Spring Wilderness land conservation project, and while the name sounds like something out of a frontier novel, its impact is very much about our future. Here is why this project isn't just another land deal, but a landmark achievement for our community.
Imagine a massive jigsaw puzzle where a critical piece has been missing for decades. To the northeast, you have the historic Orton Plantation, managed by The Nature Conservancy. To the northwest, you have the State of North Carolina’s Boiling Spring Lakes Plant Conservation Preserve. Both are significant natural areas that have lacked connection for decades.
By securing Boiling Spring Wilderness, Unique Places to Save has dropped that missing piece into place. This 1,040-acre property acts as a "conservation bridge," linking those two existing areas and creating a more continuous, 10,000-acre landscape of protected natural areas.
For humans, 10,000 acres may just be an area on a map. For a black bear, a bobcat, or a migratory bird, it is the difference between a safe home or a compromised habitat. This connected land area allows wildlife to roam, forage, and breed without being forced into dangerous encounters with traffic or backyard fences. It creates a vast sanctuary that can help withstand the pressures of a growing county.
The Boiling Spring Wilderness is a masterclass in coastal North Carolina geography, acting as a vibrant home for a diverse array of local wildlife. Within its borders, you’ll find a fascinating mix of Carolina bays, those mysterious, elliptical depressions unique to our region, alongside sand ridges and forested wetlands.
For the animals that call Brunswick County home, this variety of terrain is like having a neighborhood with most necessities in one place. The dense wetlands provide cooling shade and reliable water sources, while the sandy ridges offer drier ground and unique foraging spots.
By protecting this specific patch of earth, we aren't just saving dirt and trees; we are ensuring that the natural character of Brunswick County remains intact. We are keeping the "wild" in North Carolina, making a permanent commitment that as our towns grow, the animals who have inhabited these lands for centuries will always have a place to belong and a habitat where they can truly thrive.
It’s hard to visualize 1,040 acres. To put it in perspective, that’s larger than New York City’s Central Park, or nearly 800 football fields laid end-to-end. In a county seeing some of the highest growth rates in the nation, securing a block of land this size is an impressive accomplishment.
However, this success story was only possible thanks to close coordination from the landowner, who happens to be a land developer. Developers are essential in shaping how our region grows, and by working alongside the landowner, we were able to identify a path that accounted for ecologically sensitive areas to be protected forever.
This project serves as a prime example of our forward-thinking approach to conservation: by being a professional and mission-focused partner, we secured 1,000 acres of wilderness but we didn't just save a forest; we demonstrated that landmark conservation is possible even among rapidly developing areas. Large-scale conservation is difficult. It requires patience, willing landowners, and dedicated funding.
This project was made possible by a generous, $3.68M grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, which awards grants to protect land for natural, historical, and cultural benefit, limit encroachment on military installations, restore degraded streams, and develop and improve stormwater treatment technology.
Perhaps the most pertinent reason to care about this project for many people is the water coming out of their kitchen tap.
Boiling Spring Wilderness protects the headwaters of Orton Creek. Additionally, wetlands on the property sit directly over the Castle Hayne Aquifer. Think of this land as a giant, natural water filter. When it rains, these 1,000 acres of soil and roots soak up the water, scrub out pollutants, and slowly recharge the groundwater below which is a source of local drinking water.
Brunswick County’s population has increased to over 150,000 people, and every single resident relies on clean, sustainable water sources. The Castle Hayne Aquifer provides water for thousands of residents and businesses across the region.
By protecting the headwaters and aquifer, we are safeguarding the health and the wallets of every taxpayer who wants clean water without the soaring costs of industrial water treatment plants.
At Unique Places to Save, we follow a strategic blueprint designed to make the biggest impact possible. Boiling Spring Wilderness is a prime example of our Five-Year Strategic Plan in action.
Our goal for 2026–2030 is to focus on high-value conservation that delivers real results for communities. This project hits every one of our strategic pillars:
As Christine Pickens, Executive Director of UP2S, puts it: "This project demonstrates what is possible when conservation organizations partner with willing landowners to achieve multiple, lasting outcomes."
The finalization of the Boiling Spring Wilderness conservation project isn't just a win for conservationists. It’s a win for the family in Leland who wants to know they’re living in a healthier environment. It’s a win for the homeowner in Southport who wants to know their water is clean and safe. And it’s a win for the future of Brunswick County.
Unique Places to Save is building a legacy, one project at a time. The Boiling Spring Wilderness is now officially protected and we’re proud to have played a part in improving the quality of life for every resident in Brunswick County forever.
At Unique Places to Save, we work alongside environmental professionals and stakeholders to employ conservation strategies for restored land and aquatic resources across the country! Please consider following us on Facebook and LinkedIn on our journey to achieve more restoration and conservation projects across our country!