Environment & Climate

Naturaland Trust is a Greenville County conservation organization protecting land, water, and natural resources in the Upstate South Carolina through land conservation and stewardship.

In 2022, an opportunity emerged to protect nearly nine acres of privately owned land bordering Jones Gap State Park and Gap Creek in northern Greenville County. The property represented a rare conservation opportunity adjacent to existing protected land. Preserving it would help safeguard natural resources, wildlife habitat, and public access to one of the Upstate’s most treasured landscapes.

Abundance Angels recommended approximately $200,000 in grant funding to help Naturaland Trust acquire the property. The majority of the land was transferred to Jones Gap State Park, with a small portion conveyed to Gap Creek Baptist Church as part of the transaction. The project required coordination among multiple parties and demonstrated how charitable capital can advance time-sensitive conservation opportunities. “We came to Abundance with the aim of being able to rally multiple donors around this important transaction involving multiple parties,” said Carlton Owen, former CEO of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities. “Abundance was able to help us complete the transaction and hold a space for future fundraising and outreach for this project.”

The result was the permanent conservation of land along one of South Carolina’s most important natural corridors, ensuring that the property will remain protected for future generations.