How community voices, cultural history, and conservation wins are shaping the future of the Okefenokee Swamp.

This week, Bill and Anders head deep into the Okefenokee with guest Kim Bednarek, the executive director of the Okefenokee Swamp Park. Kim shares the story of how a local community created the park in the 1940s as a way to connect people with the swamp, and how today that mission has expanded into conservation education and community-led advocacy. She explains the importance of Trail Ridge, the ancient sand dune that holds the swamp’s waters in place, and how recent battles against mining on the ridge became a turning point for local voices to stand up for the future of the swamp.

Kim also talks about what it means to lead with an entrepreneurial spirit in conservation. She describes how the park offers everything from casual boardwalk strolls to multi-day canoe trips, and how that variety helps people of all backgrounds experience the wonder of the Okefenokee. The conversation digs into the cultural history of the swamp, from Indigenous roots to the story of an all-Black Civilian Conservation Corps company that once worked there. Kim reflects on the $60 million land acquisition that stopped a mining project, the role of partnerships in securing that win, and how the fight has now shifted to building sustainable economic opportunities for the surrounding gateway communities.

As the episode winds down, the three discuss what’s next, from regional watershed protection to the swamp’s nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the way, Kim and the hosts raise big questions: How can conservation improve the lives of people who live closest to wild places? What role should local communities play in shaping the future of their landscapes? How do you build prosperity without repeating the mistakes of extraction? And what does it mean to see a place not just as a resource, but as a living, shared heritage for generations to come?

 We Cover:

• Trail Ridge – how community-led actions stopped mining threats
• Education and access in the Okefenokee
• Cultural history – from Indigenous roots to Swamper families
• Rural prosperity – recreation, conservation, and regional vision
• Entrepreneurial spirit – leadership rooted in education and relationships
• World Heritage status – a decades-long push for UNESCO recognition
• Partnerships – collaboration across communities, nonprofits, and government
• Plus much, much more — from favorite films to Ander’s future role as Campaign Manager

Resources and mentions from today’s episode:

Press and Media

• • • The Current GA coverage
      
    • AP News coverage
    • The Bitter Southerner: “Okefenokee, Heavy and Precious”
    • Saportareport: The Okefenokee Experience
    • Jacksonville.com photo essay

Films

• Swamp Water (1941) 
• Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
• Hostiles (2017)
• The Exorcist (1973)
• Paddington 2 (2017)

Organizations and Coalitions

• Okefenokee Swamp Park
• Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
• The Conservation Fund
• St. Marys Riverkeeper
• Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation
• Southern Environmental Law Center
• Okefenokee Protection Alliance
• Mountain Conservation Trust of Georgia
• Okefenokee World Heritage Initiative
  

Places and Landmarks

• Trail Ridge (Georgia/Florida)
• St. Marys River (Georgia–Florida border)
• Suwannee River (South Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico)
• Cumberland Island National Seashore

Government and Policy References

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – National Wildlife Refuge System
• Clean Water Act – “Waters of the United States” rule changes
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting decisions
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division
• UNESCO World Heritage nomination process (via Okefenokee World Heritage Initiative)

Kim Bednarek is an entrepreneurial and resourceful leader, highly regarded for her capacity to deliver on the mission, vision, goals, and progressive development of an organization.

From 2007-2020, Kim served as the Head of School for The Discovery School in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, a nationally recognized Montessori – International Baccalaureate academic program. 

In 2020, Kim stepped into the role of Executive Director with the Okefenokee Swamp Park, Inc. (OSP), an 80-year-old, non-profit education organization, as a key partner to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).  

In 2022 the Refuge and OSP launched a unique public-private partnership to seek UNESCO World Heritage Site status and deliver on a 40-year quest to be awarded this international designation. On December 20th, 2024, the Okefenokee NWR was officially nominated by the Department of Interior and a comprehensive dossier outlining the Okefenokee’s outstanding universal value as a natural site was submitted to the World Heritage Committee.  

If inscribed, the Okefenokee NWR would be the first site entirely managed by the National Wildlife Refuge System, the first natural site of its kind to be recognized as a World Heritage Site, and a catalyst for rural prosperity in southeast Georgia. 

Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a Minor in Marine Biology, a Master of Business Administration, and a Montessori Administrator’s credential. She is a graduate of Leadership Florida, served 2-terms on the Florida Council of Independent Schools board, and currently serves as the Board Chair of the St. Marys Riverkeeper, on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership, Inc.

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