Artist Anne Berry is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the project ‘Land of the Yaupon Holly’. To see Anne’s body of work, click on any image.

The truly wild places on this earth are blessings and deserve to be cherished. The undeveloped barrier islands off the coast of Georgia remain wilderness while bearing witness to some human presence since 2,000 BC.

Decaying and ruined mansions, feral horses, donkeys, and boars document memories of human activity. Now there are more animals than humans. In this place of extreme beauty one finds truth and mystery, and hope. The land and its wildlife dominate the images; people are secondary and surround themselves with natural objects as a way to honor and respect nature, seeking closeness. The Land of the Yaupon Holly is my way to honor these places and ask for protection. On the mainland, newspaper headlines tell of coal ash pollution, mining, offshore drilling, saltwater intrusion, and a spaceport. House Bill 906 seeks to allow the state of Georgia to sell Heritage Preserve land, meant to be protected from development.

These photographs speak for this sacred land and its tidal marsh, which is one third of the US East Coast’s salt marsh. They ask the viewer to consider what we are doing to protect these places that have existed for centuries in this natural state, to respond with compassion, and to honor, protect, and fight for this and all the remaining true wilderness. My goal for this project is for it to live in exhibitions and publications that will generate awareness of the threats to the Georgia coast and inspire action.