Imagine a WOODLAND TREASURE on the waters of the Pamlico Sound... a tranquil and quiet haven colored by legends of pirate carousals and battles. Imagine a NATURE SANCTUARY in the heart of Ocracoke Village, a place where Ocracokers and visitors alike can hike on trails through ancient maritime forest and fish on the sandy beaches on the sound. Imagine that WE CAN SAVE THE LAST FOREST on Ocracoke Island and preserve it for our children and theirs.

Springer’s Point is the last undeveloped spot on Ocracoke Island outside of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. An island within an island, Springer’s Point is a peaceful oasis of natural beauty in the heart of bustling Ocracoke Village.

Ocracokers tell stories of Springer’s Point, tales of the largest pirate orgy in North American history. The legendary Pirate Blackbeard’s favorite anchorage was Teach’s Hole, a mere stone’s throw from the Point. It was there that Blackbeard lost his head in a grisly last battle against Lt. Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy. Some say Blackbeard’s gold is buried beneath the dunes of Springer’s Point. In fact, Springer’s Point is a treasure trove of history and artifacts. It was the location of Pilot Town in the early 1700s and the site of Spanish privateer raids and a War of 1812 battle. There are graveyards there, including the burial ground of Sam Jones, a Norfolk industrialist, and his beloved steed, Ikey D, one of the famous Ocracoke ponies. Ocracokers spin many yarns about Springer’s Point, of ghosts haunting the forest, eerie lights over the sound, and spectral vestiges of Blackbeard himself.

Springer's Point is also ecologically important. Its hummocks of twisted, old live oak, yaupon, red bay, and red cedar trees host one of the largest and most diverse nesting rookeries in the state, featuring eight species of ibis, heron, and egret. The dunes beside the sandy beach are covered with flowering yucca, sea oxeye, and seaside morning glories. Biologists consider this spot to be of statewide significance because of its maritime forest and importance to wading birds.

Pirate parties, attacks and seizures, buried treasure, beheadings... fortune has been fickle to Springer’s Point, but good fortune has saved Springer’s Point from the development that has seized the rest of Ocracoke Island. Development pressure on Ocracoke is intense. Once upon a time, the island was covered by maritime forest, but today Springer’s Point is the only example left of this endangered forest type. Springer’s Point is one of our very last chances to preserve a piece of Ocracoke natural and cultural history.

It’s not too late. The NC Coastal Land Trust, assisted by the Ocracoke Preservation Society, is protecting 31 acres at Springer’s Point with a promise to keep these lands from development forever. The NC Coastal Land Trust plans to purchase another 91 acres on an adjacent tract of land in the next few years.

We envision a nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary with a short trail leading through the maritime forest to the sandy beaches along Pamlico Sound. We will install interpretive signs and an informational kiosk to inform visitors about Springer’s Point natural and cultural history. We will build benches and a bike rack. Springer’s Point will host birdwatching trips, history and nature walks, picnics, kayak trips, and school field trips. Springer’s Point will be a educational and recreational amenity for Ocracokers. This isn’t just imagination; we can turn this dream into reality, but only with your help.

The NC Coastal Land Trust and the Ocracoke Preservation Society need all hands on deck to save Springer’s Point. We need volunteers to build trails, keep the property clear of trash, and help spread the word about Springer’s Point. We need support from local businesses to make Springer’s Point an amenity for Ocracokers and visitors alike. And we need your financial support. To save Springer’s Point, we must raise $132,000 in start-up funds to match a $2 million grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund for the purchase of the land. And we’ll need at least $10,000 per year to maintain Springer’s Point as a clean, safe, and peaceful nature preserve.