Mobile-Tensaw Delta tract to be renamed E.O. Wilson Land Between the Rivers Preserve
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An 8,000-acre preserve in Alabama’s Mobile-Tensaw Delta will be named in honor of legendary scientist Edward Osborne Wilson.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation made the announcement today on June 10, 2025, what would have been Wilson’s 96th birthday.
Celebrating E.O Wilson’s love of nature and Alabama
Wilson was born in Birmingham, grew up in Mobile and attended the University of Alabama.
For decades, he spearheaded efforts to preserve and protect the biodiversity of earth. A prolific author of 30 books and over 430 scientific papers, Wilson regularly visited Alabama— promoting the state and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta as “America’s Amazon.”
The new E.O. Wilson Land Between the Rivers Preserve is located in the heart of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta in Clarke County where the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers join.
The second-largest intact delta system in North America, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is one of the most ecologically diverse places on earth.
“It is a distinct honor to fulfill Wilson’s vision of preservation of land and life on this planet and to be able to do it in Alabama, the place that he was born, a place that he loved so well.
It’s a fitting honor to a man who’s done so much to help the world understand the importance of biodiversity and to help the world understand the importance of Alabama and our place in the world. It is truly represented here at the Land Between the Rivers.”
Mitch Reid, Director of The Nature Conservancy in Alabama
About the newly named E.O. Wilson Land Between the Rivers Preserve
In 2024, with support from Patagonia’s Holdfast Collective, TNC acquired the land that will be named in Wilson’s honor.
The Preserve is a critical migratory corridor for birds and is home to Delta sawbacks, red-bellied turtles, the Alabama sturgeon, Black bear and the state’s largest population of the American alligator.
Register for webinar
After the Tuesday, June 10th announcement a webinar discussion, focused on the role community, culture and science play in caring for nature will be held at 11:00AM Central Time. To participate, register – HERE.
