| WHY GO |
Hidden away among pine trees, palmettos and tidal wetlands of Florida's northern border with Georgia is the exclusive White Oak Plantation, a sanctuary for numerous species of endangered wildlife and a centre for the arts. Originally a private estate owned by Howard Gilman - whose grandfather, Isaac Gilman, was to the US paper industry what the Rockefellers were to oil and Andrew Carnegie to steel - the plantation has now become a refuge for endangered species, and other more exotic species in need of care. With the guidance of conservationist John Lukas, White Oak has become perhaps the most exclusive conservation facility in the world, home to more than three dozen species of endangered and threatened animals, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, kept in a secluded 600-acre section at the heart of the estate.
The centre's success can be measured by its remarkable record for producing young among rare species, some of which have been brought here after strenuous efforts to promote their breeding elsewhere have failed. Over the years, in addition to a regular stream of business clients, Howard Gilman invited many dancers and performing artists to spend time on the estate. In 1991, he built a spectacular glass-and-pine studio at White Oak for Mikhail Baryshnikov, to whom he became a close friend and protector after the dancer defected to the USA.
Other high profile guests to White Oak have included Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton and Al Gore. When Isabella Rossellini first visited the plantation she was astounded: "White Oak was like a Garden of Eden, a sort of Utopia." And there is an element of unspoilt paradise about this 7,500-acre former rice plantation, straddling St Mary's River.In contrast to Florida's more usual fare of sun, sand, sea and garish theme parks, this is a place to savour an environment that isn't about the instant gratification of the human race at the expense of other species. As far as Howard Gilman was concerned, White Oak was 'a place of peaceful yet productive contemplation' for people and activities he cared about. |
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