To protect, preserve, and steward the extraordinary natural and scenic resources of The Point on Topsail Island and other nearby coastal lands through community action, education, and conservation partnerships

• Conserve The Point builds on the original community-led campaign led by Maggie Chestnut and neighbors in 2005, when the south end of Topsail Island—known locally as “The Point”—first came under threat of development. Their early efforts laid the groundwork for the strong public identity and conservation ethos surrounding this land.
• In response to renewed development pressure in 2023, Conserve The Point re-launched its grassroots movement to protect the 150-acre property, also known as “Serenity Point,” when it was placed on the market once again.
• In early 2024, NC Coastal Land Trust negotiated a purchase contract with the property owners, launching the “Save the South End” campaign to raise nearly $8 million by March 2025.
• This successful partnership between long-time residents, environmental leaders, and state and national funding agencies culminated in the permanent conservation of this iconic landscape.

• Conserve The Point supported the NC Coastal Land Trust’s Save the South End campaign, helping to raise over $1.6 million from nearly 800 community donations toward the $8 million needed to purchase and conserve The Point.
  
• April 29, 2025: NC Coastal Land Trust officially closed on the purchase, acquiring “The Point,” now under permanent conservation. A 1-acre portion including existing parking was conveyed to the Town of Topsail Beach.
  
• Conserve The Point volunteers now partner with the Coastal Land Trust and groups like Audubon NC to support habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, community education, and public beach stewardship.
  
• The property will be transferred to the State of North Carolina’s Division of Coastal Management and dedicated under the Nature Preserves Act to protect its ecological value and public access in perpetuity.

• “The Point” spans 150 acres with 1.6 miles of shoreline, encompassing dunes, estuarine wetlands, salt flats, maritime shrub forest, and sound‑to‑sea frontage.
  
• It provides critical habitat for loggerhead sea turtles, Wilson’s plovers, willets, more than 30 priority bird species, and the rare coastal plant seabeach amaranth.
  
• The public has long enjoyed walking, wildlife‑watching, and fishing at the Point—its continued wild state ensures those opportunities remain undisturbed.