The Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area is hosting an event to recognize a group of Jackson County nature-based tourism businesses who have qualified for the Gulf Coast Outpost program. The recognition ceremony will be held at the historic Twelve Oaks preserve located at 2695 Bienville Blvd in Oceans Springs, Mississippi on Friday, February 19, 2021 at 2:00PM. (This is NOT a public event due to COVID-19.)
The Gulf Coast Outpost program recognizes those businesses that are knowledgeable about the Coast’s natural environment and takes steps to protect it by fostering environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and conservation. The program is aimed at those companies whose primary business is dependent on the natural environment in Mississippi’s six coastal counties. This includes eco tours, locally owned outfitters, charter boat operators, tour guides, eco-lodges and agritourism entities.
The Gulf Coast Outpost business recognition program is part of the 2016 Nature-Based Tourism Plan for Coastal Mississippi. It was developed for the Coast Heritage Area by stakeholders in the industry.
The MS Gulf Coast National Heritage Area (MGCNHA) is a program of the National Park Service that is managed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. It is a partnership of communities, businesses, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and individuals who value the region’s rich cultural and environmental diversity, history, natural beauty, and traditions. This partnership presents the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s distinctive story in terms of its national significance. Visitors experience the Coast Heritage Area through a set of integrated themes that forefronts the Coast’s unique qualities and emphasizes the important role the region has played in the history of the United States. To learn more about the MGCNHA visit their website at https://msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov/.
The Jackson County Gulf Coast Outpost businesses include:
Twisted Run Retreat– [email protected] Twisted Run Retreat in Vancleave, Mississippi invites you to slow down and relax on their 15 acres of natural woodlands and lovingly landscaped grounds on Bluff Creek. The covered floating dock and kayak launch are a short walk from your cabin. Sit with a cool drink, bait your hook, or launch your kayak or canoe for a paddle. Depending on the season, you can spend your days sunning, photographing the flowers and trees, swapping stories, enjoying a fire in the common fire pit, gazing at the stars, or walking the trails surrounded by fireflies.
Walter Anderson Museum of Art– [email protected] Founded in 1991, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art is a nationally accredited art museum located in historic Ocean Springs that inspires discovery, imagination, and community-building on the Gulf Coast and beyond through programs, exhibitions, and outreach; and embodies Walter Anderson’s vision for societies in harmony with their environments.
Wild at Heart- [email protected] Specializing in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife native to Mississippi, Wild at Heart Rescue works to nurse animals on the Coast back to good health at their location on Larue Road in Vancleave, Mississippi.
Mystic Charters– [email protected] Enjoy a relaxing cruise aboard The Mystic, a Classic 65-foot Biloxi Lugger, built on the Covacevich shipyard in the 1930’s. The Mystic has all the amenities of home, so you will be safe and comfortable while you relax on the water. Mystic Charters offers Sunset Cruises, Day Trips, and Hourly Cruising.
Friends of Arts, Culture, and Education– [email protected] Located at the beautiful and historic Twelve Oaks nature preserve, The Friends of Arts, Culture, and Education’s mission is to instill a love of learning, encourage creative expression, and enrich lives through arts and culture experiences. The Friends of Arts, Culture, and Education continues to raise the standards of arts and culture programming by partnering with other non-profit and for-profit entities across the Gulf Coast.
