The moment the Okefenokee became Georgia's first World Heritage Site

The vote took seconds. The journey took decades. The AJC's Drew Kann was in the room in Busan, South Korea, when UNESCO World Heritage Committee members voted to make the Okefenokee Swamp Georgia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The decision places the Okefenokee alongside iconic destinations like Yellowstone, Machu Picchu and the Great Barrier Reef — recognition reserved for places considered invaluable to humanity. More than 40 years after it was first identified as a potential nominee, the Okefenokee has earned global recognition — and a renewed commitment to protecting one of the world's most important wetland ecosystems.