According to the chairman of the St. Marys EarthKeepers, Alex Kearns, nearly 500 people showed up Saturday during the first hour of a rally protesting development of privately owned land on Cumberland Island. The protest was held at Howard Gilman Park in downtown St. Marys and a steady flow of visitors came throughout the six-hour event according to the rally’s sponsor, EarthKeepers. About 5 other environmental organizations also attended to show their opposition.