Category: People, Places & Parks

By Nikki Belmonte Most of us have heard of an animal rescue, but have you ever heard of a plant rescue?  Picture this: A tract of land slated for the next local development project is infiltrated by a team clad in fluorescent vests and gloves, shovels in hand. After consulting a map and reviewing the […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager “Being part of PSA gave me the strength to not be afraid to do the big things for my park.” That’s how a 2023 grad described her experience with Park Pride’s Park Stewardship Academy (PSA).  This summer, our Education Team is excitedly preparing for the […]

By Monica Thornton, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia Atlanta is known the world over as the “City in the Forest” thanks to our iconic tree canopy which covers nearly 50% of the city, higher than any other city in the country that have conducted Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) assessments. Not only do […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director On a chilly spring morning in April, Birds Georgia staff and volunteers gathered at Heather’s House, a residential facility in southwest Atlanta, run by the Heather Ivy Society, for women living with HIV. With a cacophony of bird songs for a soundtrack,  the team spent the morning uprooting English ivy […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager At Park Pride, we want great parks now … and in five years … and in five decades! We’re not only looking at the “right now,” but also considering the future of the green industry and actively helping bolster the next generation of environmental leaders. […]

According to a recent report from national real estate data provider Attom Data Solutions LLC, Atlanta experienced one of the highest spikes in property taxes in the country last year. Property taxes for single-family homes in metro Atlanta increased by an average of 15.2% from 2022 to 2023. Metro Atlanta had the fifth-largest year-over-year average […]

By Nikki Belmonte When we consider how we as individuals in a rapidly growing state like Georgia can contribute to improving the quality of life for ourselves and our neighbors, those of us with land – from sprawling acres to a postage stamp yard – have an opportunity to lead and influence. Low intensity development […]

By Michael Halicki, Park Pride’s Executive Director and Isabel González Whitaker, Founder of Sara J. González Memorial Park   Great parks aren’t “great” if they aren’t welcoming and accessible. Parks shouldn’t discriminate on any count and certainly not by design. As a park founder and at Park Pride, where we work to make sure parks reach […]

Today is Endangered Species Day, a day on which hundreds of thousands of people around the world celebrate, learn, and take action to protect threatened and endangered species. Since the founding of this day in 2006, the biodiversity crisis that threatens millions of plant and animal species has only gotten worse, with 44,000 species threatened […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager  Happy Earth Month, Atlanta! (Although in our eyes, every month is Earth Month!) April is a great time to get outside — with the trees beginning to leaf out, flowers blooming in abundance and birds singing their songs.  Not only is this an ideal time […]

The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership (ABP) has kicked off its highly popular Free Fitness program, reaffirming its dedication to enhancing the health and well-being of residents across BeltLine communities. With a steadfast commitment to ensuring that fitness opportunities are accessible to all, the initiative aims to remove barriers and promote active lifestyles for individuals of all […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager Dazzling sunshine, a vibrant sea of blooming tulips, and park experts and advocates gathering for the greener good — welcome to Park Pride’s Annual Parks & Greenspace Conference. On Monday, March 25, over 500 people visited the Atlanta Botanical Garden for the 23rd annual conference. […]

By Nikki Belmonte We’re in the first week of spring and you can feel it in the air. There is so much to look forward to – longer, warmer days, flowers and leaves, farmer’s markets, patio seating, opening day for the Braves… the list goes on. We’re bursting into this season with enthusiasm and optimism, […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director The ninth annual Georgia Bird Fest returns this spring with more than 40 events between April 6 and May 4. Join fellow nature and bird enthusiasts for exciting field trips, workshops, and other events to celebrate and enjoy Georgia’s exciting spring migration period. This year’s event will feature the Inaugural […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager  Love is definitely in the air this month – especially around our parks! This February, Atlantans have been coming together to give 12 Atlanta parks some TLC through Love Your Park.  Love Your Park is a city-wide volunteer initiative held in partnership with the City […]

By Rob Brawner, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Executive Director Atlanta has a good park system.  According to the Trust for Public Land’s 2023 ParkScore index (the most comprehensive annual rating of the 100 largest U.S. cities’ park systems), Atlanta is no. 28 – up from no. 51 in 2016, but plateaued from no. 27 in 2022. […]

By Krisztian Varsa  Since launching in 2021, the Georgia Farms Fund has successfully secured more than 1,000 acres of farmland across 10 farms in Georgia, all within 60 miles of Atlanta . This significant accomplishment has directly supported more than 20 small farm business owners, marking a significant contribution to the local agricultural community. In […]

By Nikki Belmonte Did you hear? The newest trend in home gardening and DIY (do-it-yourself) projects is planting native. While native pollinator gardens and wildlife habitat gardens are not new, they have gained widespread popularity due to the combined efforts of local, state and national level organizations widely promoting them. And we are here for […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride Marketing & Communications Manager  It’s that time of the year again! Over at Park Pride, we’re gearing up for our annual Parks & Greenspace Conference — and registration is now live! Hosted at the Atlanta Botanical Garden on Monday, March 25, the Parks & Greenspace Conference is an educational […]

By Monica Thornton, Executive Director Nature is a precious thing. It encompasses far more than any one of us can hold in our mind at any one time. It’s the trees we drive past on our way to work, the water that comes out of our faucets, the birds that wake us up in the […]