Category: People, Places & Parks

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 […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director ​In November 2023, after a rigorous assessment process, the Georgia Audubon Board of Directors unanimously voted to officially change the name of Georgia Audubon to Birds Georgia to better represent the work that we do, to embody our organizational values, and to be welcoming and inclusive to all Georgians.  This decision […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride Marketing & Communications Manager  Earlier this month, we celebrated something big — the graduation of our inaugural Park Stewardship Academy (PSA) cohort! It was a lively event, with Park Pride and the graduates gathering to commemorate their hard work and dedication over the last few months. The class even […]

By Nicole Love, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Director of Corporate Partnerships and Individual Giving Atlanta is known for its diverse and vibrant communities, and our business leaders recognize the value of actively contributing to their well-being. Many choose to demonstrate their commitment to our city and its people through the Connectors Circle. A flagship initiative of […]

By Nikki Belmonte “I don’t have much longer on this planet, and I want to spend my time in service.” That was a sentiment shared with me recently by one of our volunteers, Marilynne. She was voicing her frustration with the commercial box stores selling the invasive, exotic plants that we at Georgia Native Plant […]

By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager Fall is in full effect in Atlanta — with the leaves changing and boasting their multi-colored glory! Not only is this a great time to get outside, but also a prime opportunity to show up for your local parks. Over at Park Pride, we’ve been […]

by Michael O’Reilly, Director of Policy and Climate Strategy, The Nature Conservancy Georgia is growing fast.  To meet the energy needs of our expanding population and economy, electric utilities see large solar arrays as a key source for clean, low-cost energy.  Solar energy is a smart choice for sunny Georgia if we do it in […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director Drive anywhere in metro Atlanta and it’s easy to see the impacts of habitat loss and degradation —trees and hills covered in kudzu, impenetrable thickets of Chinese privet and Japanese honeysuckle, landscapes covered by English ivy — these habitats are not only unsightly, but they are also ecological deserts for […]

The power of parks can only be activated with the help of our community!

By Rich Kenah, CEO of the Atlanta Track Club When Atlanta Track Club was founded in 1964, its focus was competition. While we have always welcomed everyone at our events regardless of speed, age, gender or race − as shown by the growth of our flagship event, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race, into the […]

By Nikki Belmonte, Executive Director Early fall is arguably the most beautiful time of year in Georgia with a new palette of wildflowers blooming, shrubs bursting with berries and hints of autumnal colors in the trees. I have been obsessed with a single plant in my yard – a white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) planted […]

Play spaces with innovative designs have triple the physical activity compared to non-inclusive spaces.