Category: People, Places & Parks

By Rob Brawner, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Executive Director Many of us have heard the adage, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The second-best time is now.” This is truer than ever about the opportunity to align investments in parks and affordable housing in Atlanta.  In the past few weeks, there […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director Millions of people enjoy watching birds every day. From those who enjoy birds at their backyard feeders to those who attend birding field trips in our parks and greenspaces, to the more hardcore birders who travel the U.S. and the world adding to their “life lists”, birdwatching is accessible to […]

There is a lot of momentum within the parks movement in Atlanta right now, so much so that it’s had me wondering whether we’re on the brink of a “golden age of parks.” For me, that manifests as having city parks that are maintained equitably and to a higher standard, well connected to communities, and […]

Michael O’Reilly, Director of Policy & Climate Strategy, The Nature Conservancy – Georgia Reading the news each day can raise mixed emotions for me, but I always appreciate the frequent stories describing the new jobs being created in Georgia to meet our state’s emerging opportunities. As Governor Brian Kemp has said, “With a focus on […]

Atlanta high schooler learns to love the swamp By Zain Khemani, student at The New School Every year, the Okefenokee Swamp receives more than 600,000 visits from Georgia and beyond – all from people looking to experience the wonders of the Swamp. Those tourists prop up local businesses and keep a steady flow of income […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director Just in time for Earth Day, the eighth annual Georgia Bird Fest launches this weekend across Georgia. With more than 40 events between April 22 and May 21, Georgia Bird Fest offers something for nearly every nature and bird enthusiast, including exciting field trips, workshops, webinars, and other events to […]

By Roberta Moore, The Conservation Fund Jake’s Woods in Clinton, Georgia is a little-known treasure just an hour and a half southeast of Atlanta. Anyone who loves nature, biodiversity, and outdoor recreation, or recognizes the importance of historic preservation, should be excited about its recent protection. The 28-acre Jake’s Woods property is a multifaceted hidden […]

By Michael Davis, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Deputy Executive Director My fondest childhood memories are rooted in experiences in my family home. It was a familiar, safe place where I felt connected and belonged. Growing up in south Dekalb, home meant holidays, Sunday dinners, and everyone playing sports in our front yard. My mother lives there […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director Spring is here and across Georgia we are seeing signs of life in our gardens and landscapes. Those who pay attention to the sounds of the seasons will have also noticed a huge uptick in the amount of bird song each morning. There’s a cacophony of songs as our resident […]

By Monica Thornton Recently, I was named the Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Georgia, one of the world’s largest conservation organizations. We have been operating in this state for over 50 years and in that time, we have protected more than 400,000 acres of land, safeguarded countless waterways that traverse those lands, and […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director With February drawing to a close and the daylight hours getting longer, you may have noticed the dawn chorus has been growing louder as our resident and migratory birds begin to enter the breeding season. Some bird species, like owls, raptors, and cavity-nesters, like the Brown-headed Nuthatch and Eastern Bluebird, […]

By West Atlanta Watershed Alliance February is Black History Month, a month-long celebration and recognition of the accomplishments and the critical role that Black Americans have played in founding and shaping the United States. First celebrated as “Negro History Week” in 1926, Black History Month was founded by historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse […]

By Danielle Amarant, University of Georgia College of Public Health Masters Candidate and Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Intern Our health and the health of our communities are informed by everything we do. From our behaviors and choices to the policies that shape our systems and institutions, our well-being is also affected by where we live, learn, […]

By Jared Teutsch, Executive Director 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for Georgia’s birds. At Georgia Audubon, birds are a catalyst for conservation—easy to see and hear wherever you are—and they provide an entry point into appreciating nature and understanding the challenges we all face to protect our parks and greenspaces, in […]

By Rachel Maher, Park Pride’s Director of Communications & Policy The past few years have affirmed the importance of parks for our physical and mental well-being. The healing power of parks, however, goes beyond personal health. Public greenspaces are also where community bonds are formed, diverse ideas are experienced, and where cultural enrichment flourishes. We […]

There’s a reason Georgia is nicknamed the Peach State. Every year, approximately 1.6 million peach trees bear over 130 million pounds of peaches, worth billions of dollars in farm gate value. And while Georgia’s peach production lags behind other land-rich states, the size and prominence of our agricultural sector speaks to a time-honored tradition of […]

The Nature Conservancy is one of the largest conservation organizations in the world, and we employ many different tools to accomplish our goals. We support the protection of endangered species, we rehabilitate and restore ecosystems, and we search for solutions to mitigate climate change. What may come as a surprise to some, however, is that […]