2010 EarthShare of Georgia Member Group Accomplishments
Atlanta Audubon Society
• Partnered with Trees Atlanta to restore critical habitat for wildlife and birds along a six-mile stretch of the Atlanta BeltLine in Fulton and Dekalb Counties.
• Conducted over 100 birding field trips with more than 1,500 participants in 17 counties in the greater Atlanta area.
• Recruited 272 volunteers who donated 7,020 hours of service, a 21% increase from last year. One-third of the hours supported Georgia's Important Bird Areas (IBA) program, which identifies and conserves key breeding and feeding sites for birds in our state.
• Certified 48 properties through our Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary program. This voluntary program recognizes homeowners that create and maintain bird-friendly habitat, including food, water, shelter and nesting sites for birds.
Atlanta Bicycle Coalition
• Reached more than 186,000 drivers with our "Share the Road" gas pump advertising campaign.
• Expanded our free light distribution program with English/Spanish safety cards and three new "light centers". By the end of 2011, we expect to distribute more than 1000 free light sets to area cyclists.
• Introduced "Atlanta Streets Alive" - a car free day of fun and physical activity during two dates in May and October. Over 10,000 people participated in these two events.
• Produced our 3rd Annual Beltline Bike Tour.
Chattahoochee Nature Center
• The Discovery Center was awarded Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Certification, by the US Green Building Council in September.
• The Nature Exchange, an exclusive program from Science North within the Discovery Center, has over 2062 enrolled participants, far exceeding expectations. This is a hands on way to engage young minds in developing an interest in the natural world.
• Our Discovery Center showcased partner organizations that work within the Chattahoochee River watershed. Stories of conservation and restoration initiatives were featured in the Discover your Watershed exhibit in the River Resource Gallery. Groups highlighted included the Trust for Public Land, the City of Roswell, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and waterSmart.
• Thanks to a generous grant from Kaiser Permanente, we installed a Unity Garden and grew over 3,855 pounds of fresh vegetables for North Fulton Community Charities, promoting healthy living concepts. Gardening became a catalyst for community collaboration and interaction.
The Conservation Fund
• Protected nearly 360,000 acres nationwide, bringing total land protected since 1985 to more than 6.7 million acres, with nearly 85,000 acres protected in Georgia. Secured a contract for the highest priority Forest Service tract in Georgia, an inholding that will add 200 acres of mature hardwoods to the Chattahoochee National Forest. In partnership with the City of Atlanta, we have continued our work to expand the Atlanta Park System, adding a total of 160 acres since 2005.
• In an effort to support EarthShare of Georgia, we have reviewed properties for inclusion in the Share the Earth program.
Elachee Nature Science Center
• Maintained 12+ miles of trails for an ever-increasing number of hikers and walkers in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve
• Taught nearly 31,000 students in 622 environmental education programs representing 22 school districts of metro Atlanta and successfully completed our SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) re-accreditation as the only SACs accredited nature center in the entire southeast.
• Received a grant to explore the feasibility of a Nature Preschool
• Participated in American Association of Museums Museum Assessment Program undergoing a 3-day consultation to review and upgrade our Preserve management practices.
The Georgia Conservancy
• The Georgia Conservancy’s advocacy team played a key role in the passage of the Water Stewardship Act of 2010, a conservation bill that is widely recognized as the strongest of its type in the nation.
• Our smart growth management program, Blueprints for Successful Communities, completed a 2 year project in alliance with the Lindberg LaVista Corridor Coalition. The program is conducted in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology and uses a community-based approach to sustainable planning and design. The final Blueprints project report was incorporated into DeKalb County’s master development plan.
• Introduced our Land Conservation Initiative. This program helps land owners protect their farms, wetlands, grasslands, and forests by having GC Senior staff guide landowners through the process of applying for existing federal conservation easement programs that will allow the landowner to keep his property and assist with paying property taxes.
• Expanded our inclusion/diversity program for community service project and educational adventure trips.
Georgia Organics
• Hosted 1200 people at the southeast’s largest conference on sustainable agriculture
• Initiated and continue to host an Urban Agriculture 10 Month Training Program for 10-15 participants rotating between urban agriculture sites for hands on experience and monthly in-depth workshops.
• Partnered with Atlanta Public Schools & City of Decatur Schools to integrate district-wide Farm to School initiatives and consulted with upwards of 200 schools on school gardens and Farm to School activities.
• As fiscal sponsor for the Wholesome Wave Georgia project, we were able double food stamp and WIC benefits at local markets. In 2010 matched $22,491.61 in fresh food purchases for limited resource individuals.
The Georgia Ornithology Society (GOS)
• Supported ornithological research through the H. Branch Howe, Jr. ($10,000), the Bill Terrell Graduate Student Research Grants ($10,000) and Bill Terrell Avian Conservation Grants ($18,560) that emphasizes research in ecosystem function, habitat, and conservation and its effects on federally and state-listed bird species.
• Contributed funding for Opportunity Grants ($3,735) that fund projects designed to benefit bird species that reside seasonally, on an annual basis or that visit stopover habitats in Georgia. A single grant funded the Atlanta Audubon Society, Grasslands Birds Booklet.
• Supported the Richard Parks Birding Conference Scholarship ($1,000) and the James C. Major Young Birder’s Scholarship ($1,000) that gives young birders an opportunity to attend the annual American Birding Association conference.
• Continued the operation of the Georgia Rare Bird Alert, produces the technical publication “Oriole”, its members participated in 50 Breeding Bird Surveys and 27 Christmas Bird Counts through the state, and held meetings in Tybee Island and Jekyll Island.
Georgia Wildlife Federation
• Installed a canoe launch, an amphitheater, and a parking lot at its Five Star Wetland Restoration East End conservation property on the Alcovy River in Newton County, Georgia.
• Planted a restoration colony of Dwarf Sumac (Rhus michauxii) listed endangered by the State of Georgia on the East End property. Newton County is the location of the genotype of this rare plant.
• Remodeled the GWF website with more information about our work and adding the EarthShare Georgia logo on every page of the site.
• Completed infrastructure of the GWF electronic conservation library. This will permit website visitors to search for resource issues support by the spring of 2011.
GreenLaw
• Continued the legal battle for Georgia’s air quality by preventing EPD from issuing weak permits for two proposed coal plants that would emit a combined total of almost 22 million tons of carbon dioxide and thousands of tons of other toxic pollutants each year
• Demanded stronger EPA action to protect disadvantaged communities from massive raw sewage spills in DeKalb county
• Held state officials accountable for failing to protect the public after a serious chemical spill into an Athens creek
• Pressured Olin Corporation to phase out mercury-cell chlorine production, which has polluted the Savannah River with toxic mercury
The Nature Conservancy-Georgia Chapter
• Purchased 14,000 acres in the Altamaha River to create a 41-river mile protected corridor all the way to the coast. This protects not just the river, but provides the critical fresh water and sediment needed to maintain the health of our marsh, barrier islands and coast.
• Expanded the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by more than 1,000 acres.
• Purchased a key tract of land in North Georgia's Dawson Forest. This important parcel will connect over 25,000 acres of forest that will also safeguard Amicalola Creek, a vital tributary to the Etowah River. Worked with farmers to save over 20 billion gallons of water in the Flint River by using cutting edge technology that maintains crop production while saving water at the same time.
• Replaced a culvert in the Conasauga River watershed. Fish passage that had been blocked for over 40 years will now be re-established. The stream flows into an existing Nature Conservancy preserve - further ensuring the future of the endangered species that call this area home.
Reynolds Nature Preserve
• Hosted over 500 High School Cross Country Team runners in the area’s only trailed greenspace.
• Partnered with Clayton State University so their students could conduct hands on water quality, tree species and fish population studies during Biology and Ecology labs.
• Taught over 2,000 local children about native flora and fauna during on site field trips and outreach programs.
• Hosted its first Wild Azalea Festival with over 24 local environmental organizations attending with information about Georgia’s vast outdoor opportunities.
Sierra Club
• The Georgia Chapter's Coastal Group collected over 20,000 petition signatures to establish the Chatham County Recycling program
• Teams of volunteers led monthly stream water sampling and testing events in six locations across the state as part of our Water Sentinels Program
• Continued to prevent the construction of three proposed coal-fired power plants, a battle which has been going on for nine years
• Worked with Georgia DNR to establish regulations to protect freshwater turtles from poaching
Southface
• Opened the Southeast’s first green jobs training center, training 750+ construction professionals in sustainable building; helping more than 3,500 low income residents to date.
• Grew the EarthCraft House residential green building program across the Southeast, certifying over 13,000 energy efficient homes in the program.
• More than 3,900 people toured Southface’s LEED® Platinum Eco Office in downtown Atlanta, a green building demonstration and training center
Trees Atlanta
• Trees Atlanta NeighborWoods volunteers planted and distributed 3,350 trees in communities where cooling shade is needed most. Each tree provides approximately $57,000 of public benefits over a 50-year period.
• Trees Atlanta hosted 24 kudzu-eating goats (and two guard dogs) in a 1.5 acre Atlanta BeltLine park in order to learn more about herbicide-free invasive plant control. The goats will return in 2011 for their second “treatment” of invasive plants in this future tree-filled greenspace.
• Trees Atlanta installed several rainwater collection tanks around Atlanta, enabling us to collect nearly 19,000 gallons of recycled water each time it rains. Reclaimed water sources are crucial for the long term sustainability of our tree maintenance program.
• Trees Atlanta staff and contractors replaced concrete with 642 large trees along streets, around parking lots and in sidewalks and parks where cooling shade will have tremendous impact. These trees will all receive at least 2-years of maintenance to ensure their viability.
Trout Unlimited – Georgia Council
• The Georgia Council of Trout Unlimited saw our support and participation come full circle as the Nature Conservancy and DNR were able to purchase of 469 acres known as The Dawson Forest Forestar Tract along Amicalola Creek. This purchase protects two miles of Amicalola Creek from future development and it was purchased by The Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources in the near future for the enjoyment of all Georgians.
• The Georgia Council was recognized by TU National with The State National Award for Excellence for 2010.
• Continued work with “Back the Brookie” Projects. These projects included collection of water samples on more the 70 streams in North Georgia to obtain data as to water quality and temperature ranges before restoring streams to native Brook Trout habitat. TU’s intern program has built more than 84 structures on 10 different streams in 5 watersheds, for a total of 21 miles of enhanced stream.
Trust for Public Land
• The Chattahoochee River is the primary resource for healthy drinking water in metro Atlanta and the state's largest recreation area, offering exceptional fishing, paddling, and hiking opportunities. It is also the critical foundation of the local ecosystem, supporting a vast array of plants and animals that sustain and support a healthy environment.
• In 1995, The Trust for Public Land partnered with other conservationists to create the Chattahoochee River Land Protection Campaign, a long-term effort to establish a green corridor along significant portions of the river, extending from the north Georgia Mountains around Helen south to Columbus.
• Overall goals are to protect safe and clean drinking water, provide places for people to hike, bike, fish, and jog near their homes, enhance the quality of life in communities along the river, and protect an oasis of natural habitat in the midst of a rapidly developing region
• Since inception, TPL has conserved nearly 75 miles of river frontage and more than 16,000 acres of land in the river corridor worth more than $250 million.
Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
• 9 Neighborhood Water Watch programs established, 265 bacteria samples analyzed
• 20 Tons of trash removed from waterways and 100+ miles of shoreline in 22 cleanup events with 559 Volunteers participating in stream, lake and river cleanups
• 5842 Linear feet of streambank restored and/or protected
• 3831 Students/teachers educated onboard our floating classroom including 694 disadvantaged youth, with partner Elachee Nature Science Center
Wilderness Southeast
• Wilderness Southeast is more involved with the Savannah community by initiating programs including the EOA Headstart Program working with 3-5 yr olds, incorporating environmental education with SCAD curriculum, and running specific educational nature tours with Savannah's senior community.
• Our Fish Gotta Swim Program is working in a new school with the promise of working in new schools next year. We are currently helping 300 students make connections between their science curriculum and outdoor experiences through their hard work on field trips and in labs.
• Wilderness Southeast is now offering new tours such as Beaches and Creeks of Ossabaw Island, Sunset Birds of the Marshes, Botany by Bike, and Beaches at Sunrise: Photography Special.