​By Gabe Andrle, Habitat Conservation Program Manager
 
Habitat loss and habitat degradation are the top threats to biodiversity across most of our planet. Georgia Audubon is addressing these issues with the expansion of our Habitat Program focused on the ecological restoration of spaces across Georgia. Our state is home to an incredible array of natural communities anchored by unique geological features, from the mountains to the barrier islands. Each of these communities has a distinct mixture of plants and animals whose intricate relationships and interactions allow these systems to perpetuate. As we lose green spaces across the state to development and our remaining greenspaces face the threats of non-native invasive species, fire suppression, pollution, overuse, etc., it is vital that we begin to reverse the damage we have already done in order to preserve the unique identity of our state but more importantly the life it sustains.
 
Historically, our habitat work has focused on smaller urban spaces, which are incredibly important for community engagement, education, and preserving urban wildlife, including the hundreds of species of migratory birds. Urban habitat work will continue to be a part of our restoration efforts moving forward; however, we are beginning to work on larger scale projects across the state that will be able to support a greater array of plants, insects, birds, and more.
 
For example, through the support of the Georgia Ornithological Society and the Robert F. Schumann Foundation, we have begun work at Panola Mountain State Park where we are working on our largest projects to date. Half of our project is focused on removing non-native invasive plant species such as Chinese privet, Bradford pear, and Elaeagnus from a riparian area and woodland edges. The other half is focused on restoring native grassland habitat which is critical for some of our most at-risk bird populations due to the development of the large majority of historic southeastern grasslands.
 
As we take on a variety of restoration projects we are excited to be working with both new and old partners which allows us to grow stronger relationships with the organizations and people that make much of this work possible. At Cooper’s Furnace, a greenspace open to the public near Lake Allatoona, we are working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who manages the space, to convert turf grass around the parking lot into some beneficial pollinator meadows which will support insects that so many of our birds and other wildlife need to survive and reproduce. Finding supportive partners ensures that the restoration work we do will be managed long-term for the good of the planet.
 
As we continue to add new projects we hope you will begin to see some new faces joining Georgia Audubon. With a never-ending supply of restoration work to to be done, we will need more and more hands to scale up this important work. Not only will it be important to add new staff members, but a great deal of this work would not be possible without the gracious hard work of our restoration volunteers. If you or anyone you know is interested in volunteering with our Habitat Program to remove non-native invasive species, plant native plants, and more, please contact gabe.andrle@georgiaaudubon.org.

Georgia Audubon was recently awarded a grant from National Fish & Wildlife Foundation’s Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program to complete bird-friendly habitat restoration on Jekyll Island. With this funding, Georgia Audubon brings its successful model of restoration to the Georgia coast for the first time. Funds will support the restoration and stabilization of 3.5 acres of coastal dune habitat with native maritime grasses and perennials on the east side of the island between the Ocean View Trail bike path and Beachview Drive, North. Georgia Audubon is partnering with the Jekyll Island Authority/Jekyll Island Historic District on this project. 

The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) is a self-supporting state entity  responsible for the overall management and stewardship of Jekyll Island, a Georgia State Park. JIA has set up  parameters to protect the island’s ecosystem while ensuring it remains an inviting destination for visitors. 

As part of the project, Georgia Audubon’s habitat restoration crew and volunteers will remove non-native invasive plant species from the 3.5-acre project site, primarily Bahia Grass (Paspalum notatum) and Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon). This will be followed by an installation of  new native plant vegetation, including approximately 24,000 native coastal grass and perennial plugs (Muhlenbergia sericea, Panicum amarum, Sporobolus virginicus, Paspalum virginicus, Monarda punctata, Euthamia graminifolia, and Pityopis graminifolia).

“We are thrilled to have the support of the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation for our organization’s very first habitat restoration project along the Georgia coast,” says Adam Betuel, Georgia Audubon’s director of conservation. “The Jekyll Island Authority will be a key partner to us on this project by providing guidance on restoration  site selection, ground reconnaissance, restoration and long-term site maintenance services, and providing assistance with work permitting. This project will serve as a model of restoration that can be undertaken on all 14 of Georgia’s important barrier islands."

In addition to the invasive plant removal and native plantings that will occur, the project will also engage local community members through volunteer projects, bird and wildlife monitoring, and public outreach and education programming. In addition to the Jekyll Island Authority/Jekyll Island Historic District, Georgia Audubon is joining with several other partners to complete this work, including the UGA Marine Extension Sea Grant Program, Coastal Georgia Audubon Society, and the Georgia 4-H Tidelands Nature Center. 
 
Notable for its pristine beaches, tidal salt marshes, and dense coastal forests, Jekyll Island boasts quiet beaches where endangered sea turtles nest, critical "stopover" habitat for migrating shorebirds, and an abundance of wooded areas for millions of migrating birds, butterflies, and dragonflies. A tidal creek and salt marsh border the island on its western side, while a rim of low dunes, beaches, and the Atlantic Ocean border the eastern side. It and Georgia's thirteen other barrier islands protect valuable salt marshes, which represent 28 percent of all salt marsh habitat along the U.S. eastern seaboard.

This is the fifth award that Georgia Audubon has received from The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program, which seeks to develop nation-wide community stewardship of local natural resources, preserving these resources for future generations and enhancing habitat for local wildlife. Grants seek to address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development.
 
The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support. The program is sponsored by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), FedEx, Southern Company and BNSF Railway.
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.

by Dottie Head, Director of Communications

On Tuesday, October 19,  the Georgia Water Coalition released its Clean 13 report for 2021 highlighting individuals, businesses, industries, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies whose extraordinary efforts have led to cleaner rivers, stronger communities and a more sustainable future for Georgians. Georgia Audubon and Southern Conservation Trust were recognized for a joint project at Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary, in Fayette County.
 
Georgia Audubon removed aquatic invasive plant species, including parrot feather, fanwort, and hydrilla, that choke waterways and block oxygen and sunlight from entering the water. This, in turn, reduces native plant diversity and negatively affects foraging opportunities for aquatic insects, birds, and other wetland-dependent wildlife species. Georgia Audubon also removed invasive terrestrial plants, including privet, Bradford pear, and non-native honeysuckle and constructed a 12-foot Chimney Swift Tower to provide nesting and roosting habitat for these birds. The restoration work was funded through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
 
“While Georgia Audubon’s primary focus is saving birds, it should come as no surprise that the organization, along with its partner, the Southern Conservation Trust (SCT), are being recognized for saving bugs. Birds, after all, depend on bugs. More accurately, Georgia Audubon is removing invasive plant species and planting native species at SCT’s Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary in Fayette County with the intent, among other things, of creating habitat for more insects,” the report states. “The project is a reminder of the interconnectedness and fragility of the natural order. Invasive plant species—both terrestrial and aquatic—impact habitat for the insects that form the base of the food chain on which birds and other wildlife depend. When completed, the restoration project will improve prospects for year-round feathered residents of Sams Lake as well as the millions of birds that migrate over Georgia each spring and fall.”
 
Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary, is a 57.6-acre property located in Fayette County Georgia and managed by the Southern Conservation Trust. The property was donated to Southern Conservation Trust in 1995 by Ferrol Sams, author of the Run with the Horseman series of books. In 2008, when the City of Atlanta built a fifth runway at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, impacting some 14 acres of wetlands along the Flint River, the city was required by federal law to restore wetlands elsewhere. Sams Lake was the chosen mitigation site at which the city spent $5 million to convert a former man-made reservoir into an extensive wetland area. Today, the natural wetlands help mitigate the impacts of development in the upper Flint River watershed by storing water and slowly delivering it to Perry Creek and then on to Whitewater Creek which flows to Line Creek and the Flint River.

Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary features a trail around the wetlands with two observation platforms overlooking the water and wetland habitat. Small islands provide nesting and roosting habitat for nesting waterfowl species, and the area is used as important foraging and stopover habitat for a number of migratory birds. The area is also a certified Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary.
For more information on other Clean 13 recipients, visit https://www.gawater.org/clean-13.
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive by creating bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.
 
About the Southern Conservation Trust: The Southern Conservation Trust elevates nature through exceptional stewardship through over 70,000 acres of conserved land throughout Georgia and eleven states, as well as eight public nature areas in Fayette County, Georgia and the Fayette Environmental Education Center in Downtown Fayetteville, Georgia. 
 
About the Georgia Water Coalition: The Georgia Water Coalition is a consortium of more than 285 conservation and environmental organizations, hunting and fishing groups, businesses, and faith-based organizations that have been working to protect Georgia’s water since 2002. Collectively, these organizations represent thousands of Georgians.

by Dottie Head, Director of Communications

Georgia Audubon has a new tool to help minimize bird collisions with buildings and to alert the public to dim the lights on nights of high bird migration. Thanks to a collaborative venture between Georgia Audubon and Dr. Kyle Horton at Colorado State University, it is now possible to predict nightly bird migration over the state. Georgia Audubon has begun issuing Lights Out Alerts on nights of elevated migration intensity. This work was funded through a generous grant from the Disney Conservation Fund.
 
Atlanta is a dangerous place for migrating birds, ranking as the 4th most dangerous city during fall migration and 9th in spring for light exposure to migratory birds, according to a 2019 study by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. With an estimated 250 million birds passing over Georgia during spring and 675 million birds migrating over in the fall, it is vital to learn about migration over our state and make our cities safer.
 
The forecast map shows both the relative scale of migration intensity across the state as well as pinpointing specific areas of intense bird movement. The map has a three-level classification (low, medium, and high migration). Over 80% of all migratory species in Georgia are affected by light pollution.
 
“We are very excited about this new forecasting ability to alert the public on nights when large numbers of birds will be traveling over the area” says Adam Betuel, Georgia Audubon’s director of conservation. “For many people, turning out the lights every night for weeks at a time is impractical, but reducing or eliminating outdoor lighting for a few nights a year is totally reasonable. Migration lasts many weeks, but during each migratory period, over 50% of all migration movement occurs on roughly 10% of the nights. The ability to forecast these nights a few days in advance and alert the public to turn out the lights can save many thousands of birds each migratory period.”
 
Each year, an estimated 365 million to 1 billion birds die in the U.S. after colliding with buildings. Most migrating birds pass through Georgia during the nighttime hours, when skies are generally calmer, predators are less active, and temperatures are cooler. Large, brightly lit cities wreak havoc on migratory birds as the ever-present glow of artificial light turns the normally safe nighttime sky into a perilous pathway.  

Bright lights confuse and disorient resident and migrating birds as they pass over brightly lit cities causing birds to collide with structures or become trapped in beams of light where they circle until they are exhausted. Once on the ground, brightly lit building lobbies, reflective glass showing trees and shrubs, transparent facades, or even indoor plants near windows can lead to more collisions.
 
"We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Georgia Audubon. Light pollution is a national threat to migratory birds, but it’s clear that partnerships within communities are essential to make conservation action a reality,” says Kyle Horton, Ph.D. and assistant professor at Colorado State University.
 
In an effort to reduce the number of bird-building collisions, Georgia Audubon launched Lights Out Georgia in spring 2017. A voluntary program, Lights Out Georgia encourages business owners, building managers, and residents to turn off or reduce lighting from midnight to dawn during peak bird migration periods. Participants pledge to reduce non-essential lighting during peak migration periods of March 15 to May 31 (spring) and August 15 to November 15 (fall). The pledge is available on the Georgia Audubon website at https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/lights-out-georgia.html.
 
During its 25th anniversary year, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) is proud to continue providing critical support to community-led conservation efforts globally. The fund has been supporting local efforts around the world aimed at saving wildlife, inspiring action and protecting the planet with more than $100 million distributed to nonprofit organizations since 1995.
 
DCF grant recipients are selected based on their efforts to implement comprehensive community wildlife conservation programs, stabilize and increase populations of at-risk animals and engage communities in conservation in critical ecosystems around the world.
 
For information on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature and a complete list of grant recipients, visit www.disney.com/conservation.
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.
​

by Dottie Head, Director of Communications
 
 Governor Brian Kemp recently signed a proclamation designating the month of September as Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month. A collaborative effort between Georgia Audubon, the Georgia Native Plant Society, and other state Audubon chapters, Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month celebrates Georgia’s native plants and raises awareness about the key role they play for birds and other wildlife.
 
“The biggest threat to birds in Georgia is habitat loss,” says Adam Betuel, Georgia Audubon director of conservation. “As urbanization increases and natural habitats disappear, it is more important than ever that we intentionally include more native plants in our landscapes. Native plants play host to native insects and pollinators which, in turn, provide food for birds and other wildlife. From adding native plants in pots on your balcony to reducing turf grass and planting native trees and shrubs in your yard, planting natives can have far reaching benefits for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. It’s something each of us can do in our own landscapes to aid bird conservation efforts.”
 
During Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month, Georgia Audubon will host a number of virtual and in-person events to educate the public about the importance of native plants to birds. Events include:
 
Fall Native Plant Sale
Accepting Orders: September 1 to 19
Pickup Dates: 
Lexington (Athens), Saturday, September 25
Decatur (Atlanta), Sunday, September 26

Georgia Audubon and Oconee Rivers Audubon, in Athens, will collaborate on a fall native plant sale. We will partner with Beech Hollow Wildlife Farms to bring you a large selection of bird-friendly, native plants for your landscape.  Visit https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/plant-sales.html to view available plants or to place your order. Orders must be picked up on September 25, in Athens, or on September 26, in Decatur.
 
Virtual Trivia Night with Georgia Audubon: Plants and Birds Edition
Wednesday, September 8
7:00 to 8:00 PM
Cost: Free, but registration required
 
Calling all bird nerds! Join us for an evening of bird-brained trivia from the comfort of your own home as we play through four rounds of bird and bird-related facts spanning a variety of topics related to Georgia's native plants and birds. The winning team/person will receive Georgia Audubon shirts or coffee and chocolate lovers pack and the coveted bragging rights. Learn more or sign up at https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/georgia-grows-native-for-birds-month.html.
 
Virtual Field Trip: Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month Edition (featuring some of Georgia Audubon's Habitat Restoration Sites)
Friday, September 10, at 9:00 AM
via Facebook Live and Zoom Webinar
​Cost: Free

​Join us on the Georgia Audubon Facebook page or via Zoom for a virtual field trip with Georgia Audubon staff as they explore several of Georgia Audubon's Habitat Restoration Sites as part of Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month. To join via Facebook Live, simply visit the Georgia Audubon Facebook page at 9:00 AM on Friday, September 10. Learn more or sign up at https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/georgia-grows-native-for-birds-month.html.
 
Georgia Grows Native for Birds / Plantando para Pájaros
Saturday, September 11
8:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Yellow River Park
FREE 
Ages 12+, maximum 15 participants
Spanish translation will be available for this event
 
Flock together with Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation and Georgia Audubon for a lively exploration of forest, meadow, and riparian areas in which native bird species thrive. Finish the day by helping us transplant native pollinators into the ground to enrich habitat for wildlife. No birding expertise needed. Binoculars and planting tools provided or bring your own.
 
Júntese con el personal de Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation y Georgia Audubon para una exploración animada de los bosques, praderas y ríos en las que prosperan las especies de aves nativas. Termine el día ayudándonos a trasplantar polinizadores al suelo para enriquecer el hábitat para la vida silvestre. No se requiere tener experiencia en la observación de aves. Se proporcionan binoculares y herramientas para plantar o traiga los suyos.
 
Register here/ Regístrese aquí: https://secure.rec1.com/GA/gwinnett-county-parks-recreation/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTE3MTA2Njk=
 
Webinar: Native Plants and Natural Communities from a Birds-eye View, with Dr. Leslie Edwards
Thursday, September 16
7:00 PM
Cost: $12 per device​

Piney woods, deciduous forests, prairies and marshes…Georgia is home to a variety of natural communities. And each natural community has its own array of native plants that provide the seeds, insect prey, berries, and nesting sites the birds need to survive. Observing the constantly changing, intricate web of relationships among native plants, habitats, and birds greatly enriches our appreciation of birds, and is necessary for effective bird conservation. In this presentation, we will learn about the importance of native plants to birds, and journey through some of the natural communities of north Georgia from a birds-eye view, brought to life by photographs from Georgia Audubon Master Birders and other Audubon photographers.

About the presenter: Leslie Edwards has a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Georgia and is retired from the faculty of the Department of Geosciences at Georgia State University. She is the lead author of The Natural Communities of Georgia and author of “The Land, Climate, and Vegetation” chapter of The Georgia Breeding Bird Atlas. Dr. Edwards has spoken extensively about native plants and natural communities in Georgia and has served on the boards of several conservation-related organizations. She is currently on the board of Georgia Audubon. Learn more or sign up at https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/georgia-grows-native-for-birds-month.html.
 
Virtual 2021 Wildlife Sanctuary Tour
Sunday, September 19
​3:30 PM
Cost: $12 per device

Due to the popularity of last year's Virtual Wildlife Sanctuary tour and ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, we're going to again offer the 2021 Wildlife Sanctuary Tour as a virtual event. Gabe Andrle, Habitat Conservation Program Manager, will be giving us a virtual tour of some of our great Wildlife Sanctuaries to show how you can transform your yard into a sanctuary for birds and other wildlife. Each featured property has been certified by Georgia Audubon as a Wildlife Sanctuary because it provides four essential criteria for attracting birds and other wildlife: food sources (at least 50% native plants), nesting sites, shelter, and water sources. Learn more or sign up at https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/georgia-grows-native-for-birds-month.html.

Field Trip: Native Plant and Bird Walk at Little Creek Horse Farm (DeKalb County)
Saturday, September 25
8:00 AM
Cost: $12
​
Join Georgia Audubon volunteer field trip leaders Gus Kaufman and Jamie Vidich for a native plant and bird walk at Little Creek Horse Farm, in DeKalb County, one of Georgia Audubon's habitat restoration sites. Learn more or sign up at https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/georgia-grows-native-for-birds-month.html.
 
Webinar: Native Bees & Pollinators, with Georgann Schmalz
Sunday, September 26
3:30 to 4:30 PM
Cost: $12 per device

Ornitholophily is the term for pollination of plants by birds. Ornithologist Georgann Schmalz will share how flowers and their avian pollinators coevolved. You'll learn the characteristics of ornithophilous flowers and how to select the best ones for your Georgia garden. Why are birds better pollinators than insects? Which birds are the best pollinators? You'll learn these answers and much more in this delightful presentation.
 
Proceeds benefit yhe conservation, education, and community engagement efforts of Georgia Audubon.
 
 
Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.

Georgia Audubon recently added Dr. Clark Rushing, assistant professor at the University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, as an organizational Advisor. Dr. Rushing is the newly hired assistant professor at the University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resource, filling the position vacated by Dr. Robert Cooper, who retired earlier this year. Dr. Cooper, who formerly served as a Georgia Audubon Advisor, was recently elected as a member of the Board of Directors and will chair the Georgia Audubon conservation committee.
 
“We are excited to welcome Clark to our distinguished group of advisors,” says Linda DiSantis, board chair. “He brings a wealth of talents and experiences to Georgia Audubon that will help the organization fulfill its mission of building places where birds and people thrive.”
 
Dr. Clark Rushing recently moved to the University of Georgia from Utah, where he served as an assistant professor in the Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center at Utah State University. Dr. Rushing is a population ecologist with an emphasis on quantifying demographic processes and their influences on individuals, populations, and species. His research focuses primarily on the ecology and conservation of migratory birds. Rushing holds a B.A. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in behavior, ecology, evolution, and systematics, from the University of Maryland.
 
Georgia Audubon Advisors are committed to the mission of the organization and bring unique skill sets, perspectives, and demonstrable leadership, knowledge, or interest in the fields of conservation and ornithology. Dr. Rushing joins the following Georgia Audubon Advisors: Marcia Bansley, founder of Trees Atlanta; Giff Beaton, author of Birding Georgia; Mark Berry, vice president of environmental and natural resources at Georgia Power; Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Stacia Hendricks, naturalist manager at Little St. Simons Island; Pierre Howard, former Lt. Governor of Georgia and president of The Georgia Conservancy; Dr. J. Drew Lanham, award-winning author, poet, and professor of wildlife at Clemson University; and John Pruitt, retired anchor, WSB TV.
 
For more information on Georgia Audubon, visit www.GeorgiaAudubon.org.  

by Dottie Head, Director of Communications

Georgia Audubon and the Atlanta BeltLine recently partnered on a project to install two 12-foot-tall Chimney Swift towers along the Atlanta BeltLine. Funded by a generous grant from Patagonia Atlanta, one tower is located on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail and the second tower is on the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail. Designed to mimic actual chimneys, these towers will serve as roosting and nesting habitat for Chimney Swifts. In addition, a bird-friendly native plant garden has been installed at the Eastside Trail project site thanks to generous grants from the Georgia Ornithological Society and the Cherokee Garden Club with additional funds from Georgia Audubon.
 
Still a fairly common sight in the metro area, Chimney Swifts are being forced to respond to additional threats across their range—from chimney capping, to tree removal, to a decreasing supply of insects due to pesticides and climate change. Other issues, such as building collisions and challenges on swifts’ wintering grounds are exacerbating population declines. These are the seventh and eighth towers Georgia Audubon has constructed in recent years.
 
“The Chimney Swift is one of Georgia Audubon’s focal species, and we have been working with various organizations across the metro area to create habitat for this aerial insectivore,” says Adam Betuel, director of conservation for Georgia Audubon. “We were delighted to partner with the Atlanta Beltline with funding from Patagonia Atlanta to build these towers, which we hope will not only provide nesting and roosting habitat for swifts, but will also educate the millions of people who walk along the Atlanta BeltLine about the importance of supporting these birds. We’re also excited to install a native plant garden near the Eastside tower to attract birds, bees, and other pollinators and show people how easy it is to incorporate native plants into their landscapes.”
 
Chimney Swifts have specially adapted feet that allow them to cling to the inside of hollow structures, like these towers. The swifts build saucer-shaped nests made out of twigs glued together with the birds' saliva. Chimney Swifts rarely allow other birds (including other swifts) to use "their" tower while they are nesting, but in late summer, hundreds or even thousands of individual birds may roost in one large chimney, creating a spectacular site overhead as they flock into the chimney near dusk. In exchange for the roosting site, Chimney Swifts will provide natural pest control as each swift may consume up to 1,000 flying insects, including mosquitos, each day.
 
“The Atlanta Beltline Initiative is very excited to collaborate with Georgia Audubon on the installation of these two Chimney Swift Towers that will support the migration of these wonderful birds,” says Kevin Burke, FASLA and principal landscape architect for the Atlanta BeltLine. “We look forward to future opportunities to further enable and enhance our 22-mile pollinator and wildlife corridor.”
 
Since the 1950s, Chimney Swifts and other aerial insectivores have experienced drastic population declines due to several factors, such as the increased use of pesticides that harms their main prey, flying insects, and the loss of swifts’ nesting and roosting habitat (formerly hollow trees and more recently, man- made chimneys). Chimney Swifts, now listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, have responded to these challenges by increasingly flocking to urban areas that offer abandoned factory smokestacks or historical home chimneys that have been left uncapped and which mimic their natural breeding and roosting sites.
 
GPS Coordinates for the two towers:

Atlanta BeltLine Eastside tower - 33.768029081412074, -84.36123996414393 - in front of Telephone Factory Lofts
Atlanta BeltLine Westside tower - 33.727446999583876, -84.41617312817229 - Not far from the Lee & White development
 
About Georgia Audubon: Georgia Audubon is building places where birds and people thrive. We create bird-friendly communities through conservation, education, and community engagement.
 
About the Atlanta BeltLine: As one of the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs in the United States, the Atlanta BeltLine is the catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life.
 

By Dottie Head, Director of Communications
 
Students at Sagamore Hills Elementary School in Atlanta, DeKalb County, have a newly certified Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary to use for outdoor learning thanks to the diligent work of Stephanie Spencer, a K-5 STEM teacher at the school. The school garden habitat is accessible to the public and students use it daily for activities ranging from studying the monarch life cycle and bird habitat requirements to conducting bird and butterfly counts.
 
The wildlife habitat is certified by both Georgia Audubon and Monarchs Across Georgia, and the project has been several years in the making. Stephanie and another teacher, Allison Nelson, enrolled in a three-day, Georgia Audubon Taking Wing and Flying Together workshop back in June of 2019. One of the assignments was to design a native bird habitat for their school.  Stephanie chose a weedy hillside near the playground for the project, and she worked with Trecia Neal, a Master Gardener and retired biologist from Fernbank Science Center, on the habitat design. Stephanie also wrote two grants to help fund the project and received plant donations. The whole school came together on the garden installation. More than 60 staff, students, and parents showed up for three Saturday workdays to clear the hillside, plant, and mulch.
 
During an initial visit to the school by Gabe Andrle, Georgia Audubon habitat conservation manager, and Melinda Langston, Georgia Audubon board member and an active avian advocate volunteer, recommended that the area needed less turf grass and more native plants in order to qualify for certification as a Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. They also recommended that a nearby hillside be converted to a native habitat due to its wonderful potential with a great native canopy, public-facing location, and outdoor classroom space.
 
Stephanie went back to work, consulting with Fernbank horticulturists to map out an additional 250-foot garden along the side of the building and identify a list of native plants that would do well in this habitat. An additional work day on the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service resulted in 100 volunteers planting more than 100 native shrubs and other plants and adding a 3-4” layer of mulch to all the beds. The school was officially certified as Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in November 2020.
 
“The garden has thrived, and the students have enjoyed seeing the monarch, Gulf fritillary, and swallowtail eggs and caterpillars on all of the host plants,’ says Spencer. “The number of birds has also increased dramatically, or maybe we’re just noticing them more!”
 
One final addition to our campus was 22 nest boxes for seven species of birds, thanks to a generous donation from Scott Scheivelhud, a grandparent and owner of The Garden Enthusiast, in Tucker. Each grade level was assigned a species of bird to monitor, and each homeroom participated in the installation of their nesting box. 
 
In spite of the difficulties posed by the pandemic, students have continued using the garden. A grant by the Sagamore Hills Foundation allowed the school to purchase 25 pairs of student binoculars. Stephanie and Allison developed a bird unit and taught all second-grade students how to use the binoculars both on campus and at nearby Turtle Creek. “We saw a Great Blue Heron, Gray Catbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, Cardinals, chickadees, and many other birds, quite a few of which the students were able to identify,” says Spencer.
 
In addition, students collected monarch, gulf fritillary, and swallowtail eggs to raise in the classroom. Each fall, students tag the monarchs and report tag numbers to Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas. Students also take part in the Great Pollinator Count and monitor and report data from the nest boxes using Cornell’s Nestwatch Program. “The students love being involved in citizen science projects like NestWatch, Monarch Watch, Journey North, and Project Monarch Health,” says Spencer.
 
The first question students ask when they come to class is, ‘Are we going outside today?’ says Spencer. “The kids absolutely love being outside. They take their jobs outside seriously, whether it is looking for birds, collecting leaves, measuring the rainfall, planting vegetables or identifying invasive plants. They take their clipboards and record their data and return to enter it on national data bases or in their STEM journals. The excitement is evident through their discussions and what I hear from parents. Parents tell me they are learning things they never knew about plants, animals, stream health, pollution, and invasive species from their children. The children’s enthusiasm is contagious, and they get their parents involved. They even involve the community by collecting seeds from our native plants and sharing them with the neighborhood in our seed library.” 
 
When asked what she recommends for parents and other teachers who want to get started with more engaging outdoor learning, Stephanie recommends getting outside and enjoying all the parks in Georgia. She also recommends taking advantage of the programs offered by Georgia Audubon, the Chattahoochee Nature Center, and local parks, as well as the many outdoor education programs such as Project Learning Tree, Georgia Audubon’s Taking Wing and Flying Together, Project WET, Adopt a Stream, and Captain Planet.
 
“I have been a member of Georgia Audubon and the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia for years,” says Spencer. Through these organizations I have met a lot of amazing scientists and environmental educators who have inspired me and/or helped me plan our outdoor spaces, provide programs for my students and provide a wide range of training for teachers. Networking with outdoor educators has had a big impact on me and how I teach my students. They have given me the information, encouragement and motivation necessary to plan the expansions to our outdoor spaces at Sagamore Hills.”
 
Georgia Audubon is thrilled to add Sagamore Hills Elementary School to the list of more than 600 certified Wildlife Sanctuaries in Georgia.
 
“Stephanie deserves a lot of credit for this amazing wildlife habitat,” says Andrle. “The school has really embraced birds and pollinators and tied them into curriculum in many meaningful ways.”
 
Resources:
Georgia Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Program - https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/wildlife-sanctuary-program.html
 
Georgia Audubon Taking Wing and Flying Together - https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/professional-development.html
 
Cornell Nestwatch - https://nestwatch.org/
 
Monarchs Across Georgia - https://www.eealliance.org/monarchs-across-ga.html
 
Monarch Watch - https://www.monarchwatch.org/
 
Monarch Waystation Certification - https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/certify.html