Sandy Springs Conservancy

Looking for an outdoor excursion? Look no further than to our friends based at Island Ford in Sandy Springs, the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy!

https://chattahoocheeparks.org/Southeast Festivals and Events Association

Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy - Events Drop by and join National Park Service Ranger Jerry Hightower at an informal investigation station at the Gunby Creek Wetland Boardwalk! The boardwalk is a short stroll along the trail from the Interstate North Parking Area. Ranger Jerry will have cattails to examine with magnifiers and microscopes....

Nature, the river, and history all in one! Another beautiful morning for a Trail Blazer walk! On Saturday we visited the Island Ford unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area . Thank you Brittnay Jones of the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy for guiding the walk!

Two more Trail Blazer walks for the year, Sept 14 at CRNA West Palisades Unit guided by Sally Bethea and Oct 12 at Crook Creek Park guided by Sandy Springs City Councilman John Paulson. Register at https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/register-new/

Read to the end!

"a refreshing dose of nature"

"an outdoor excursion—a category where Sandy Springs shines"

"a quick kayaking adventure at Morgan Falls Overlook Park, a hilltop, 30-acre greenspace considered one of the city’s best efforts at nature preservation"

SSC is proud to have been at the forefront of planning Morgan Falls Overlook Park more than 20 years ago!

Special report: 24 hours of living it up—randomly—in Sandy Springs For a day trip (and nature fix) just up the road, don't sleep on one of Georgia's largest cities

Our July Trail Blazers group learned a lot about Brook Run Park in Dunwoody! Guide Brent Walker of the City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department told us about how the site went from a state hospital to the largest park in Dunwoody with 110 acres and tons of amenities!

This Saturday August 10 join us to learn some more history and walk the wooded trails along the Chattahocchee River at Island Ford Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Sandy Springs, guided by Brittany Jones, director of the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy. Please register to join us: https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/events-islandford2024/

Join us for our next guided Trail Blazers walk at Island Ford this weekend! Saturday, August 10, 8:30 am – 9:30 am.

The walk will be guided by Brittany Jones, executive director of the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy. Please register online

Join us at Island Ford for the next Trail Blazer Walk! - Sandy Springs Conservancy Our next guided Trail Blazers walk will be at Island Ford in Sandy Springs! Join us on, Saturday, August 10, 8:30 am - 9:30 am.

This is a great opportunity to learn about path projects in the city.

Sandy Springs, Perimeter CID to host open house on Peachtree Dunwoody Road multi-use trail Learn about the Peachtree Dunwoody Road Multi-Use Trail project in Sandy Springs. Connectivity, safety, and funding details included.

Join Trail Blazers when we visit the popular Dunwoody park, Brook Run! Saturday, July 13, 8:30 am - 9:30 am, with special guide Sandy Springs Recreation & Parks Director Brent Walker! Brent, who was the parks director for Dunwoody when Brook Run was developed, has a wealth of info on the park to share with us! More info and register online: https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/events-tbbrookrun/

Shout out for our BBQ friends QN2!

Tomorrow marks our 2 year Anniversary as !🎉🎉 For everyone who has supported us and continues to support us, THANK YOU! We love being part of the Sandy Springs community!

➡️You have a few chances to celebrate with:
W/Th biscuit breakfast (8-10am) • Lunch • Thursday Trivia at 7pm with dinner special

☎️Dine in or order to go 404-252-3220

The Sandy Springs Conservancy was pleased to present the city of Sandy Springs with $20,000 for parks and trails projects at the City Council meeting last night!

Conservancy Board Chair Jack Misiura and Development Chair Alexandra Allen presented $10,000 to Mayor Rusty Paul, made possible by a grant from The Bennett Thrasher Foundation, for an improvement and restoration project at Abernathy Greenway Park South. The funds serve as a community support matching grant to help secure state grant funding. The project is expected to begin in 2025.

Another $10,000 was presented to the city in support of Springway segment 2E trail efforts, made possible by a donation from Northside Hospital. The city is currently in pre-construction planning phase of the path project that will connect Morgan Falls Overlook Park and Orkin Lake to Roswell Road.

The Bennett Thrasher Foundation and Northside Hospital have been committed supporters of SSC and our mission to create, conserve and connect parks, trails and greenspace in the Sandy Springs community.

The Bennett Thrasher Foundation assists charitable organizations that make the Atlanta community a better place. Each year, the Foundation and Bennett Thrasher employees devote considerable resources and time towards carrying out the mission of giving back to the community.

Northside Hospital Healthcare System has been committed to the ongoing health and wellness of the communities it serves since 1970. Northside Hospital strives to improve our communities by supporting these areas of focus: social justice, healthy living, education, and the arts and environment.

Sandy Springs, Georgia: City News City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department

Just a few ladies from the Sandy Springs Conservancy enjoying the nice weather at City Springs!

So grateful for Morgan Stanley, a long-time SSC sponsor, and their volunteer work days! We had a large, enthusiastic group from their Alpharetta office turn out. Plus, William Park, the urban forest coordinator for the city of Sandy Springs, met with us and we learned a little about how the city goes about protecting and cultivating the tree canopy in our parks. Then the team got to work in the lovely shade of Ridgeview Park!
City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department

What a great morning for a Trail Blazers walk! We explored parks in the heart of Sandy Springs and enjoyed the Farmer's Market while there! It's like being a tourist at home! Thank you to our guides Councilman John Paulson, Linda Bain and Laura Jones for leading us through Veterans Park, City Green and Marsh Creek Rain Garden.

Trail Blazer Guided Walk Update!
The good news is the weather forecast for this Saturday morning's walk looks fantastic for our TRIPPLE TREAT TRAIL BLAZER TOUR :)
The bad news is that road construction near the library has made walking too dangerous to visit the Reading Garden. So, we're planning to visit the Marsh Creek Rain Garden instead following tours of Veterans Park and City Green.

Get more details about the walk, how to register and our guides including City Councilman John Paulson!

https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/events-tbcitysprings2024/

City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department

Trail Blazers Hit the Streets at City Green in June! - Sandy Springs Conservancy Trail Blazers hit the streets at City Springs for our next guided walk on Saturday, June 8 at 8:30 am!

SSC is thankful to once again be awarded a grant from The Sandy Springs Society! The $5,000 grant will go toward our continued efforts to restore and enhance the Sandy Springs Library Reading Garden.

https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2024/05/22/sandy-springs-society-awards-370000-to-42-nonprofit-groups/

Friends of the Sandy Springs Library
Photo: A Morgan Stanley volunteer work day at the library garden in 2023 was one of several work days organized by SSC.

From the forest preserve to the pavement... Trail Blazers takes to the streets at City Springs for our next guided walk on Saturday, June 8 at 8:30 am!

Join us for a walk through City Green, the Veterans Park and the Library Garden with our guides past Sandy Springs Conservancy Executive Director Linda Bain, City Councilman John Paulson and Laura Jones of the Sandy Springs Conservancy board of directors. We’ll learn about the Conservancy’s involvement with the city’s design of City Green, and tour the City Springs Art Walk sculptures; how the Veterans Park came about, and see the Sandy Springs Garden Club and Conservancy’s efforts to restore the library garden. Walks last about an hour, but often are so interesting they may go longer! Registration is required and space is limited.

https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/events-tbcitysprings2024/


City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department

What could be more relaxing than yoga out in the garden!

We are excited to announce another FREE class at the farm!

Join us at Farm Chastain Wednesday, May 29th at 6:30pm for a FREE yoga class! Landis Collins, will be hosting a vinyasa yoga class. All level welcome. Limited spots are available- click below to sign-up:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVdz-D6XMXrhUI3I87uJvtF64v_cKdiaixXNevVt6B4auToA/viewform

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Our May Trail Blazers walk last weekend was a treat, with guide Helen Tapp at Big Trees Forest Preserve! Helen was a wealth of information about the history and preservation of the 30-acre forest and the trees and plants in it, much of it untouched for a hundred years or more!

Our next Trail Blazers walk on June 8 hits the streets of City Green to learn about the creation of the green and tour the sculptures, tour the Veteran's Park and the Library Garden. Register online:
https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/events-tbcitysprings2024/

City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department

The city of Sandy Springs is making efforts to enhance multi-use path connectivity and connect the community to a larger regional trail network. City officials are pursuing $17.9 million in federal and local transportation funding to support an extension of Path400 that includes a section along Windsor Parkway and Ridgeview Charter Middle School. The new section would connect the city to a larger regional trail network that includes the Atlanta BeltLine, a 22-mile greenway farther south encircling the City of Atlanta. Such trail systems provide walking and bicycling amenities to residents and employers and also serve as an economic development catalyst.

Send a message to learn more

Join us a week from today for a guided nature walk at Big Trees Forest Preserve! We're looking forward to this monthly Trail Blazers walk with special guest/guide and former SSC board member Helen Tapp, a long-time greenspace advocate. Register today, space is limited to 25 walkers.
https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/bigtrees2024

Weekly Sandy Springs Farmers Markets at City Green on Saturday mornings are back! We were happy to be at the first one of 2024 last weekend where we met with many and shared info about the city's new trail plan, the Springway, and other park projects the Sandy Springs Conservancy is involved with. See you there again on June 1!
Sandy Springs Farmers Market

Many of our volunteer board members were putting in time last week to meet and share knowledge with people in our community, young and old! We held a trail master plan educational event, hosted a booth at the farmers market, and our very own retired executive director Linda Bain led a nature/historical walk for Girl Scout Troop 22309 at Morgan Falls Overlook Park! Linda led the group of 8-year olds on a nature walk through the wooded trails of the park identifying native trees and plants, and shared with them the history of the site.

City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department

It was a great day for U.S. Bank volunteers to help beautify Abernathy Greenway South on this Friday before Earth Day! Lots of bark mulch was spread, trash was picked up and pruning was done! Many thanks to the U.S. Bank volunteers, city of Sandy Springs and Sandy Springs Conservancy board members who gave their time today!

It was a great morning for an SSC Trail Blazers walk at Chastain Park in Atlanta! We learned a lot from our guide Brian Barnes from the Chastain Park Conservancy! Such an interesting place with lots of active and passive amenities, and lots of handmade stone staircases, walls and fireplaces built in the 1940s. Thank you CPC for hosting us! Next month we return to Sandy Springs for a sneak peak of the first section of our Springway trail system that is currently under construction near the Chattahoochee River!

Some hardy volunteers from U.S. Bank braved the gloomy forecast and rolled their sleeves up to help beautify Morgan Falls Overlook Park this morning before the rain moved in! We're grateful for corporate sponsors like U.S. Bank/Elavon who support our mission to create, conserve and connect our parks in Sandy Springs! Also thanks to the team from the City of Sandy Springs Recreation and Parks Department for providing the materials and tools!

Mark your calendars for this Saturday morning and join us for a guided walk of Chastain Park, with no rain! :)
Registration required, please sign up at the SSC link below.
https://www.sandyspringsconservancy.org/events-chastain/

Rain Rain Go Away, Don't Come Back Another Saturday!

Trail Blazers guided walk at Chastain Park originally planned for tomorrow March 9 is rescheduled for next Saturday, March 16.

Same time and place with guide Brian Barnes from the Chastain Park Conservancy!

Please register here:

Trail Blazers First Walk of 2024 Visits Chastain Park! - Sandy Springs Conservancy Join us as we visit Chastain Park in Atlanta for the Sandy Springs Conservancy's first Trail Blazers guided walk of 2024! Saturday, March 9, at 8:30 a.m.

We are grateful for 30 years of work by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper!

Today, we mark a major milestone: 30 years of keeping watch over the Chattahoochee River! Way back when in 1994, a passionate group of community members founded Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to address the thousands of sewage overflows and spills that were degrading water quality in the Chattahoochee River watershed.

Over the past three decades, our organization (now known as CRK) has leveraged water monitoring, research, legal action, education, and advocacy to protect this precious natural resource for all who depend on it.

Join us as we celebrate our 30th anniversary with exciting cleanups, paddle outings, and events throughout the year! Check out our calendar at www.chattahoochee.org/events 🛶

Have you ever been interested in being a kayak instructor? Well, the Georgia River Network is offering scholarships for an instructor certification course! Applications are due March 15.

Georgia River Network Opens Scholarship Applications for ACA Kayak Instructor Certification Course February 20 Training new kayak instructors is an important aspect of Georgia River Network’s mission to protect and connect people with Georgia’s rivers. The statewide conservation organization will open schol…