Category Archives: Conservation

Good News About Trees

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trees-atlantaIf you live inside the city limits, Trees Atlanta will give you up to 3 free trees for your front yard and even plant them for you!  It’s part of Trees Atlanta’s NeighborWoods program.  Check it out and sign up for your trees at www.treesatlanta.org/freeyardtree.  These are all wonderful shade trees free for the asking! Now how can you beat that?

While you are on their site, please consider signing Trees Atlanta’s Canopy Alliance Pledge (www.treesatlanta.org/pledge).  These signatures will show Atlanta’s policy makers and influencers your support for protecting our urban canopy!   It only takes a minute, costs nothing and will really help.

Linda's lot prior to construction

Tree-save fence – Darlington Rd. White Oak

Another piece of good news is shown in the photo to the left.  It’s a picture of a tree-save fence around a wonderful White Oak on Darlington Rd.  We estimate the Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) between 36 and 42 inches, making the estimated age about 100 years!

The owners were very careful to make sure that the new house will be situated to save this tree.  Given the recent spate of clear cutting, it’s a very encouraging sight.

Not only the tree is being saved, but so are the countless birds and critters that depend on it.  Photos below show some glamour shots as well as birds enjoying this magnificent tree. Thanks to the owners, and welcome to Peachtree Park!

Future posts will report on the neighborhood’s efforts to significantly improve tree preservation.  In the meantime, you can add to our canopy and increase your property value with free Trees Atlanta trees.

Darlington Rd. White Oak
Cooper’s Hawk in Darlington Rd. White Oak
Red-bellied Woodpecker in Darlington Rd. White Oak
Darlington Rd. White Oak

Trees Atlanta –
Free Yard Tree Program
Tree Species List

Protecting Our Amphibians

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American Toad

American Toad on moss

Just a few nights ago we heard American Toads calling.  It’s a happy sound, usually a harbinger of spring and unusual for this time of year.  But we have heard them occasionally when there is a slight bump up in temperature, and they’ve been calling this month.  One of our past blogs, Frogs in the City, was about frogs in urban areas and frogs that we have here in Peachtree Park.  And, we’re really lucky to have them.

Frogs and salamanders are amphibians, which are an indicator species  of ecological health –  ‘canaries in the coal mine.’  Unfortunately, they are vanishing globally at an alarming rate.

There’s a new organization in Atlanta dedicated to creating and implementing long-term solutions to this crisis.  It’s called The Amphibian Foundation and was started recently by Mark and Crystal Mandica.

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Mark Mandica during Flatwoods Salamander surveys at Fort Stewart, GA

It’s located close by at the Blue Heron Nature Preserve with state-of-the-art research labs.  There’s also a ‘metamorphosis meadow’, an outdoor area that will hold dozens of ‘mesocosms’ where native species will be bred.  (A mesocosm enables scientists to study the natural environment under controlled conditions.)

It’s an ambitious project with a primary goal of involving our local community in amphibian conservation.  They have volunteers and interns, and hold workshops to help identify Atlanta’s urban species.

Spotted Salamander - Ambystoma maculatum

Spotted Salamander – Ambystoma maculatum

They also created the Metro Atlanta Amphibian Monitoring Program (MAAMP) with 30 sites that are monitored monthly by citizen scientists.  If you are interested, you can attend a training workshop to help with monitoring activities.  The MAAMP website is a terrific resource for amphibian identification, including the calls of frogs and toads.

Check out The Amphibian Foundation’s website and visit them at Blue Heron Nature Preserve.  Maybe the next time you hear a frog calling or see a salamander in the leaf litter you’ll know who they are!

 

Blue Heron Nature Preserve

Blue Heron Nature Preserve

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Metro Atlanta Amphibian Monitoring

References and Additional Information

[1]  The Amphibian Foundation
[2]  Metro Atlanta Amphibian Monitoring Program
[3]  Metro Atlanta Amphibian Monitoring Program: Frog Calls
[4]  Blue Heron Nature Preserve
[5]  Blue Heron Nature Preserve: November 2016 Newsletter
[6]  The Intown Hawk:  Frogs in the City – 2 New Studies
[7]  Wikipedia: mesocosm
[8]  Encyclopedia of Life:  What is an Indicator Species?
[9]  National Geographic: Amphibians