Have you ever been to Cochran Shoals trails? I highly encourage going for a run, hike, or even a short, intense bike ride within this beautiful woodland oasis located in the middle of residential Cobb County and in the frame of the Chattahoochee River Recreation Area (CRNRA).

A recent re-routing of the trail system has been completed leaving 3 sections and rendering 3 phases just over 1000 ft each that are in need of vegetation to protect the restricted path from further erosion. Ranger Dave Thomas, VIP coordinator of volunteers in the park of CRNRA, gave us the opportunity to work with the park services and assist in this planting to re-vegetate exposed areas of the (redirected trails). Excited and ready, we seized the opportunity to take part in the event by providing native plant material for this first phase. With the help from volunteers and staff, we installed over 200 shrubs and trees across 300 feet of old trail.

With shovels and mattocks, our first set of young, determined volunteers, from Crossroads Second Chance School started the morning by digging sizable holes randomly spaced along the 300 foot stretch.  It turned out to be a gratifying experience as we finished the first job and enjoyed a few laughs and refreshments while overlooking their impressive work.  As noon drew near, a second group of enthusiastic young stewards, along with their Special Education Teacher, Mrs. Cheri Vaniman of Sope Creek Elementary, arrived to finish up the project by putting the plants in the ground. Mrs. Cheri, with the assistance of Ranger Dave Thomas, has been working with her kids for 2 months on preparations and learning about the importance of plants, how they grow, and native species and why they are an integral part of the local environment.

When it was time to wrap things up, the students finished with an amusing end to the day. Each student spread out along the existing adjacent trail overlooking the old path and simultaneously launched their very own mud balls chock full of native plant seeds.  The day ended with happy chit-chat and smiling faces as the students hiked back to their bus.  They gained both the knowledge that we are all connected to this greenspace and the broader view that we posses the responsibility to help our environment.

Ecoaddendum is glad to be a part of the initiative in restoring such a valuable piece of our ecosystem and is deeply encouraged to continue to work with Cheri Vaniman, Ranger Dave Thomas,and the outstanding young volunteers as we move forward into the next phase!

By Cecilia Marrero

by Pandra Williams

Photos by Cecilia Marrero

Over the past two years, the Hurt Park Native Plant Garden has survived a year of drought, student foot traffic, and a direct hit from a tornado.  The erosion, once problematic, is under control where the garden bed has been installed.  Many of these perennial plants are now mature, and will continue to fill out and put up additional bloom stalks in the years to come.   We have collected seeds from the garden as they ripen for propagation purposes, as well as to make native seed packets.

A tornado in March 2008 hit the newly installed native plant bed.

A view of the center flower bed from mid July. Black eyed susan, Rudbeckia fulgida, Brown eyed susan, Rudbeckia triloba,

Purple coneflwer, Echinacea purpurea, and Stokes aster, Stokesia laevis.

Above: Butterfly Weed,  Asclepias tuberosa, with a honeybee.  This is a host plant for the Monarch butterfly.

Left: Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, the same echinacea plant used in herbal cold remedies.  Coneflowers will re-bloom if the past prime flower stalks are cut back.  This plant is the host for the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly.  In our nursery, later in the summer, we saw goldfinches feasting on the seeds of this plant.

Right: Bluestar, Amsonia tabernaemontana. Pale turquoise, star shaped flowers.A beautiful perennial,not used in the garden nearly enough, Bluestar is the host plant for the Coral Hairstreak butterfly, Satyrium titus.  More information can be had at:   Butterflies And Moths Of North America and Georgia Wildlife Federation.

Right below: Giant Blue Hyssop, Agastache scrophularifoliae with Red Beebalm, Monarda didyma.