MERRY MACROPHYLLA!

Thanks to everyone who helped make 2009 a great year at EcoAddendum.

We are looking forward to even more propagation, restoration, and environmental

education in 2010.

The EcoAddendum Family out for a Holiday meal at Feast in Decatur.

From left to right: Stephen Bowling, Sarah Collman, Pandra Williams, Samantha Sastre, Carol Van der Schaaf,  Jessica Kornegay, Cecilia Marrero, Mike Williams, Lauren Sandoval, Valeria Maier, and Tom Maier

EcoAddendum, a non-profit organization, has developed the BBB program as an outreach of its mission to return native plants to the landscape by promoting the use of local species in public and private gardens and greenspaces.  This program also supports the recovery of natural environment space by creating schoolyard and backyard habitats. The BBB process facilitates the installation of wildlife-friendly native plant installations in public schools and greenspaces that may find themselves strapped for funding by creating an easily used and adaptable microfunding approach.

EcoAddendum designs and installs public and private plantings that are both attractive for humans and beneficial to birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. As we are non-profit, these services are provided at near cost, any revenues going toward the perpetuation of our stated goals. We also give educational programs on how and why to plant native species and promote volunteer participation in their planting and maintenance. We are co-operating with Atlanta Audubon, the U.S. Forest Service, and other organizations in the National Wildlife Federation sponsored Flyway Cities Coalition, a nationwide effort to promote activities beneficial to migratory birds passing through urban areas.

EcoAddendum and West Atlanta Watershed Alliance working together.

EcoAddendum coworkers Connie Gray and Pandra Williams teamed up with Darryl Haddock from the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance to knock out invasive plants and work on installing the first part of the native plant proposal at the Outdoor Activity Center in southwest Atlanta.

Connie Gray, who is also the president of Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, is shown here removing a vine that looks like a native grape, but is actually a porcelainberry, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata. Porcelain-berry is a vigorous vine that overgrows native vegetation, pulling good habitat plants down and shading them out.

Darryl Haddock and Derek Roqumore, had both done the lion’s share of work cleaning out large non-native hollies. Garden variety species of iris as well as large quantities of helleborus were offered to neighbors. In the place of these common garden plants a native plant butterfly garden with an emphasis on biodiverse plants from the Georgia Piedmont will be installed over the course of the next few months.

The first plants to be installed were beauty berry, purple coneflower, stone mountain daisies, and spider wort. Eventually both sides of the driveway and the front garden bed will be repopulated with a diverse range of shrubs and perennials, most of which are native to the Georgia piedmont area. The shrubs selected not only have wonderful blooms, but also provide habitat and food sources for wildlife such as songbirds and butterflies.

Earlier this Winter, on February 16th, the National Wildlife Federation “Earth Tomorrow” program took a field day at Boat Rock Preserve. About two dozen students from five schools in the Atlanta Metro area came out to enjoy a day of activities, hiking and climbing demonstrations. After a short introduction to the SCC’s history with the Boat Rock climbing area and Preserve, the students began their tour of the forest to learn about the environment and greenspace issues. The students were first introduced to the boulders with a brief overview of general climbing techniques by Will Ecclestion, followed by a demonstration of crack climbing by resident hardwomen Josipa Kukucka.

Tim Wommick of the National Tree Trust is an environmental educator that roams the US giving interactive presentations concerning the social, environmental and economic value of trees. In one hour students were engaged in tree “dress up,” call and response, and some tree based comedy, all geared toward sustainable use of forests, conservation, and jobs in environmental studies.

Dr.Cheryl Young of Mays High School in Atlanta gave a presentation on the geology of the Boat Rock granite. Each student collected a rock, and Dr. Young described a brief geological history of their find.

The day was capped by a hike through the forest and around the lake. The students learned the ID of the different species of trees and plants within the Preserve, and noted the effects of the drought on the area’s lake.

Overall, the students had a great day learning about the forest, the environment, the unique geology at Boat Rock and got to do a little bit of climbing too.

Note: Special thanks to the Tim Wommick (National Tree Trust), Dr. Cheryl
Young (Mays High School) and Team Boat Rock for helping to educate young
people on environmental issues at Boat Rock.

By Pandra Williams and Brad McLeod

It’s not just about flowers.

Diversity. The diversity that the naturalists wandering the North American continent chronicled in the 18th century no longer surrounds us in our daily lives.  To buy a shrub or plant for our yard, most of us go to a “big box” chain or store, and select from row upon row of cloned plants that originated in Asia or South America and are shipped from out of state.  The amazing variety of plants described by William Bartram is nowhere to be seen.

Sustainability. Georgia’s native species are adapted to Georgia soils, seasons, and climate.  Properly selected and situated native plants thrive in Georgia’s climate, require less maintenance and water, support bird and wildlife populations, and heal the environment.

EcoAddendum’s mission is to put Georgia’s native plants back into Georgia’s landscape.

Directions to the Florence Kopleff Recital Hall

• From the North: Take I-85/75 South to the Courtland Street exit (Exit 249A); turn right on Edgewood Avenue; go one block ( Hurt Park is on the left); turn left onto Gilmer Street (a one-way street). The Florence Kopleff Recital Hall is located on your immediate right in the Arts and Humanities building (on the corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Gilmer Street).

• From the South: Take I-85/75 North to the Edgewood/Auburn Avenue exit (Exit 248B); turn left and continue straight on Edgewood. Go straight one block ( Hurt Park is on the left). Turn left onto Gilmer Street (a one-way street). The Florence Kopleff Recital Hall is located on your immediate right in the Arts and Humanities building (on the corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Gilmer Street). Parking for The Florence
  

Kopleff Recital Hall is available in the I Lot located under the Sciences Annex on Peachtree Center Avenue.

Riding MARTA: Take the North/South or the East/West line to the Five Points station. Exit toward Peachtree Street. After exiting the station, turn right onto Decatur Street. Go through the first traffic light ( Park Place), and then turn left at the next light ( Peachtree Center Avenue – at Walters’ clothing store). Stay on Peachtree Center Avenue to Gilmer Street (second light) and turn right. The entrance to
Kopleff Recital Hall is immediately on your right

Atlanta Artist Pandra Williams is currently working on a native plant installation in a City of Atlanta park next to the GSU campus – Hurt Park.

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This permanent installation is part of a GSU art program and gallery exhibit called “re\constructingingatlanta: a contemporary continuum.” The site is approximately 200 feet long by 50 feet wide and will have plants installed in stages. Last week Sloane Robinson and Pandra Williams installed the first stage of plants:

4 agastache scrophulariifolia – giant purple hyssop

17 amsonia tabernaemontana – bluestar
10 asclepias tuberosa – butterflyweed
7 asclepias purpurascens – purple milkweed
1 callicarpus americanus – beautyberry
15 ceanothus americanus – New Jersey tea
5 clinopodium georgianum – Georgia calamint or Georgia Basil
1 desmodium rotundifolium – prostrate ticktrefoil
3 eupatorium album – white thoroughwort
4 eurybia surculosa – creeping aster
1 sambucus canadensis – elderberry
1 symphyotrichum pilosum – oldfield aster
1 symphyotrichum lateriflorum – calico aster
10 viburnum acerifolium – mapleleaf viburnum
3 viburnum rufidulum – rusty black haw

There is a lot of ground to fill in; bit by bit it will get done.

This area of the park is mostly on a 60 degree slope, has never been able to hold grass, and can’t be used for events due to the slope. What isn’t on the slope is under the canopy of a magnificent oak tree, and will provide a perfect spot for viburnum acerifolium. The GSU grounds crew were very curious and helped install the plants. They were wonderful – with their help all the plants were installed in 3 hours time.

As for watering, GSU is researching grey water collection from their enormous hvac units. One unit that serves five buildings produces 500 gallons of condensate water DAILY. Georgia Tech already does this type of grey water capture. Once these plants are established, they will be drought tolerant, and need very little care.

Attached is the Hurt Park Press Relese that GSU curator Cathy Byrd sent out.