John Ripley Forbes Big Trees Forest Preserve, North Fulton County – 9:00 am to noon
One of North Fulton’s best new natural areas is the 30-acre John Ripley Forbes Big Trees Forest Preserve, a “Tree, Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary” in Sandy Springs. There may just be a touch of fall color left by early December, so we’ll focus on winter tree ID’s – learning how to distinguish various types of trees by looking at bark, twigs, buds and needles for pines. Also, winter is a good season to check for invasive plant species, since many are evergreen. In addition to BIG trees, there are interesting rock formations and creeks in this beautiful remnant of our regional forest.
In addition to this forest preserve that bears his name, John Ripley Forbes (1913-2006) founded Fernbank Children’s Museum in Decatur, Atlanta’s Outdoor Activity Center and the Chattahoochee Nature Center.