13 Atlanta Parks and 2 Private Forests Inducted into National Old Growth Forest Network

After her talk at Emory University on Tuesday, April 25, Joan Maloof (author of Among the Ancients: Adventures in the Eastern Old-Growth Forests and other books) announced the induction of thirteen Atlanta public parks and two private forests into the Old Growth Forest Network.

The Old Growth Forest Network exists to "preserve, protect and promote the country's few remaining stands of old-growth forest". Its aim is for at least one forest in every county where forests naturally grow in the country to be protected from logging and be open to the public.

As Dr. Maloof pointed out in her talk, there are many benefits of old-growth forests. They are home to biodiversity and a complexity of ecosystem that cannot be found elsewhere. They also allow us to see what much of the Eastern United States once looked like. Another goal of the Old Growth Forest Network is to build a network of people who care about forests.

Inducted Parks

Public Parks

Briarlake Forest, DeKalb County
Hidden Acres Nature Preserve, DeKalb County
Cascade Springs Nature Preserve, City of Atlanta
Cumberlander, City of Atlanta
D'Agnese tract, City of Atlanta
Daniel Johnson Nature Preserve/Herbert Taylor Park, City of Atlanta
Deepdene Park, DeKalb County
Fernbank Forest, DeKalb County
Herbert Greene Park, City of Atlanta
Lionel Hampton-Beecher Hills Nature Preserve, City of Atlanta
Lullwater Conservation Garden, City of Atlanta
Osborne Park, City of Brookhaven, DeKalb County
Outdoor Activity Center, City of Atlanta

Privately-Owned Forests

McConaughey Nature Preserve and Historic Site, DeKalb County
Mosman Forest, City of Atlanta

Kathryn Kolb of EcoAddendum and Eli Dickerson of Fernbank Forest assisted as county coordinators, identifying forests and coordinating their entries into the network.