November 2022

GIVING TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 29

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Donate for Giving Tuesday
As we all know, the imminent phenomenon of Black Friday hits us again the day after Thanksgiving. Many of us also know about Local Business Saturday and Cyber Monday in the days that follow, but how many are aware of Giving Tuesday and have gotten involved? Well, here is your chance. This Giving Tuesday, the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy (CNPC) is asking for you to get involved. The CRNRA, our national park, is enjoyed by over 3 million people a year from all age groups, abilities, and backgrounds and we need your help. By donating to the CNPC, you will be helping everyone get out and get into nature in a safe and fun way. Your donations of time and money go toward maintaining trails, park cleanups, structural repairs, and much more. Please get involved or become a member Tuesday the 29th!  

Written by John H. Crandall

Chat with Ranger Dave Thomas

Our conversation this month is with Dave Thomas, the volunteer coordinator for the CRNRA. If you’ve volunteered in the park, then you’ve likely met Dave. Between monthly volunteer events, corporate volunteer outings, trainings, VIP meetings and more, he is definitely a busy person! He loves working with volunteers in the park and the freedom of his job. 

How did you get involved with the National Park Service

While attending school in Tucson, I really got into caving. There were mines everywhere to explore. Later when traveling to Florida, I stopped at Carlsbad Caverns and loved it. After an internship there, I applied to the NPS. 

Are the volunteer activities for CRNRA similar to those at other parks? 

The volunteer activities are primarily focused on maintaining the 66 miles of trails throughout the park. Activities like trail maintenance or picking up trash are more physical than education programs or helping in a store.  

With the pandemic easing, are volunteer activities returning to pre-pandemic levels? 

Until earlier this year, there were masking requirements and limitations on the number of participants, so it’s definitely easier now. Without these restrictions, we are able to schedule larger training sessions and VIP meetings in-person, as well as more volunteer events. 

So for 2023, the outlook is promising?  

In October, we had a high school cleanup, and in November there is a native plant restoration project. It would be great to have more of these types of events in 2023, in addition to the monthly scheduled volunteer events. Plus, there are a growing number of corporate events!

Written by Mark Sauer

Fun and Learning at Discovery Days

Last month, we hosted five classes of fourth graders from Title 1 schools for Discovery Days at Sibley Pond. The students had an memorable field trip experiencing five interactive educational stations, including boating around the pond, learning about decomposers, and where their drinking water comes from. The program is a partnership between Cobb Water, CRNRA, and CNPC. 


We are currently fundraising for the 2023 program. Learn more about how you can help. 

Project Updates

Repair and Replace Bridges 

The project is underway to repair and replace three bridges, two in East Palisades, and one in Bowman's Island, which will improve the trail experience for more than 620,000 visitors. To date, in the East Palisades unit, repairs were completed on a suspension bridge, and the broken fiberglass bridge along Long Island Creek has been removed. The next project up is relocating a replacement bridge from Bowmans Island to East Palisades. This bridge project is fully funded thanks to our generous donors.  Learn more about the bridge project.  

Island Ford Pollinator Garden 

We are creating and managing a small native garden for the benefit of birds and pollinators at the entrance of the Island Ford Visitors Center. The area has been designated a Georgia Audubon Certified Wildlife Sanctuary. The garden area has been cleared of non-native plants, extra natives have been moved to other areas in the park, and new plants were added in October. Please consider joining our next volunteer morning in the garden on November 8. We are currently fundraising for the garden.  Click here to learn how you can help.  

New Overlook Benches for Cochran Shoals and Jones Bridge

We are excited that we will soon have places to sit and relax on our new overlooks. Three new benches for the Cochran Shoals overlooks and one for the Jones Bridge pier have been permitted, sourced, and ordered. We are working with the contractor to have them installed in the next couple of months. Learn more about the benches and how you can help us pay for them by clicking here.

Upcoming Events 

Pollinator Work Day 

Nov. 7  

9 AM - 12 PM

LEARN MORE

Owl Prowl 

Nov. 19 

5 - 7 PM

LEARN MORE

Amphibians and Reptiles in the Park

Nov. 20, 

10 AM - 12 PM

LEARN MORE

Become a member or donate today!

YOU can help us achieve our vision of an inspired and thriving community of support for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

Follow us on social! - #ChattahoocheeParks

Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy  is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We are proud to support our Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, a unit of the national park system managed by the National Park Service.

Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy
P.O. Box 769332, Roswell, GA 30076
info@chattahoocheeparks.org
www.chattahoocheeparks.org
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