The Blue Heron Nature Preserve

3/31/08 Blue Heron Nature Preserve Wins Major Award

Blue Heron Nature Preserve was awarded Park Pride’s “Inspiration Award” today. The purpose of the award is “to honor extraordinary commitment to the preservation and improvement of parks & greenspaces.” There are three nomination categories: community, corporate and government. Since Nancy Jones is now the paid executive director of Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Blue Heron was nominated in the corporate category. The corporate finalists were: Blue Heron, the Historic Oakland [cemetery] Foundation, Post Properties, and the Trust for Public Land (TPL). Park Pride announced they would deviate from their policy of awarding a single corporate award this year. They awarded two awards in the corporate category: one for a small start-up and one for a major corporation. The winners were Blue Heron and TPL!

Last year’s corporate winner was the Piedmont Park Conservancy and the year before it was The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

The picture below is of Nancy Jones with the Blue Heron award.

Click this image to see a larger version.

The Blue Heron Nature Preserve

A 501-(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization

Who, What, Where, When, Why..........

The Blue Heron Nature Preserve protects and restores land along and near Nancy Creek. We also aim to focus community attention, involvement and education on the preservation and improvement of local greenspace and wetland habitat, accessibility, creek bank stabilization, and water quality along Nancy Creek.

The Preserve was founded in 2001, when a local school teacher, the North Buckhead Civic Association and a local developer worked together to set aside seven acres of floodplain along Nancy Creek, at Rickenbacker Drive near Roswell Road.

Local residents, community groups, businesses and students then joined together to help restore the land to its original state, removing invasive plants, planting native trees, and attempting to stabilize the stream bank.

More recently, through the City of Atlanta, two large pieces of land nearby have been added to the Preserve. The first is a nine-acre wetland off Emma Lane and Lakemoore Drive, and the second is the five-acre former sewer tunnel construction site on Roswell Road. Finally in 2007, the 5-acre "architect's site" at 4055 Roswell Road was purchased by the City, bringing Blue Heron holdings to about 25 acres.

Larger size map suitable for printing (0.9MB PDF)

As a community-based effort, the Preserve will continue to grow and provide a place of natural beauty for the community and health of our local environment. In 2006, we started a community garden, with 32 plots open to the community. Future plans call for education programs, continued community outreach, acquiring greenspace, building trails and a new pavilion at the community garden site.	Fresh-picked, garden-grown organic produce is unequalled.
The Blue Heron Community Garden is located in the former sewer tunnel shaft site (in the upper part of area 3 in map, above).

Blue Heron Needs You!

There are many ways you can help the Blue Heron Nature Preserve thrive and grow.

	*Donate- We are an all volunteer organization and need funds for ongoing maintenance, plantings, signage, administration and to match potential grants. All donations are fully tax deductible.
	*Give professional services- Landscaping and land maintenance, stream bank and land restorations, sign construction, design graphics, printing, building, etc.
	*Provide materials - Plants, trees, tools, signage materials, fencing etc.
	* Hands on - Join us in cleanups, plantings, fundraising, events, publicity, administration, membership mailings.

Our Vision:

Preserving natural land. Urban restoration. Connecting greenspace. Protecting native wildlife. Community outreach and education. Making a difference together.

"Walk in kindness toward the earth and every living thing....."

Membership Levels of Support

	Individual, Fledgling ....................... $50.00
	Family, Flock .................................. $100.00
	Corporate, Small Blue Heron ...... $500.00
	Patron, Great Blue Heron .......... $1000.00

All donations welcome! Mail your tax deductible contribution to:
Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Inc.
2855 Peachtree Road #116
Atlanta, Georgia 30305

For information contact:
Nancy Jones
nancyjljones@mindspring.com

Older pictures, etc. about Blue Heron