CONSERVATION RESEARCH AT THE BLUE HERON
NATURE & TECHNOLOGY
Tree Canopy Study
Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Georgia Tech, and the City of Atlanta are partnering for a unique tree canopy study over the Preserve. Our team is leveraging the latest technology to establish a benchmark for the health of our forest in 2023.
Each season, a drone flies over to capture detailed images of the four ecosystems: wetlands, riparian, woodlands, and meadows. This process will be repeated in three to five year intervals. Blue Heron Nature Preserve will collect, compare and analyze data to address watershed challenges, remediation, and overall health of the trees. Our research will also allow us to be resilient in the challenges of climate change.
Natives Garden
Native Pollinator Garden
The garden started in the fall of 2021, with the help of many volunteers who clear a portion of the land, mended the soil, planted several varieties of native plants and spread mulch. We are so thankful to our volunteers!
Together we have planted 83 flowers in 18 different species all native to Georgia. See list here.
There are three “high priority species” that are at risk of extinction per the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and are in greatest need of conservation. Growing and maintaining these species preserves the biodiversity of Georgia’s native ecosystems.
METAMORPHASIS MEADOW
Amphibian Conservation
In the Land O Lakes section of the Preserve you can see a series of large tubs. These tubs are mesocosms, aka miniature ecosystems, built by The Amphibian Foundation for the purpose of protecting and breeding several endangered amphibian species.
Some species included are the Frosted Flatwoods Salamander, the Gopher Frog, the Striped Newt, and the Tiger Salamander.
