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.
FIELD CONSERVATION RESEARCH
The Field Research Center (FRC) is a transformed standalone garage that now serves as a 100% off-the-grid solar powered research facility.
Land O Lakes, home of the FRC, is four acres of serenity.
- The Amphibian Foundation utilizes the FRC as a home base for the Metamorphosis Meadow – a conservation breeding project for the highly endangered Frosted Flatwood Salamanders.
- The Atlanta Audubon Society researches bird populations at Land O Lakes. See the Bird Survey here.
METAMORPHASIS MEADOW
The Amphibian Foundation
Land O Lakes has a patch of several big tubs next to the FRC. These tubs are mesocosms, aka miniature ecosystems, that were built by The Amphibian Foundation. The mesocosms hold baby Frosted Flatwood Salamanders which are a highly endangered species.
The Amphibian Foundation utilized the mesocosms to restore endangered species like the Frosted Flatwoods Salamander, the Gopher Frog, the Striped Newt, and the Tiger Salamander.
SOLAR ENERGY
Through a partnership with Radiance Solar, Sonnen Batterie, RedBird LED, Cantsink, and many volunteers, the Field Research Center became a 100% off-the-grid facility.
Radiance Solar and Sonnen Batterie collect data from this facility to gather data on how off-the-grid systems operate.
FRC Native Garden
The Field Research Center (FRC) 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 among the most critical need of conservation management.
Whenever possible we will try to obtain these endangered natives to preserve Georgia’s biodiversity ecosystem.
GEOLOGY OF BLUE HERON
Latitude = 33 degrees, 51.9 minutes N; Longitude = 84 degrees, 22.8 minutes W
The entire Blue Heron property (and the bulk of the Nancy Creek watershed) is located in what is called the “Buttton Schist” formation. What it means is that this rock is highly metamorphosed, not from the Pangaean Orogeny, but from the effects of motion on the Brevard Fault Zone that runs right through Atlanta.
When rock is subjected to long-term stress in faults it results in unique characters that are unmistakable to the trained eye.
The primary characteristic is of the rock being metamorphosed to the schist level and the schist having a “button” or “fish-scale” texture of the micas.
We search for mica textures during Outdoor Education programs at the Preserve, and at surrounding schools. Kids love seeing the sparkle of the micas within the rock!