Over the past few weeks, we have been on track at Blue Heron Nature Preserve. So much has happened that I don’t know where to begin! Maybe it could be 3/25, a critical day for our work of regeneration. On that day, people from EcoLogic came to help take care of the meadow, and we were supposed to assist them with the regeneration process. I learned tons of new things that day. At first, I could hardly distinguish plant species in the field – “They’re all green!” But after that work day I am able to tell a lot of different species! The experts of EcoLogic taught me how to tell which invasive species they were looking for: honeysuckles with red stems, privets with clusters of tiny leaves, and blackberries with thorns. I feel a bit sorry for blackberries because their white flowers might be good for pollinators. But they say it’s easy for blackberries to overgrow and make thorns everywhere, including trails in the nature preserve. At the same time, overgrown blackberries can crowd out native plants, so we have to cut some of them off to keep them under control in our meadow. The photo below a species called English Ivy, which can embed itself under the bark and can become a threat to large trees when it grows up.

People at EcoLogic also taught me how to stand on an slope correctly. No matter where your body is facing, make sure your feet are in the same direction as the slope so they don’t slide off. They were also concerned about my safety and let me use tools with longer handles to avoid getting stung by thorns in close contact. Also, Your socks are best tucked into your pant legs to prevent your ankles from getting bitten by bugs or touching poisonous vines. I helped EcoLogic for a whole shift – It was tired but really meaningful! I learned a lot about botany and wilderness survival during this shift.

We also recently helped Blue Heron clear a lawn area to make room for pollinator-friendly plants later. But we gained something more than this: At that time, I suddenly realized I might be able to calculate the carbon fixation of this greenspace if I collected all grasses removed here, which meets the current need of carbon fixation measurements at Blue Heron. We found that the weight of these organic matters is 64lbs. We did an estimate for the dry weight to be about 45-50%, and after calculation, we got a carbon fixation rate of about 0.335 kg carbon / m^2. This is not a big number for the meadow’s capacity for carbon fixation, but it’s just a sparse lawn! As we plant denser grass and more flowering plants, the carbon fixation here will definitely grow greater. This photo is of Deja and me in front of the lawn we plowed.

We also participated in GSURC with the knowledge and data we now have! Although, I’d like to save that for another check-in blog, because we have a lot to say. Meanwhile, the next working day with EcoLogic is also approaching. We’ll see it then!

For a couple of weeks now, I’ve been working on-site at WAWA as part of the 50th Anniversary Oral History and Archival Project. The goal of this project is to digitize photographs and preserve the history of the organization, its people, and its environmental justice work in West Atlanta. My role involves scanning and cataloging photographs according to specific albums and themes, carefully documenting the visual narrative and history that dates back to the establishment of the organization. Each image in this project tells a unique story, with plants, people, and landscapes reflecting resistance, environmental justice, and community initiatives to transform West Atlanta neighborhoods.

WAWA’s history is rooted in fighting against discriminatory wastewater practices, but their work doesn’t just stop there. Alongside resistance, WAWA has built a legacy of education and stewardship in Atlanta, especially in places like the Outdoor Activity Center and several parks around the city. While cataloging, I came across a series of photos from the Outdoor Activity Center, with kids exploring the trails, attending workshops, and engaging with the land. These images have been especially impactful as they feel alive and present. The center is more than just greenspace at WAWA, it is a natural, living classroom for the community. Being on-site every week has this similar feeling, as the space itself with its rooms, walls, and surrounding environment feels like it holds the memories of the people and kids captured in those photographs. The Oral History Project has also allowed me to connect with the people who work at WAWA now. I’ve had the chance to ask questions and share images, making it clear how they too, are part of this space’s living history. As I scan and catalog the photos, I often feel like I’ve stepped back into the 1990s, standing in the exact spot where a photo was once taken. It allows me to observe how the space has changed while still holding onto the same spirit. The wooden walls, the open classroom space, and the trails outside preserve the energy of the past, where people have worked and learned to care for the environment with their community by their side.

This sense of continuity is serene, and it ties into my interests in photography. As someone who’s always loved photography, I understand how powerful images can be in preserving memory and evoking nostalgia. The photos I work with are more than just pictures. They are archives of moments that tell significant stories, especially of those of the African American and Indigenous communities in West and Southwest Atlanta. Working on this project has been personally meaningful, as I feel connected to my community, while also ensuring that those who came before me are not forgotten or erased. This forward-facing project is also essential to the local history of Atlanta. The images reveal the foundation of WAWA through grassroots organizing, protection, and education from within our communities. They tell the stories of people who cared enough to act and educate others, and of the people who built something bigger to preserve their environment and create a better future for their neighborhoods. As I continue working through the albums, I’m excited to see how these archives will eventually come together for students, families, activists, and anyone else who wants to better understand the environmental justice movement in Atlanta.

I have so far had a wonderful experience at Wild Nest. Everybody was so informative and polite. In more detail so you (the reader) can understand the dynamics a little more: the shift is broken down like this. We have a shift leader, people from entry levels, level one, and level two. Those are the people that are included in a shift; it is a combination of teamwork and hierarchy mentorship. But there is an overall atmosphere of passion and respect. 

What surprised me was how some ladies can look at a bird and go, “That’s a house finch!” or “That hummingbird is male, I can tell by the color on its neck.” Even for just a second when one is a short stop from flying by, they can tell. I have always just said “that bird” or “this bird,” so to be around people who can differentiate the difference so effortlessly is impressive. 

The only critique I have about the place so far is because there are so many different leaders and different personalities, I find I overhear miscommunication. For example, one shift leader may be like, “Feed the baby finches like this,” and the next will be like, “No, don’t do it like that, do it like this,” which is slightly confusing because you have to remember what each leader specifically likes. 

The entire time I’ve been volunteering, there has been a warning of “watch out for baby bird season. It is going to be so busy,” but so far it has been extremely slow. I overheard some other volunteers, confused as to why they don’t know why this year there seems to be a delay. Even though I have already served my 24 hours and completed my honors requirements, I plan to continue doing it because I want to see the adrenaline rush everyone is talking about when the building is at its peak of birds. 

At this point, I still don’t feel comfortable touching the mealworms or anything of that nature, but there are a lot of simple tasks like sweeping and cleaning tables, and there are more complex tasks like mealworm care and making repashy. I plan to go to the baby bird workshop this Saturday, and I can’t wait. 

The links below show the outside of Wild Nest Rehab!

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I am currently working with the Wild Nest Bird Rehab Center and so far, I have learned so much already from the ins and outs of bird care. This also includes meal preps for the various bird species according to their ages and cleaning their enclosures to ensure their maximum comfort in their space. Moreover, I have also met so many amazing volunteers around the area that has a great care and passion for ensuring the safety and survival of the various songbird species in Georgia. There is so much that I have found interesting so far while volunteering for the Wild Nest Bird Rehabilitation Center. One of the things I have found the most interesting is learning and preparing the various meal preps for the various bird species. From the dirt baths full of earthworms and bowls of mealworms for the Adult House Finches to large fruit mixes for Adult Cedar Waxwings. Another thing I found interesting while volunteering at the Wild Nest Bird Rehab Center is how tedious and delicate you must be with all the songbirds because one misstep may determine the future of the bird’s survival. This has also taught me to have much more of an appreciation for rehabilitation centers, such as the Wild Nest, since they prioritize the survival of Georgia Native Songbirds. This also made have more of an appreciation of the wild native Georgian songbirds that helps with major issues, such as global warming and ecosystem support. Songbirds can vary in ways they help with the ecosystem and habitats they live in by acting as pest control, pollinators, and seed dispersers. Additionally, songbirds can help maintain healthy ecosystems; however, with global warming, which songbirds are sensitive to, can impact the health of the ecosystem and regulation of the climate. With this in mind, I wanted to spread more awareness of the importance of songbirds to ecosystems in Georgia. Additionally, I wanted to spread more awareness of the most common ways that these songbirds that the Wild Nest receives are usually because of window collision, habitat degradation, and housecat attacks. Nonetheless, I wanted my project to specifically focus on habitat degradation and the impact it has on Georgia’s climate. Additionally, I would like to bring up talking points regarding urbanization in many areas around Georgia, which increases fatal window collisons for many songbirds. Overall, I feel as though I learned so much and cannot wait until I incorporate what I have learned into the project.

Hi all,

Just a little update, due to the storms last week, both Liauna and I were unable to volunteer, however, we were given a task instead and that was to place printed stickers on the plastic stakes for the plants describing when the plants were planted and what the plants are; check the picture below. We were also given the opportunity to help developing an online platform for self-directed learning about Georgia’s native plants. This includes 3-4 hours of using the Educational Platform, which includes logging into the platform, Canvas, and navigating the web portal, reading the materials in a couple of the modules and taking the self-check quizzes. We have not started with that, however we will be in the upcoming week.

For our project, we were inspired to reintroduce the native plant sale at the Decatur campus, as they have a botanical garden and would previously hold these native plant sales through propagation. Instead of just reintroducing the program, we want to change it, as there will be more student involvement from the sustainability club. We would also take inspiration from the SMPP and try to propagate plants that everyday people can have in their yard or at home that are native to Georgia, hopefully with less maintenance. Our project will include a plan that will be given to the university sustainability initiative office and to the sustainability club to gain their insights and hopefully approval for the project. The project will also include a presentation to the class and to the different people involved, also members of the GNPS will be invited as well, to present our findings to the different groups involved.

Our project serves to push the ideals that are most important to the GNPS as we want to promote the spread of native plants over invasives. One of the things I have loved about working with GNPS has been the passion of the members involved to the goal. They also tend to weave in other important ideas within sustainability and native plants, such as environmental justice. Our main source of contact, Kelley Hanada, has shown such a large passion and genuine curiosity about natives and invasives, and seemingly is still continuing to learn things form some of the other members of GNPS, as nobody knows all the answers.

Overall, I hope the weather doesn’t further inhibit our work and we continue to learn from the passionate volunteers and employees of the GNPS

See you next week!