Tag: blue heron

Introduction: Kayla Hira

by khira1
 Hello! My name is Kayla Hira, and I am a second-year student here at Georgia State University. I have a major in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Environmental Science and a minor in Biological Sciences. I chose this course “Urban Ecology and Environmental Conservation” because I wanted to learn more about my passion and major with the benefit of helping small communities and organizations with conserving the planet. I also wanted to volunteer because I wanted to see a difference in the communities around our city in the ways that they help our earth and spread knowledge on how others can help natural spaces as well. From the class, we have been reading excerpts and learning about what it means in the sense of natural lands, and how various places and perspectives came forth in conserving and defining what nature is. Many of the excerpts shed knowledge on their concepts of what is natural and what is inorganic and had their own experiences with places that are less fortunate to be conserved to push for a recognition of conservation and environmental help.  
 
The community partner I was matched with was the Blue Heron Nature Preserve, a 30-acre area of nature with various Environmental situations in woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and riparian. Thier aim is to engage people about the environments and natural habitats, protect/preserve the habitats and their heritages, provide a natural lab for various education and research, and advocate for preservation for urban communities. Some of the volunteer work I am excited about, particularly the Tree Survey and knowledge about carbon footprints in our area. Learning about meadows and how they are such an integral part of fighting climate change and being able to plant some native species and learn about meadows (prairies) is something I would like to expand on because I have always been interested in planting and cultivating flowers and small plants. Their ability to fit four different habitats for native plants and animal communities is something I wanted out of my community partner, because I wanted to get a full grasp of all aspects of environmental conservation, and the Blue Heron Nature Preserve reflects that. I also want to find out how different environments in Georgia impacted the natural parts and ecology of the state and how I can further impact people and have the knowledge to make a difference in environmental change. 
 

Citation-“The Nature Preserve.” Blue Heron Nature Preserve, August 25, 2022. https://bhnp.org/about/the-preserve/.

 
 

Ava & Milo: Blue Heron Nature Preserve

by Dr. Shannon Finck

For their community partner, Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Ava and Milo researched and created educational signage for a native plant and pollinator garden. Their 8-foot sign included facts about plants, insects, and birds that may be found in the garden as well as original art rendering the flora and fauna of the preserve. This spring, they mounted it in the garden at a height that would make it accessible to all visitors, including children.

Understanding the In’s and Out’s of a Non-profit Organization and Surveying Trees

by mvasquez10

  The Blue Heron Nature Preserve (BHNP) is more than just a pretty place to stretch your legs. During our time volunteering our coordinator has emphasized the importance of learning what it takes to keep a nonprofit organization moving toward its goals. During our first few weeks, we met with individuals from the different departments that help maintain the vision of the BHNP. Essentially, it can be broken down into four main categories; management, development; education; and environmental science. The Executive Director explained her role as the main representative of the BHNP to other organizations and government offices, she also is responsible for managing the staff and making final decisions about future operations and developments. Those on the development side are in charge of securing funding and planning outreach events with corporate and private donors. Education is one of the most important roles for this non-profit, not only for the hard work of planning summer camps, and after-school programs that require teaching staff, supplies, and a lot of forward planning but because it is through these programs that the BHNP receives most of their funding. And last but certainly not least is the environmental science department which acts as the guiding light for all decisions of development and educational program, making sure that preserving, caring for, and monitoring the precious ecosystems within the preserve are done in a beneficial and meaningful way. 

  Ava and I are volunteering under the environmental science department head, Denise Cardin, one of our duties is to help with the ongoing tree survey. A tree survey can be thought of as taking inventory of all the mature trees in the area, identifying them, taking measurements, marking their location, and noting any observations of poor health such as signs of rot, fungi, Ivy, and harmful pests.

Here we are working on one of the trees just outside the parking lot area. This was a fun tree to work on because it did not match any of the descriptions listed in provided Tree ID Booklet we were provided. Being a plant nerd, I took this as a challenge and tried my best to piece together a reasonable identification for it, my best guess was it was some kind of Yew, based on the branching pattern, and leaf orientation. Luckily, I have a plant ID app on my phone which came in handy once I figured out what I was looking for and was able to confirm that it was indeed a Yew tree. It was moments like these that I find the most rewarding working outside, I love learning more, and figuring things out like a puzzle. Ava was also extremely helpful taking notes as we talked and joked about anything and everything. 

  Next week we will begin work on our project, installing an educational sign that explains the importance of the locally endangered native flowers growing in the preserve. We are all really looking forward to getting started and bringing our vision to life!

First Day Takeaways: Blue Heron Nature Preserve

by astapleton3

                                     

On our first day of work with Blue Heron Nature Preserve, my classmate Milo Vasquez and I met with Executive Director Melody Harclerode and Conservation and Operations Director Denise Cardin. First, Denise greeted us and gave us a synopsis of the organization’s missions, current projects, and the kind of work we will be doing. Their official mission is to provide access to green space and environmental education in Atlanta, but they also want to provide a space for art to flourish as well, showing off original pieces by several different artists in the Atlanta area. Both Denise and Melody asked us in-depth questions about our strengths and our interests, and it was nice to see that they want to work with the skillsets we already have and give us a fulfilling opportunity based on that. Milo, who is very familiar with the plant life both here and in his home state of Oregon, has a deep level of interest and experience in Environmental Science, whereas my interests mostly lie in art and communication (though I have a healthy amount of experience in event coordination as well).

I’m excited for the two of us to get as hands-on as possible, especially since our strengths seem to complement each other. Denise also took Milo and me on a tour of the building and let us wander around one of their trails, where we discovered a community garden and compost space. During the tour, she asked us if we knew about heat islands, to which we replied affirmatively since that was defined for us in our class’s first reading, Atlanta City Design: Nature (published by the Department of City Planning). Heat islands are a problem we see in Atlanta often, where infrastructure in urban areas absorb and trap heat from the sun, which negatively affects the climate and air pollution levels. We discussed the role of tree canopies and how integral they are to protecting heat islands, specifically with the lack of green space here in Atlanta. What shocked me the most was when she showed us a marsh out the window attached to a stream (pictured above left) and told us that it used to be a lake. She said that people in the neighborhood adjacent to the preserve remember ice skating on the lake in the Winter, which is unfathomable to think about looking at it now.

Last, Milo and I had an opportunity to sit and talk with Melody and ask her any sort of questions we may have had. Milo definitely had me beat in the question department, but I think we’ll both learn best as we go along and think of possible questions as they arise. Our first task will be to survey the trees throughout the space and measure their circumference. I am eager for more of this type of work in the future and excited about all the new information I expect to learn throughout my time with Blue Heron Nature Preserve.