American Goldfinch. Photo by Evan Barrientos, Audubon Photography Awards.
Celebrate the Fall Flyway Festival – All September Long!
Eastern Bluebird, Atlanta, Georgia, by
Kevin Lash/Audubon Photography Awards
This September, Birds Georgia invites you to celebrate the Fall Flyway Festival, a month-long series of in-person and virtual events highlighting the vital role native plants play in supporting birds and other wildlife. From hands-on workshops to expert-led talks, the festival is packed with opportunities to learn how gardening with native plants can help restore critical habitats right in your own backyard.
Habitat loss remains one of the biggest threats to Georgia’s bird populations. As urban areas expand and natural spaces shrink, native plants offer a powerful solution—providing essential food, shelter, and nesting sites. Thoughtful landscaping with native species can make a big impact, and this year's festival brings together leading partners including the Georgia Native Plant Society, Chattahoochee Nature Center, and Southeastern Grasslands Institute to share practical tools and inspiring ideas.
Events will take place throughout the month, so be sure to explore the full schedule below. Don’t miss the signature event, the Round Robin, happening September 13th at the Chattahoochee Nature Center!
Habitat loss remains one of the biggest threats to Georgia’s bird populations. As urban areas expand and natural spaces shrink, native plants offer a powerful solution—providing essential food, shelter, and nesting sites. Thoughtful landscaping with native species can make a big impact, and this year's festival brings together leading partners including the Georgia Native Plant Society, Chattahoochee Nature Center, and Southeastern Grasslands Institute to share practical tools and inspiring ideas.
Events will take place throughout the month, so be sure to explore the full schedule below. Don’t miss the signature event, the Round Robin, happening September 13th at the Chattahoochee Nature Center!
join us as a patron this september
We invite you to support Birds Georgia and our mission of building places where birds and people thrive through your individual Patron support of the Fall Flyway Festival. We are excited to offer a range of recognition benefits and special event opportunities in appreciation of your support.
Individuals may support the Fall Flyway Festival as Patrons at the $250 or $500 level. Benefits, depending on level of support, may include Patron recognition, tickets to the Round Robin, new Birds Georgia socks, and more.
Patron support of Fall Flyway Festival is a fun and meaningful way to increase your support of Birds Georgia this fall.
Individuals may support the Fall Flyway Festival as Patrons at the $250 or $500 level. Benefits, depending on level of support, may include Patron recognition, tickets to the Round Robin, new Birds Georgia socks, and more.
Patron support of Fall Flyway Festival is a fun and meaningful way to increase your support of Birds Georgia this fall.
A look at September 2025 events
Fall Flyway Festival Round Robin
Saturday, September 13
8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Birds Georgia at Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075
Tickets: $60 for Birds Georgia members/ $80 for non-members (includes lunch)
Kick off the day with a guided bird walk and a scenic exploration of the Nature Center’s trails and boardwalks. Throughout the morning, enjoy engaging programs focused on pollinators, native plants, and birds. The event will close on a high note with inspiring words from the “Prairie Preacher” himself—Dwayne Estes, Executive Director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, who will deliver the keynote presentation: "Dreaming Big: Saving the Forgotten Grasslands of the Southeast"
We'll also have hands-on sessions with experts from Birds Georgia, Georgia Native Plant Society, and Chattahoochee Nature Center teaching you how to transform your landscape using native plants. Join us!
Saturday, September 13
8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Birds Georgia at Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA 30075
Tickets: $60 for Birds Georgia members/ $80 for non-members (includes lunch)
Kick off the day with a guided bird walk and a scenic exploration of the Nature Center’s trails and boardwalks. Throughout the morning, enjoy engaging programs focused on pollinators, native plants, and birds. The event will close on a high note with inspiring words from the “Prairie Preacher” himself—Dwayne Estes, Executive Director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, who will deliver the keynote presentation: "Dreaming Big: Saving the Forgotten Grasslands of the Southeast"
We'll also have hands-on sessions with experts from Birds Georgia, Georgia Native Plant Society, and Chattahoochee Nature Center teaching you how to transform your landscape using native plants. Join us!
Schedule for Saturday, September 13
Time |
Event |
8:00 to 9:30 AM (optional) |
Optional Early Morning Trips (choose one) Trip 1: Invasive Plant Walk along the Westside Atlanta BeltLine, with Birds Georgia Habitat Team Trip 2: Bird Walk at Cascade Springs Nature Preserve, with Adam Betuel - this walk will begin at 8:15 AM since the gates sat Cascade Springs do not open until 8:00 AM |
8:30 to 9:30 AM (optional, for those preferring a later start) |
Tour of Native Plant Garden at Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse, with Trees Atlanta staff |
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM |
Arrival: Coffee, visit exhibitors and vendors |
10:00 to 10:30 AM |
Welcome and Introductions From Birds Georgia, Georgia Native Plant Society, and Trees Atlanta |
10:30 to 11:15 AM |
Plant and Bird Breakouts (2 sessions, choose one to attend) Session 1: Enjoy, Protect, and Learn from the Birds in your Neighborhood - Join bird experts to learn more about how you can better connect with the avian life near you while responsibly protecting them and supporting their conservation Session 2: Full sun, shade, or something in between: Exploring Native Plant Selection for your Greenspace - Rotate through three stations covering various light conditions and some of the many native plants that are adapted to them. This breakout will feature native nursery and plant experts who will help with your decision making and teach you to better understand the many factors that play into plant selection. |
11:30 to 12:15 PM |
Working Your Greenspace Panel This panel will feature landscape design, restoration, and land management experts who will provide insight into questions such as, the best timing for installing native plants, resources to assist private landowners, how to get started with native plant gardening, and more. |
12:15 to 1:15 PM |
Lunch (provided) Visit exhibitors and explore Native Plant Garden at Trees Atlanta |
1:15 to 2:15 PM |
Keynote Speaker: Jennifer Ceska Conservation Coordinator, State Botanical Garden of Georgia Connect to Protect: A Call to Action from a Conservation Botanist, in Solidarity and in Hope The news about our environment and our climate can seem daunting and overwhelming. But there is still hope ... and time ... to act. As bird and native plant lovers, we'll reflect on actions we can all take to help the environment, from air to water to biodiversity, right here in Georgia. Through stories, inspiration, and instructions for actions, Jennifer will share her vision to restore native plants to the land and share her conservation mission and vision of how we all can be part of the solution. We all have a part to play, and no garden or patio or homestead or right of way is too small. For the plants, the people, and the plenty of species that rely upon them, let’s get started! |
2:15 to 2:30 PM |
Closing Remarks |
Habitat Restoration Workdays
Volunteer Workday at Altama Plantation. Photo by Sarah Manning.
Join Birds Georgia and our partners, the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy and Trust for Public Land, for a habitat restoration workday at one of our restoration sites around the state.
All workdays are from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM unless otherwise noted.
Connect with the Birds Georgia staff to learn the importance of native plants and habitats for birds and other wildlife while helping to remove non-native weeds and other undesirable species from the garden space and replace them with bird-friendly native species.
Join us for one of the following workdays:
For more information or to sign up for these workdays, please visit our Volunteer page.
All workdays are from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM unless otherwise noted.
Connect with the Birds Georgia staff to learn the importance of native plants and habitats for birds and other wildlife while helping to remove non-native weeds and other undesirable species from the garden space and replace them with bird-friendly native species.
Join us for one of the following workdays:
- Saturday, September 7, at 9:00 AM – Lyon Farm Workday
- Monday, September 9, at 9:00 AM – Island Ford Pollinator Garden Workday
- Tuesday, September 17, at 9:00 AM – RiverLands Gateway Park Workday, with Trust for Public Land
- Saturday, September 21, at 9:00 AM – Cochran Shoals Workday
- Wednesday, September 25, at 9:00 AM – Campbellton Park Workday, with Trust for Public Land
For more information or to sign up for these workdays, please visit our Volunteer page.
thank you to our 2024 patrons
Click here for more information about supporting the Fall Flyway Festival as a Patron.
Laura Adams and Andrew Feiler
Brickworks Gallery
Carolyn and Max Brown
Mike and Maxine Chriszt
Linda DiSantis and Bob Kerr
Courtenay and George Dusenbury
Leslie Edwards and Jay Pakchar
Brynne and Marc Goncher
Paige Harvey
Melinda Langston
Ellen Miller
Nearly Native Nursery
Scott Porter and Scott Hayes
Irena Rowe
Esther and Jim Stokes
Michael Weaver
Lynn and Wink Weinberg
Diana Worthington-White
