Ruby-throated Humingbird by Christy Cox
What's Good for birds is good for people, too
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From the mountains to the coast and everywhere in between, Georgia is home to many unique ecosystems that our resident birds depend on year-round and that migratory birds use as and by migratory birds use during their epic migratory journeys as places to rest and refuel.
Sadly, many of the birds arrive to find habitat destroyed by development, over-run by exotic species, or polluted and depleted by human use. As part of our mission to build places where birds and people thrive, Birds Georgia is working to restore healthy, bird-friendly habitats across the state. |
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Habitat restoration projects focus on removing exotic and invasive vegetation, managing ecosystems, and planting native bird-friendly plant species. Our goal is to help create and maintain a functioning native ecosystem that benefits all organisms, including birds, wildlife, and people. Our projects range from nest box placement, invasive plant removal, native plant installation, and bird banding to nest monitoring, and educational displays. Learn more about our current and past projects below, or visit our Q&A page to learn more about our work.
Current restoration projects
The Sparrow Field at Cochran Shoals CRNRA. Photo by Adam Betuel.
Cochran Shoals Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation AreaThrough a generous grant from the Bill Terrell Avian Conservation Grant from the Georgia Ornithological Society (GOS), Birds Georgia is embarking on a habitat restoration project that will restore riparian meadows and wildlife corridors along the Chattahoochee River. The restoration project will focus on restoring early successional habitat at the Cochran Shoals Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA), with an initial focus on the Sparrow Field, a popular area for bird watchers.
Birds Georgia is working with the Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy and the CRNRA to complete this work. Learn more about this grant. |
Laverlea Preserve is managed by the Central Savannah River Land Trust. Photo by Heather Levy.
Laverlea Preserve with the Lower Savannah River Land TrustBirds Georgia was recently awarded a grant from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Program for a project titled, Grassroots Grasslands: A Community Restoration Effort to Re-establish Native Plants for Pollinators and Birds in Evans, Georgia.
As part of the grant work, Birds Georgia will partner with the Central Savannah River Land Trust, among other local partners, to restore 11 acres of fallow pastures to native grassland habitat for pollinators and birds within a recently donated preserve, engaging the local community through volunteer workdays and educational opportunities. Learn more about this grant. |
Lyon Farm at Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. Photo by Sebastian Hagan.
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Lyon Farm at Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area |
Chattahoochee Riverlands Camp & Paddle Trail |
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Birds Georgia was recently awarded a grant to restore habitat in the South River Watershed for the benefit of birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. The project site is located within the Lyon Farm area of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, adjacent to the South River in southern DeKalb County.
As part of the restoration effort, Birds Georgia will work with local partners and volunteers to remove non-native vegetation from 10 acres of the South River Watershed and install 5,400 bird-friendly native plants and 40 pounds of seed to the area to provide high quality habitat for birds and other species. Throughout the process, Birds Georgia will engage local community members through volunteer projects, bird and wildlife monitoring, and public outreach and education programming. This project is made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from FedEx, Southern Company, and SalesForce. Learn more about this property. |
The Chattahoochee River and its adjacent habitat serve as one of the most valuable corridors for birds across the state of Georgia and the entire southeast. Hundreds of species nest, overwinter, or pass through these spaces, finding rich food sources and secure resting places.
In partnership with the Chattahoochee RiverLands, Birds Georgia is restoring bird-friendly habitat along the Chattahoochee RiverLands Camp and Paddle Trail, a 48-mile trail that spans the Chattahoochee River from the Standing Peachtree Greenspace in Atlanta to Chattahoochee Bend State Park in Coweta County. The trail offers a new kayak launch site at Atlanta’s Standing Peachtree Greenspace, an overnight camping opportunity at Campbellton Park in Chattahoochee Hills, a new camping site at a new park in Chattahoochee Hills called RiverLands Park, and a final stop at the beautiful McIntosh Reserve in Carroll County. The trail is expected to open in late 2024. Birds Georgia’s Habitat Team is removing invasive species and restoring native, bird-friendly plants at each site along the Chattahoochee RiverLands Camp & Paddle Trail to improve each habitat for native birds. |
Panola Mountain State ParkOpen to the public
Managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Learn more about this property |
Pollinator garden at Island Ford Unit. Photo by Logan Jones.
Wildlife Sanctuary at the Island Ford Unit of Chattahoochee River National Recreation areaOpen to the public
Managed by Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area At the Island Ford Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, the team has reinvigorated a fantastic pollinator garden just outside of the park headquarters. Chock full of native plants, like American beautyberry, ironweed, mountain mint, and rattlesnake master, the garden is a pollinator's paradise thanks to the many flowering grassland species that may be found in this landscape. Just as the insects benefit from this landscape, so do the many birds that migrate through or nest along the Chattahoochee and find themselves with a healthier selection of food sources. Birds Georgia is working with the Chattahoochee Park Conservancy (CNPC) to complete this work. CNPC is also providing funding for this project. |
Jekyll IslandOpen to the public
Managed by the Jekyll Island Authority Birds Georgia is partnering with the Jekyll Island Authority and other organizations to restore more than 10 acres on Jekyll Island to improve habitat currently overrun by non-native plants and protect dune areas of Jekyll Island to make them more resilient and ecologically rich. As part of the project, Birds Georgia’s habitat restoration crew and volunteers are removing non-native invasive plant species, primarily Bahia Grass (Paspalum notatum) and Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), and installing native plant vegetation, including approximately 15,000 native coastal grasses, primarily Muhlenbergia sericea. |
Wilburn Farm at Arabia Mountain National Heritage areaOpen to the public
Managed by Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Birds Georgia has been awarded a grant from National Fish & Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program to restore 19 acres of Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve at the historic Wilburn Farm to promote biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency. This is Birds Georgia’s third focal site centered on the South River Watershed in southern DeKalb County. Birds Georgia will work with a network of regional and statewide organizations, including Georgia Native Plant Society, DeKalb County, Arabia Mountain Heritage Alliance, and the Georgia Conservancy, to remove non-native vegetation from 19-acres of the Wilburn Farm site and install bird-friendly native plants and seed to provide high quality habitat for birds and other species. In collaboration with other partner organizations, Birds Georgia has pledged to engage with at least 100 volunteers and 300 local community members through volunteer projects, bird and wildlife monitoring, and public outreach and education programming. Learn more about this project. |
Past Projects
Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary
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Deepdene park |
Friendship forest |
Henderson Park Native Plant and Wildlife walkOpen to the public.
Trail managed by Friends of Henderson Park Learn more about the restoration effort |
Candler Park |
Land O' Lakes |
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Coopers Furnace |
Emma wetlands |
Little Creek Horse Farm |
A Chimney Swift Tower in the Exhibitat at Piedmont Park. Photo by Jesse Burke.
THe exhibitat at Piedmont ParkOpen to the public. Managed by the Piedmont Park Conservancy
Click here to learn more about this project |
Common Yellowthroat. Photo by Megumi Aita, Audubon Photography Awards.
The confluence |
Cascade Springs Nature PreserveOpen to the public
Managed by the Friends of Cascade Springs Nature Preserve |
BIg Creek Greenway Alpharetta |
Partners
Partnerships and collaboration are central to our habitat improvement projects. Our partners not only include groups who own, preserve, or manage land, but also those who provide environmental expertise, volunteer support, community outreach, and resources.
Blue Heron Nature Preserve
South Fork Conservancy
National Audubon Society
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Rock Spring Restorations
Trees Atlanta
Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds
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Greening Youth Foundation
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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Georgia Native Plant Society
US Fish and Wildlife Service
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