Birds georgia leads restoration of "sparrow field" at cochran shoals unit of the chattahoochee river national recreation area

“The Sparrow Field” sits at the heart of the Cochran Shoals Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, in Cobb County, Georgia.

Once used for recreation, the field had become overgrown with invasive plants and woody vegetation. 

Now, it has been transformed into a thriving native habitat for birds and pollinators, thanks to a major restoration effort led by Birds Georgia and key partners.

Supported by a grant from the Georgia Ornithological Society, our Birds Georgia Habitat Team worked with partners from the National Park Service, Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy, Georgia Native Plant Society, and a dedicated group of volunteers to remove invasive species, plant native wildflowers and grasses, and spread locally-sourced seeds to bring this habitat back to life.

This restoration project is already making an impact. A Henslow's Sparrow (listed as a High Priority Species on Georgia's State Wildlife Action Plan) was recently observed at the site and reported on eBird.

As native plants take root and the landscape continues to evolve, the Sparrow Field is once again becoming a place where birds thrive, and a model for what’s possible through collaborative, locally-informed habitat restoration.

Learn more about our Birds Georgia habitat restoration work here: https://www.birdsgeorgia.org/habitat-restoration.html