Birds Georgia Receives NFWF Grant for Habitat Restoration at Cochran Shoals

Birds Georgia has been awarded a grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through its Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program to restore 23 acres of habitat at the Cochran Shoals Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNA), enhancing one of metro Atlanta’s most vital wildlife corridors.

Birds Georgia and partners, with funding support from Southern Company, will restore 4 acres of meadow and 19 acres of riparian forest and wetland currently impacted by invasive species and non-native vegetation. Building on 16.5 acres of previous restoration work completed in 2025 – funded by a Bill Terrell Avian Conservation Grant from the Georgia Ornithological Society – this new phase expands efforts to an additional 6.5 acres, creating a more resilient and connected habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.

“This project represents a major step forward in restoring one of the most important migratory corridors in our region,” said Gabe Andrle, director of conservation at Birds Georgia. “By improving habitat quality and increasing native biodiversity, we’re not only supporting birds and wildlife, but improving the health of the entire Chattahoochee River watershed.”

Once used for agriculture and recreation, parts of the Cochran Shoals landscape have become dominated by invasive plants and woody encroachment, reducing native plant diversity and limiting habitat for insects and birds. This project will reverse those impacts through invasive species removal, native plant installation, and ongoing habitat management.

The restoration effort comes at a critical time for bird conservation. Studies show North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, including a 53% decline in grassland species and a 28% decline in migratory birds overall. Cochran Shoals provides important habitat for high-priority species identified in Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan, including the Grasshopper Sparrow and Henslow’s Sparrow, as well as other focal species such as the Wood Thrush, Prothonotary Warbler, and Rusty Blackbird.

In addition to ecological restoration, the project emphasizes community engagement and education. Birds Georgia and its partners will host volunteer workdays, bird walks, and interpretive programs, reaching an estimated 300 community members and engaging at least 160 volunteers in hands-on conservation activities. Monitoring efforts will include community science data collected through eBird as well as advanced acoustic monitoring technology.

The project is a collaborative effort involving five key partners: the Georgia Native Plant Society, National Park Service, Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, and the Georgia Tech Birdwatchers Club. Together, these organizations will leverage their expertise and networks to advance habitat restoration, expand community outreach, and build long-term stewardship capacity.

This is the eighth award that Birds Georgia has received from The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program, which seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing financial assistance to local partnerships. Projects focus on restoration of wetland, forest, riparian and coastal habitats; stormwater management; outreach and stewardship, with a particular focus on water quality; watersheds; and the habitats they support.

​The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program is sponsored by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) with major funding provided by U.S Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, FedEx, Southern Company, and UBS Optimus Foundation.