If you are tired of traffic, long lines, deadlines, and cement, there is a green haven in southwest Cobb County called Heritage Park. Here you can walk, run, or stroll along the 1.7-mile Heritage Park Trail that passes through the woods along Nickajack Creek. Fido is welcome, too, as long as he's on a leash. At the trailhead there's a stone and wood visitors' building with restrooms, water, and picnic tables overlooking the forest. After winding through the woods and over a wetland spanned by a boardwalk, the Heritage Park Trail ends at an old mill site and links to the Silver Comet Trail.

What's this got to do with the Georgia Native Plant Society? GNPS decided it would be great to plant rescued Georgia native plants in a common area where they could thrive, where the community could learn about them, and where they could be enjoyed by people and native wildlife alike. So the GNPS entered into an agreement with "Keep Cobb Beautiful" to maintain 25 feet on each side of the Heritage Park Trail for the first two-tenths of a mile.

On the 2^nd Saturday of each month, GNPS members meet at the trailhead to check on the progress of "our" small portion of the Park, add new plants, remove unwanted invasives and non-native plants, and to learn more about native plants in a native plant setting. We also bring native plants to trade with fellow volunteers. It is at once satisfying, educational, and beneficial to the Park, its furred and feathered residents, and to all who pass through it. The area contains many native plant species, including magnificent beeches, black walnut trees, umbrella magnolia, box elder, spicebush, red buckeye, mayapple, bloodroot, toothwort, muscadine vines, native cane, and others.

We invite you to enjoy this wonderful resource and to join other GNPS members at the trailhead of Heritage Park each 2^nd Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. until noon. Bring your gloves, gardening tools, and any native plants you'd like to donate to the park or trade with other workers. If you can't come then, we hope you can stop by at some point to experience this enchanting, natural place. Please visit the Events of Interest page under the GNPS Restoration Programs heading for the latest information on workdays and driving directions.

Participants -

Price Crafts, Sheri George, Connie Ghosh, Dave McDaniel, John Purcell, Marcia Winchester

Work done -

The biggest task was to spread mulch that the Parks district had brought and left on the tarmac. John Purcell (Cobb County Parks & Recreation) was there with a powered cat-track bucket-shovel, and he scooped and dumped for two hours. About 3-4 cubic yards were placed behind the bench located at trailhead. Before that could be done, however, a number of saplings in that spot were removed using a weed wrench.

The second-biggest task was to put into the ground a dozen or more bags and flats of rescued plants (see list below). These were placed along both sides of the trail (shade) and in the butterfly garden (sunny), as appropriate. Seeds of a number of different species were also planted in these areas.

Two beautyberries were removed from the butterfly garden. One of these was re-planted on the site; the other was adopted by one of the workers to be replanted at home.

Several other trail-segment volunteers came by, and there was a discussion with them about possible native plant restoration to a section of trail that had been sprayed with herbicide (on the other side of the creek, along a sewer-line easement). To date the Parks department has agreed to take over maintenance of this segment, and has affirmed that its policy is not to use herbicide. However, no arrangements appear to be in place at present to restore the lost native vegetation and/or to inventory what remains.

Observations -

The weather was very fine, being sunny and with unusually warm temperatures reaching nearly 80 degrees. The wet weather of the last month and a half, however, has had its effect on the site. Both the small pond and the “moat” at the lower level of the site were filled with water, higher than at any time since GNPS has been involved with the trail. The wetlands beyond (power line right of way) were also flooded.

A bluebird house installed some time ago was observed to have the front panel pulled off, exposing the nest inside. Squirrels were suspected to be the “vandals” in this case.

Birdcalls heard included those of the Eastern Phoebe, Red-tailed Hawk, Carolina Wren, Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Mockingbird, American Crow, and Bluejay. Other wildlife seen included Yellow Sulfur butterfly and Green Anole (lizard).

Plants list -

Plants that were put into the ground included numerous christmas ferns; grape fern, rattlesnake fern, ebony spleenwort, tipularia, liatris pilosa, ironweed, aster concolor, georgia aster, aster patens, rudbeckia, green-&-gold, iris verna, bird’s-foot violet, common ginger, phlox amoena, wild quinine, houstonia, and liverwort; and american holly, sparkleberry, and beaked hazel. Seeds planted included those of cardinal flower, joe pye weed, and heuchera.

Plans for next workday -

A number of azaleas (R. canescens) have been tagged at a rescue site for rescue for the Park. It is planned to have them dug and brought for the next workday. The back section of the butterfly garden should be attended to (weeding and removal of any saplings). Invasives in that area and beyond it (particularly English ivy) should be removed.

One precaution: Since the bench is located near the largest surviving beech in our trail segment, all care should be taken to avoid damage to its roots when planting shrubs and bushes in that area. I have been told that beeches are rather intolerant of any disturbance to their roots.

	John Purcell, Cobb County Parks and Recreation, moving compost with a cool tool...we all want one!		John resting with Price, Connie and Dave
	Marcia		Connie, Dave and Sheri
	Re-working butterfly garden starting with removing large American beautyberry		mapleleaf viburnum
	oakleaf hydrangea		oak
	dogwood		sycamore
	beautyberry		pokeweed berries
	An inviting place to rest by the pond thanks to the hard work of the group throughout the year pulling privet and other invasive plants.