The Athens-East Piedmont Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society

Overview

The Athens-East Piedmont Chapter of the Georgia Native Plant Society is active in the Athens and East Piedmont area.

Contact

You can reach us by email or visit our Facebook page.

How can I join?

For current members, login and update your chapter affiliation through the chapter affiliation form. For new or renewing members, you can also select your chapter affiliation on the membership form.

Chapter News & Events

Athens-East Piedmont Chapter 2024 Meeting Schedule

Thanks to the excellent work of Connie Gray, here’s the list of events for 2024:

January 14, 2024 – Sunday – 2:00 – 3:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens* – Speaker Presentation and Plant Swap**:
Presentation Topic: An Overview of Piedmont Plant Communities
Speaker and Description: One way to understand our natural areas is to view them as different plant communities – associations of plants that grow together within a specific set of environmental conditions at given points in time. Plant communities can also be used as inspiration for how we design our native landscapes. Connie Gray had the privilege while in graduate school to work as a teaching assistant and later an instructor in the Plant Communities of the Southeast course then offered in the School of Environmental Design. That experience helped shape the direction of her later work in assessment, restoration and management of natural areas in Georgia. Following the meeting, we hold a native seed swap for those who are interested. It’s fine to bring your seeds into the building.

Feb 24, 2024 – Saturday – 9:00 am – 12 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens*:
Join Us for a Viewing Party of the First Day of the GNPS Annual Symposium
In lieu of our normal February meeting, we will be holding a viewing party of the GNPS Annual Symposium. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn from native plant experts and also socialize with our local chapter members rather than watching the symposium remotely at home. Although anyone is welcome to attend, you must have registered for the event in advance and bring proof of registration with you. It’s only $20 to attend both days of the symposium, so we highly encourage you to register for both days and join us if you’re able.

Feb 25, 2024 – Sunday – 2:00 – 4:30 pm at the Sandy Creek Nature Center:
Join Us for a Viewing Party of the Second Day of the GNPS Annual Symposium
In lieu of our normal February meeting, we will be holding a viewing party of the GNPS Annual Symposium. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn from native plant experts and also socialize with our local chapter members rather than watching the symposium remotely at home. Although anyone is welcome to attend, you must have registered for the event in advance and bring proof of registration with you. It’s only $20 to attend both days of the symposium, so we highly encourage you to register for both days and join us if you’re able.

May 4, 2024 – Saturday – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Sunrise NurseryOur First Chapter Native Plant Sale!
Choose from a wide selection of native perennials, grasses, ferns, shrubs, and trees grown locally by Chapter members or by regional native plant nurseries. Many of these plants are not commonly available commercially. Plants offered will largely be straight species and have all been grown without neonicotinoids. Proceeds of the sale will be used to support local conservation and restoration projects, provide educational programming, and promote the use of native plants to increase biodiversity and support native pollinators and wildlife. A plant list will be posted online in advance of the sale. GNPS members will receive a 10% discount.

TBD 2024 – Time TBD at the ACC Extension office on Cleveland Road – Invasive Plant Workshop
This event is a collaborative program among our Chapter, ACC Office of Sustainability, contractor Gary Crider, ACC Extension Office, UGA Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystems Health, and Georgia Invasive Species Council (formerly the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, GA-EPPC). We intend to have a detailed agenda available by October 18. If any members of our Chapter would like to assist the day of the workshop, please contact Connie Gray. This will probably entail small tasks such as helping with room set up, setting up a snack and drink table, distributing handouts, and other tasks.

*In exchange for allowing groups to use the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens’s meeting spaces for free, they do ask that we take a collection during our meeting asking for donations to the UUFA. There is no obligation that you provide a donation in order to attend these meetings, and if you choose to donate, there’s no requirement as to the amount. These donations go to cover things like utilities and for their generous agreement to provide us with access to the facility outside of normal hours.

**For all of our plant/seed swaps, please leave your plants in your car. All plant swaps are held outside after the Chapter meeting concludes.

Athens Chapter Interest Meeting

Are you in the Athens area and interested in joining a new GNPS chapter? If so, please join us for a virtual Athens chapter interest meeting on Saturday, May 15 at 2 PM. Once you register you will receive the instructions for joining the event.

Click here to register for the Athens Chapter Interest Meeting.

What we’ll be focusing on during the meeting:

  • Meeting other chapter area members
  • Reviewing the chapter quick start guide
  • Choosing the startup committee
  • Discussing the name of the chapter
  • Discussing potential meeting locations
  • and more!

We look forward to “seeing” you there!

 

Upcoming chapter events

GNPS Menu

Pin It on Pinterest