Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Strolling on Georgia Wildlife Federation Trails

Returning from one of our outings, we stopped at the Georgia Wildlife Federation to walk on their trails along the Alcovy River. The Alcovy River is 80 miles long running through both sparsely populated and developed lands and is unpolluted.

Here is a map of Georgia showing the little Alcovy River almost in the center (photo from the University of Georgia Library):

The Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF) “Promoting the wise use of Georgia ’s natural resources” is a member-supported not-for-profit conservation organization. Its headquarters, the Alcovy Conservation Center, are in Covington, Georgia, east of Atlanta. The center is located on 115 beautiful acres replete with a main building complex of offices, classrooms, conference rooms and a library. The property also includes a retreat house, pavilions and a rustic log cabin. It sits on the banks of the Alcovy River, where wildlife, woodland, wetland and native plants abound.

Wild flower in front of the Center - (click on any picture to enlarge it)



GWF offers some interesting programs such as Georgia Hunters for the Hungry, Wildlife Habitats, Georgia Water Coalition, Adopt-A-Stream, etc. To view all the programs and worthy causes of the Georgia Wildlife Federation please click here.


The GWF Alcovy Conservation Center maintains several trails on their property. My husband Jim and I walked along the Cornish Creek Trail and the Dogwood Trail. We saw red maples, river birches and many other species. Overhead the birds were happily singing and the squirrels hiding on trunks. The sun was shining though the Tupelo gum river swamp –


I took several pictures of the Tupelo trees growing in the water -






































Then we arrived at a clearing where the pavilions are located close by -


As well as the vintage log cabin –


A nest was still occupied –


Find the egg in the picture below, (hint: but the bird had flown!)


The Georgia Wildlife Federation was founded in 1936 as a sportsman’s organization. Its motto is written on my husband Jim’s tee shirt –



To encourage the intelligent management
of the life-sustaining resources of the earth
- its essential water resources -
its protective forests and plant life
- and its dependent wildlife -
to promote and encourage the knowledge
and appreciation of these resources,
their interrelationship and wise use,
without which there can be little hope
for a continuing
abundant
life.”

Georgia Wildlife Federation, 1936

6 comments:

Carol said...

Become a "follower" on blogs that you like..then go to your dashboard and it will show the most recent updates. with just a click you are there. I was doing the same thing and still do. I am following your blog. I may not comment on each entry..but I'll probably read it.

www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com

Carolyn said...

What a wonderful post and great photos from your part of the world. You are a kindred spirit! I have been a wanderer all my life but have denied it for the sake of family for far to long.
You may know "Haida Gwaii" prounced "hi-da g(like in great)-why" as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Haida means people in the Haida language and Gwaii means home or island. The Haida are the first nations people of these islands and south Alaska, they have lived nowhere else. Thanks for stopping by and I will also be back to visit.
Have a great day.
Blessings and smiles
P.S. I was born in Marine County and lived in San Fransisco until I was adopted in Toronto in 1959!

DJan said...

Are those tupelo trees where bees make tupelo honey? They sure look, well, WET.

Good information about your part of the world. Thanks for sharing. I also am following your blog and am always happy to see a new post!

DJan

Elaine said...

What a beautiful spot! I am so glad there are places like this that someone had the foresight to preserve. Without their work this would probably be just another concrete strip. Thanks for an interesting post.

Friko said...

Fantastic!
There is this amazing diversity in the various regions of the world. How would we ever learn anything about other peoples' intimate environment if we weren't blogging!!

I've left the meme (or me-me, pronounced mimi) for you on my blog. Please collect it, if you wish.

Dina said...

Eighty miles of unpolluted river, wow!

Congrats on your award!

Thanks for your visit to Jerusalem Hills. In the summer it can be in the 30s for days at a time. Normal is more like 28. But at sundown it cools off nicely for a good night's sleep. About 18 degrees tonight.
No rain at all from about May to October.
We are about 640 meters altitude.

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