Spring 2016

You Kept It Green!

Woodlands Garden’s Campaign Chairs, Genia Cayce, Betty Blondeau and Bill Floyd, are happy to report the success of the Woodlands Garden’s capital campaign Keep It Green Indie-Catur. The Garden received over $1 million from 17 foundations and more than 250 individuals. Half of these individual gifts received were in amounts less than $100, including the purchase of over 275 Green Ribbons, demonstrating that this was truly a grassroots effort involving the entire community.

A primary goal of the campaign, the purchase of the one-acre property at 915 Clairemont Avenue, was completed on December 15, 2015, in partnership with the City of Decatur. This purchase will give Woodlands a highly visible and safe entryway, provide additional parking space, and preserve the land from future development. The community can be justly proud of our united effort in preserving this additional property as dedicated green space. This fundraising success is depictive of the support for Woodlands Garden’s mission to educate and engage the community in the natural world.

TSW, a landscape architecture firm, is working with us on the design and master planning of the Garden. The groundbreaking will take place in the fall.

Woodlands will also:

• Complete the visitor center and add public restrooms
• Improve parking and create a safe school bus drop-off zone
• Enhance the site of the former Morse home, including added amenities for hosting community events

Additional fundraising will take place over the next year to secure sufficient funds for a children’s natural play area and pollinator gardens.

The Partridge Fairies

A Celebration of Fairies on Sunday, Oct. 18

The Fairy People from Skyland Trail have descended upon Woodlands and installed their fabulous fairy homes and gardens along the trails. Every year this wonderful collaboration delights Woodlands visitors of all ages as well as participants from both organizations. Our Fairy Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2-5 pm, includes art workshops, face painting, a drum circle, and of course the Summoning of the Fairies and Trail Parade.

Please walk or bike if possible, or park off-site at Westchester School on Scott Blvd, or at BB&T Bank or Emory Credit Union on Clairmont. A shuttle will circle through all parking lots and bring visitors to Woodlands. A few on-site parking spaces will be reserved for handicap parking.

Photography Project Now on View

Virginie and Shannon installing one of the diptychs.

Photographers Virginie Kippelen and Shannon Davis have installed their collaborative photography project “Urban Wilderness + Man-Made Nature.” These diptych pairings offer a reflection on the conflicting forces between people and nature. The artists state: “We felt strongly that our visual exploration needed to be showcased in a natural environment that would convey the concept of our work. Woodlands Garden, a seven-acre forest on the edge of a busy street in Decatur, Ga, was the perfect fit for this exhibition.” Part of the 2014 Atlanta Celebrates Photography festival, this exhibit will remain on view at Woodlands until early November.

Woodlands Welcomes The Porch Bottom Boys for Live Music on Oct. 19

Fairies and photos will all be on view this Sunday, Oct. 19, when we welcome a new-to-Woodlands musical group to the Pavilion, 2-4 pm. The Porch Bottom Boys proudly hail from Decatur and play music based in bluegrass and seasoned with the diverse backgrounds of the band members in jazz, blues, rock, and other styles.
Jim Thompson, on fiddle and guitar, is an Atlanta native who has lived and worked in the coal towns of Virginia, and he gives the band its deep bluegrass roots. A founding member of the Poetown Ramblers near Grundy, Virginia, Jim also has played with bluegrass groups in Nashville. Steve Gorbatkin, who plays guitar and harmonica, was born on the south side of Chicago. His years in the Windy City left an indelible blues-inflected mark on his singing. Mandolinist and vocalist Denis Gainty has played various instruments with groups in Boston, New York, and Osaka. His mandolin style reflects his eclectic musical influences and misspent youth. All three are songwriters; they’ll play some of their original tunes, traditional songs, and favorite covers. You can read more about the group at porchbottomboys.com.

. . . And the Plant Sale Continues

The plant sale continues during all of these events and by special appointment. Be sure to stop by the sales yard to visit the knowledgeable plant sale volunteers and find the perfect shrubs and perennials for your yard.