SE Trust Updates Fall 2021

SE Trust 2021 Fall Updates:

2021 has been a transformative year for SE Trust!

Organization Highlights:

The Outreach Committee led us through a rebranding. SE Trust has a fresh new logo and web site as we prepare to celebrate its 10^th anniversary in 2022. Process managed by SE Trust Outreach and Board Development Consultant Victoria Prevatt.

The Board of Directors grew in quantity and quality. New skills represented on the Board include civil engineering, k-12 nature education, law, public health, senior living and recreation, and wildlife biology. We are seeking additional board members with skills in accounting / finance, earth sciences, land planning, real estate law, social media, and special events. Process managed by SE Trust Outreach and Board Development Consultant Victoria Prevatt.

Conservation Highlights:

For the third consecutive year +/- 40,000 long leaf pine seedlings were planted at 324-acre Burke County Nature Preserve. Site preparation processes for the 2022 planting are underway. This site was almost certainly native long leaf pine forest until conversion to agriculture use over 100 years ago. These trees will mature in about 100 years, and some will live for over 1,000 years on this perpetually conserved site. The long leaf pine forest restoration process is managed by SE Trust Environmental Stewardship Manager Vic VanSant. Funding and other support: Arbor Day Foundation, Georgia DNR, Georgia Forestry, The Long Leaf Alliance, USDA, and US Fish and Wildlife. Donate to this project: SE Trust Main Donation Page

730-acre Bald Mountain Creek Nature Preserve’s Golden Wing Warbler Habitat project continues. It is a partnership with Audubon Society of NW NC (Ammie Tomcho), Eco Foresters (Andy Tait), NC Wildlife (Cliff Barden), USDA (Renee Ray), and SE Trust Environmental Stewardship Manager Vic VanSant. Project was recently publicized by the national Audubon Society and visited as a conference field trip by +/- 40 members of the conservation focused Forest Stewards Guild. Donate to this project: Bald Mtn Creek donation page

Recreation Highlights:

Launched 4 new park projects at SE Trust owned and perpetually conserved sites with phase one completion of each expected in 2021.

Bald Mountain Creek Nature Preserve- 230 acres- Yancey County, NC. – Created a new bouldering system with .75 miles of hiking trail linking boulder areas and new parking area. Project Partner and Project Manager: Carolina Climbers Coalition / Mike Reardon, REI Co-op, and The Access Fund. Trail Builder: CCC’s C4 Team. Donate to this project: Bald Mtn Creek donation page

Campbellton Creek Nature Park- 81 acres- City of South Fulton, GA: Actively building first phase mountain bike optimized trail system and parking area. First phase is +/- 2.5 miles and second phase will also be +/- 2.5 miles. Project Partners: City of South Fulton / Councilwoman Dr. Rowell, MTB Atlanta Sorba / Brett Davidson. Trail Builder: Walt Bready with MTB Atlanta Pro Trails. Donate to this project: Campbellton Creek donation page          

Canongate Nature Park- 17 acres- Coweta County Ga- Added +/- 1.75 miles of mountain bike optimized natural surface trail with half of the site still to be planned and implemented for public recreational use. Project Partners: MTB Atlanta Sorba / Brett Davidson and Bike Coweta / Chris Doane. Trail Builder: James Siders with MTB Atlanta Pro Trails. Donate to this project: Canongate donation page

Pumpkinvine Creek Nature Park- 110 acres- Dallas, GA: Actively building 5-mile mountain bike optimized trail system and parking area. Project Partners: MTB Atlanta Sorba / Brett Davidson. Trail Builder: Ken Nix. Donate to this project: Pumpkinvine Creek donation page 

Community Highlights:

Jan Hill Lane Nature Preserve- .4 acre- North Druid Hills area of Atlanta, GA. This less than a half-acre pocket park’s friends group is thriving. They have conducted two well attended volunteer workdays and nearby neighbors have donated significant time and money to improving the site’s environmental and public use values. This sweet little park has come to represent every bit of SE Trust’s mission of conservation, recreation, and community. The littlest property may very well be the mightiest. Project Partner: Friends of Jan Hill Lane Nature Preserve / Alissa Tertichny and Jennifer Coxen. Donate to this project: Jan Hill Lane donation page

Talking Rock Nature Park- 210 acres- Pickens County, GA. This park’s nature-based adult and youth education efforts have benefited from the addition of an outdoor classroom at the park’s apiary and education area. Project Partners: Appalachian Beekeepers / Vickie Champlin and Bill Norris. Substantial funding from The Georgia Save the Honey Bee License Plate program. Donate to this project: Talking Rock donation page