Atlanta Audubon Society has received a $20,000 grant plus $20,000 in matching funds to restore bird-friendly habitat at the Land O’ Lakes unit of Blue Heron Nature Preserve in Fulton County. The project is funded by Southern Company, the parent company of Georgia Power, and the U.S. Forest Service through a 2017 Five Star and Urban Waters grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Atlanta Audubon and partners will remove invasive plant species in order to re-establish native, bird-friendly plant species and conduct avian surveys at the Land O’ Lakes. The goal is to create bird-friendly, native, urban habitat that provides quality foraging, nesting and stopover habitat. A total of three acres will be restored along Mill Creek, part of the Peachtree Creek watershed. This project will complement and enhance our 2015 project at the Emma Wetlands unit of the Preserve and follow Blue Heron’s trail building project to connect the units of the preserve. The educational outreach events and conservation workdays will engage 50 volunteers and 300 participants. Partners include Atlanta Audubon, Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Amphibian Foundation, Rock Spring Restoration, Georgia Native Plant Society, Greening Youth Foundation, and National Audubon Society.

Support for the 2017 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program is provided by the Wildlife Habitat Council, and major funding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FedEx and Southern Company.

Information: www.nfwf.org

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8/26/17 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal, members of the King family, and Rep. Calvin Smyre,  were on hand for unveiling of the first statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the statehouse grounds, more than three years after Gov. Nathan Deal first announced the project.  During the hour-long ceremony leading to the unveiling of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the state Capitol on Monday, many speakers, including Gov. Nathan Deal, spoke of King's biography. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King's famed "I Have Dream" speech. BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres