Plans for a new nature area behind Whitewater High School in Fayetteville are starting to coalesce. Representatives from the school system and the nonprofit Southern Conservation Trust presented a concept drawing to the Fayette County Board of Education Monday, outlining a collaborative effort to turn about 45 acres around a detention pond into a passive recreation area with trails and an outdoor classroom.

The board agreed to create a conservation easement for the site, after which discussions about funding and construction will be held. The current three-phase plan has an estimated cost of $208,000.

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Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller