10-14-19
[gm album=53] (Cleveland)- Save Georgia’s Hemlocks has partnered with the White County to help re-establish beautiful Hemlock trees at Yonah Preserve. Hemlocks all over north Georgia are being attacked and killed by the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). The group, with the assistance of White County Park and Recreation staff, last week planted two dozen trees.
Kathy Wood, Yonah Preserve Trails Volunteer provided information about the project. Ms. Donna Shearer Founder and Chair of Save Georgia ‘s Hemlocks and SGH member Billy Johnson of Cleveland brought this group of volunteers together.
The entrances at both Albert Reid Road and Asbestos Road received several trees, as did the boat ramp and the County Recreation Bridge area. Keith Horn, County Maintenance and Joe Gailey, Parks and Recreation Director shuttled equipment and volunteer workers to and from the various work areas. Lunch was enjoyed at the Trailhead Pavilion, and workers finished up by mid-afternoon.
According to the news release, this is the third in a series of projects by SGH volunteers. “With the support of a grant from the Yonah Mountain Pickleball Club,” said Shearer, “we are partnering with White County to finish treating hemlocks around the waterfall and to plant about two dozen large hemlock saplings along the roads at Yonah Preserve.” Similarly, the Yonah Preserve Trail Building fund was a recent benefactor from the same Pickleball Club. It is a win for the whole community when folks with varied interests come together and do good.
White County Government owns the 1,000-acre Yonah Preserve with a 50-acre lake, and, together with White County Parks and Recreation Department, manage and maintain the County Recreation Center and the brand new Yonah Preserve Ballfield Complex in Cleveland. Offering 9-10 miles of walking and biking trails, Yonah Preserve Trails is located at 1054 Albert Reid Road and is open 7 days. White County Parks and Recreation Department is located at 327 Asbestos Road and is the entryway to the multi-million-dollar Yonah Preserve Athletic Complex. Future plans include a new football field and a children’s playground.
SAVE GEORGIA’S HEMLOCKS is a 100% volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of concerned citizens dedicated to saving endangered hemlocks through education and charitable service. For many, many months, volunteers have walked every mile of Yonah Preserve Trails to identify and treat all hemlock trees in the trail/lake area. Through such efforts of preservation, conservation, and restoration, there will be a healthy population of hemlocks in Georgia for future generations.
https://www.savegeorgiashemlocks.org
