Grant Park Conservancy

It's Board Member Monday, and today we'd like you to meet Christine Primmer, who is serving her fourth year on the GPC board and sits on the Park Equity and Inclusion Committee for 2021. Christine says, "This is my fourth year of being on the board and fourth year of living in Grant Park. My husband and I immediately fell in love with the community and vibe in the park and surrounding neighborhood when we moved here from eclectic Durham, North Carolina in 2017. I grew up in ...Austin, TX, moved to Atlanta in the early 2000s to become a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and lived in Atlanta for about a decade before a short hiatus in NC. After five years away at grad school, I was eager to return to Atlanta to get back to some of my favorite people and places to be. I love the diversity of experience, individuals, and history here that is truly a unique gem. Today, I work in Innovation and Corporate Development at Cox Communications. Why do I love Grant Park? Grant Park is a sanctuary of nature and community in the middle of hustling Atlanta. I love my ritualistic daily morning walks with my dog; it is therapeutic to see the park just after sunrise as a new day unfolds under the welcoming tree canopy. I love walking all over the park, from the fountain to the zoo, to the playground to the basketball courts. I love seeing the different seasonal decorations in Milledge Fountain throughout the year, and I enjoy cooling off in the pool during the summer and listening to families enjoy the summer days. The Grant Park Conservancy is a wonderful steward of the park, and offers the opportunity to engage and give back to acknowledge the rich amenity it offers for myself, my family and the community at large. This is a picture of my nieces and nephews who came to visit from Austin, TX this last March in front of the Milledge Fountain (dyed green for St Patrick's day!)." Thank you, Christine, for being an advocate for GPC and Atlanta's oldest park!

Happy Mother's Day from your friends at the Grant Park Conservancy!

What a perfect day to be working in the park! Many thanks to our fantastic Project G.R.A.N.T. volunteers who worked on a multitude of small tasks throughout the park! We scraped, we dug, we swept, we hauled rocks, we picked up trash, we weeded and we even dug out a clogged culvert! We will all sleep well tonight! Join us for our second Saturday work days- it’s fun, rewarding, and you meet some very lovely people. See you out there next month! #volunteer #volunteeringisfun #grantparkatl

We decided to postpone our Project G.R.A.N.T. work day yesterday because of the inclement weather, and we’re pretty glad we did. What a great day this turned out to be! We had a small but mighty group that planted, spread pine straw, scraped mud, unearthed a drain, and generally beautified and cleaned up around the Milledge Fountain. Thanks to our hardworking volunteers for making Milledge look great! See you next month! ... #volunteeringisfun #milledgefountain

Our Grant Park plant of the week is the native black willow (Salix nigra). Typically found in moist, swampy areas, this medium-sized tree was used by Native American tribes for everything from basket material to pain relief: the bark contains salicylic acid which is very similar to the active ingredient in aspirin. More recently, the wood was used in crafting artificial limbs due to its light weight and shock resistance. These days, the black willow (which is highly flood tolerant) is planted for land reclamation and erosion control. Look just west of the pavilions near the pond for an example of our plant of the week. #FloraFriday

Widely cultivated as an ornamental tree, our Grant Park plant of the week is the kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa). Native to eastern Asia, this late spring bloomer blows up with showy white bracts - the actual flower is yellow-green and fairly inconspicuous. It can be distinguished from our native dogwoods (Cornus florida) by its more pointed bracts and upright shape. The kousa dogwood is resistant to anthracnose disease, unlike C. florida which is very susceptible and commonly killed by it. For this reason, the kousa dogwood is widely planted as an ornamental tree in areas affected by the disease. We have kousa dogwoods scattered throughout the park - once they start to bloom they'll be hard to miss! #FloraFriday

Cherokee Avenue update: As part of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Safer Streets, ATLDOT is announcing plans to install an interim bike lane condition on Cherokee Ave. Starting as soon as May 14th, ATLDOT will begin installing Bike Lane / No Parking signs and concrete barricades along Cherokee Ave on the Grant Park side of the street. People visiting the Park and the Zoo will be directed to either 800 Cherokee Ave (Zoo parking lot) or 739 Boulevard (Gateway parking deck). This ne...w parking restriction will become permanent with the final stage of the bike lane implementation (expected mid to late 2021). For more information, email [email protected], or visit: https://www.atlantaga.gov//showpu/50828/637546890897470000

Since they opened in 2017, Firepit Pizza Tavern has made an effort to partner with and support the Grant Park Conservancy. They frequently donate to raffles (like when you purchase a membership or a brick this month, you'll get a chance to win $100+ dollars in gift cards, including one from Firepit), and partner with us on volunteer days and hosting volunteers after a work day in the park. Our friends at Firepit embody the spirit of a local business, and continue to enhance... and enrich the community they belong to. Thank you, Firepit, for being a wonderful addition to this wonderful community! Stop by today and grab a pizza or sandwich for lunch, or take a seat on their cool patio (with firepit, of course!) and try one of their specialty cocktails. Thank you, Firepit! We love you! http://www.firepitatl.com/

Moms are the best and we love them so much! What are you getting Mom for Mother's Day? (FYI- it's coming up on Sunday!) It's got to be something that shows her how important and special she is to you, and how you'll love her forever. We have an idea: get Mom a brick in the park! It's a lasting testament to how your mom is the best mom, or how you love her the most. You'll get a pretty certificate to give to her, and we'll contact you once her brick is installed so you can take her on a family picnic in the park to visit it! Get yours for The Best Mom Ever today! https://gpconservancy.square.site/

Update on the Southside trail, located just south of Grant Park.

Shout out to our new best friend Kevin from DMJ Dirt Works for all his hard working moving our paver stacks from in front of the Lion Bridge! We know how much you all loved the stacks and loved making little alters (very creative!), but it was time they were relocated to their new home. Next up, they will be used around the Erskine Fountain in its next restoration phase. Your memberships, donations and brick purchases help make projects like these possible AND help us fully complete each project phase. Please continue to support the organization that supports historic restoration and preservation in Grant Park!

It's Board Member Monday, and today we'd like you to meet Elaine Phillips, who serves as co-chair of the Governance Committee for the 2021 GPC board! Longtime Grant Park resident Elaine says, "I love Grant Park! I have so many fond memories of stroller walks with my kids, meeting other families at the playground, Grant Park Baseball and walking to the zoo. When Covid hit, the park was the only safe place to go when I needed to get out of the house. I watched the trees and sh...rubs come into full bloom on my walk every day, and saw more people and families using the park than ever before. What a refuge it became for so many in our community and beyond! I am greeted by our beautiful park every morning--I consider it my extended front yard since our house faces the park. I serve on the Grant Park Conservancy Board so I can help the tradition of preserving our park and retaining the historical significance of it for generations to come. It IS the people's playground!" Thank you, Elaine, for being an advocate for GPC and Atlanta's oldest park!

Únase a la ciudad esta noche a las 6:30pm para una reunión pública virtual ActivateATL, la campaña de planificación maestra integral de 10 años del Departamento de Parques y Recreación!

We had to postpone our regularly scheduled second Saturday Project G.R.A.N.T. work day last weekend due to inclement weather, and now we have a few openings available for this Saturday’s rescheduled work day! Forecast shows a high of 48 degrees and sunny- perfect for working in the park! Register here: gpconservancy.org/events-programs/volunteer-work-days/

Tell them what you think about Atlanta parks! Do we need more soccer fields? Skate parks? Passive greenspace? They’re listening! Tune in tomorrow at 10am to participate in the discussion of Atlanta’s park plan for the next 10 years.

Love is in the...water? Happy Valentine's Day to all our park-loving friends out there! Cupid flew by to decorate the Milledge Fountain- make sure you stop by with your loved ones for a heart-y dose of Valentine's joy!

Here's an exotic Grant Park plant of the week that's worth a repeat! The saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) - a hybrid of two Asian varieties - is truly an early harbinger of spring. A beautiful deciduous tree, this ornamental magnolia has showy, fragrant flowers that bloom in late winter well before leaves begin to emerge - a phenomenon called "hysteranthous". In the park, you can see two of our resident saucer magnolias beautifully framing the Milledge fountain. #FloraFriday

Don’t forget to tune in this evening at 6:30 to hear the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation discuss their 10-year ActivateATL plan, and make suggestions for what you’d like to see in your parks!

Cherokee Lot Parking Update: Effective Thursday, November 12, 2020, the Cherokee Avenue parking lot (800 Cherokee Avenue) will become a paid parking lot. Fees will be $3/hour or $12/day. The lot will be managed by the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreational Authority. Please direct any questions to [email protected].

Our Grant Park plant of the week is quite literally unique. Native to southern China and with no surviving plant relatives, the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) has - according to fossil records - remained unchanged for more than 270 million years! Easy to identify with its leathery, fan-shaped leaves, the ginkgo is a favorite ornamental due to its environmental adaptability and bright yellow fall color (autumn leaves often drop off within a day or two) plus it has many traditional medicine uses. Fun flora fact: Nurseries typically sell only fruitless trees because the fruit - at maturity in autumn - is messy and emits a foul odor. Look for a nice, mature ginkgo situated just behind the Erskine Fountain on Cherokee Avenue - if your timing is right it will be spectacular! #FloraFriday

Some things take forever, and being patient is difficult! But oftentimes, these things are worth the wait. You can't access it just yet, but soon you'll be able to enjoy Grant Park's beloved pond, Salaam Springs, again! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this tranquil fall photo. #patience

Need to let off some steam today? Grant Park can help! Shout at a shrub. Shake your fist at a cloud. Dance-walk along a sunny path. Take a nap in a meadow. Hit a basket of tennis balls really hard. There are so many things you can do in the park to help you remain positive, and it’s the perfect day to do it!

Today is election day! Don't forget to vote!

Feeling stressed? Take a walk in beautiful, historic Grant Park today! #HappyMonday

Silver lining: Downed trees for us mean a delicious treat for our elephant neighbors! Unfortunately, when Hurricane Zeta blew through our historic park, we lost three large, old oaks. Before they are cleaned up, though, our friends at Zoo Atlanta are able to take some of the leafier debris to serve as a treat for their elephants, giraffes and zebras! Grant Park's aging tree canopy means a lot of cleanup after a storm. Please donate to the GPC so we can have the tools we nee...d on hand to help clean up the damage, and keep the park safe and accessible to everyone. http://www.gpconservancy.org/get-involved/support/

SpoOOooky Halloween, everyone! Make sure you stop by the haunted Milledge Fountain in Grant Park tonight as part of your socially-distant Halloween plans. Count the skeletons, and watch out for the spider! (Unfortunately, the power is still out at the fountain! Otherwise, this is what it looks like all lit up!) Happy Halloween from your friends at the Grant Park Conservancy!

Native to the eastern and midwestern US, our Grant Park plant of the week is the silver maple (Acer saccharinum) which is named for the silvery underside of its leaves. In the period after World War II it was highly favored as a suburban landscape tree due to its fast rate of growth and hardiness. Since then it's fallen out of favor due to its shallow roots, unattractive form if not given a lot of pruning care, brittle wood, and tendency to produce large numbers of seedlings. In fact, some cities have banned its use. In nature, the silver maple is a food source for birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and deer, as well as a number of moth and butterfly species. There are several silver maples near the picnic tables at the Berne Street gate. #FloraFriday

We’ve got a lion for our bridge and he’s ready to roar! Our new replacement lion heads are complete (with teeth!) and are set to be installed back in the bridge soon! #lionbridge #preservinghope #historyiscool

Bill Spence: The man behind the molding. If you can build it, he'll restore it. Bill has previously worked with the conservancy restoring the merlion of Milledge Fountain. Now he is faced with a new mission, bringing the lion heads back to life!

We’ve almost come full circle! Our iconic Lion Bridge circle is shaping up. Do you have any pictures of you or a loved one peeking out of the circle? Share it in the comments below! #fullcircle #preservinghope #iconic

Behold! The mighty queen of the southern forest! One of the preeminent hardwoods of the eastern US, our Grant Park plant of the week is the white oak (Quercus alba). This oak is long-lived (trees well over 100 years old are common in the park) and can reach massive proportions. In addition to their acorns being a food source for wildlife, the white oak hosts hundreds of species of native moth and butterfly caterpillars which in turn are food for dozens of species of birds - i...t's truly a keystone tree of our southeastern ecosystem. Easy to spot with its ash-grey, peeling, scaly bark and soon-to-be red-orange autumn foliage, look for a big, twin-trunk white oak next to the road behind the Milledge fountain. BTW, the Conservancy would like you to know this particular tree intercepts 23,840 gallons of stormwater per year and sequesters over 2000 pounds of C02. #FloraFriday See more

It’s all starting to come full circle! The United Restoration team is working hard to complete the restoration of the Lion Bridge’s North wall. Every historic stone placed right back where it belongs. Once this piece of the puzzle is complete, we can bring in the restored lion heads!!!