Discovering Atlanta’s ecosystems.
Environmental artist and activist Pandra Williams created EcoAddendum in 2009 to restore native plant communities by saving the seeds and teaching others how to grow them. When she left the organization in 2013, Kathryn Kolb began focusing less on planting and more on teaching the public about native ecosystems and how to preserve them. An expert on wilderness areas, Kolb began by organizing walks; she also works with regional municipalities to create better tree ordinances.
“I lead groups to old growth remnant forests hiding in plain sight in urban forests in Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, West End and throughout the metro area,” Kolb says. “We are one of the few large urban areas to still have high-value forests because parts of Atlanta were too hilly and rocky to farm. So the land wasn’t clear cut or graded. Some oldgrowth trees are still in backyards.”
EcoA’s free walks, stewardship and training programs are open to the public. Participants learn to identify trees and plants, and how to remove invasives in parks and back yards. A schedule is on the website.
Garden Hills resident Fran Kaplan has been on several walks. “Kathryn is amazingly knowledgeable,” she says. “I always feel I’m much smarter than when I started and have a better appreciation of our most precious natural resources.”
ECOADDENDUM
ecoaddendum.org
@ecoaddendum
