By Ceci Villanueva
The Grant Park Conservancy (GPC) will plant hundreds of trees in Grant Park as part of a multi-year plan to help increase the park’s canopy resiliency and preserve it for the future.
Partnering with Trees Atlanta, the GPC is designing a successional tree plan that will help build a healthy canopy over the course of several years. Successional tree planting mimics the natural replacement of forest layers over time to ensure continuous canopy cover and help build resilient forests. The goal of the project is to increase species diversity, age class, and forest layers such as understory and shrubs, while maintaining open areas and walkable corridors for people to enjoy.
“One of Grant Park’s most cherished features is its lush, green canopy, and we want to ensure it remains healthy and thriving for future generations,” said Michelle Blackmon, Executive Director of the GPC. “As part of our Canopy Care Program, we focus on the long-term health of the park’s ecology. Well thought, intentional planting ensures our trees and shrubs will have the best conditions to thrive,” she added.
Several factors were considered when assessing the sites for planting, from the age of the existing trees and underrepresented species and layers to how people use the park. The plan ensures trees will grow in the proper locations with enough room to thrive, preventing issues like overcrowding, light blocking, erosion, or inadequate drainage, that can impair the long-term health of the canopy and the whole ecosystem.
Building on its ongoing Canopy Care Program, the GPC has identified nine areas across the park where new trees will be planted. The first plantings will get underway this year in the Athletic Field / Dog Park area and around the Recreation Center, where a total of 87 trees and shrubs will be added. The GPC will prioritize the next focus areas according to park needs, with the goal to plant new trees in all nine areas over the course of five years.
All the trees and shrubs to be planted this year in November and December are native to Georgia, which will offer great wildlife value and help support the park’s natural habitat. Some of them include red buckeye, serviceberry, river birch, pignut hickory, redbud, sycamore, American hornbeam, as well as several types of oaks.
Check the maps for more details about planting areas and species, and please consider donating to the Canopy Care Program today! www.gpconservancy.org/support.
The Grant Park Conservancy (GPC) is the non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration, beautification and maintenance of historic Grant Park, Atlanta’s oldest public park. Founded in 1999, GPC leads capital improvements, preserves the park’s ecological landscape and brings the community together through events, programming and stewardship. As a small non-profit organization, the Conservancy’s impactful work is made possible by generous private and individual support.
