May 29, 2026

Rooting for Nature: The Deets on Forest Restoration

Forest restoration is one of the many important things we do at Fernbank and it's actually pretty cool once you know what it's about. Basically, it's the process of bringing a forest back to its natural state by removing invasive plants and making sure there's enough native plant diversity to keep the ecosystem stable and thriving. Think of it like decluttering, but for nature. At the end of the day, this work is about protecting a healthy, balanced ecosystem, and honestly? The planet needs it.

Georgia natives: Yellow Trillium and Spring Beauties

So, native plants are basically the OGs of the local ecosystem. They've been here forever and evolved to perfectly support local pollinators, insects, and wildlife. Non-native plants, on the other hand, were introduced either on purpose or by accident, and while some are totally harmless, others are genuinely problematic. The consequences? Creating a monoculture. Invasive species like nandina, kudzu and mahonia can completely take over, leaving zero room for native plants to exist. It's basically the ecosystem equivalent of one person talking over everyone else in the group chat, and nobody wants that.

Here are some of the projects that the forest restoration team and volunteers have taken on this year:
•    Removed Chinese yam, ivy and other invasives in Cobb Crossing.
•    Removed Chinese yam, nandina, Elaeagnus, mahonia and other invasives near Hodgson House/upper forest.
•    Removed wisteria, ivy, privet and other invasives in WildWoods.

But wait, there's more! Fernbank contributes some of our invasive plants to feeding animals at Zoo Atlanta, especially the elephants, giraffes and gorillas. Thank you to Jared for hauling away the first load, of mostly Eleagnus, a few weeks ago!

Thanks, Jared and Zoo Atlanta!

Corporate and individual volunteers are absolutely essential to what we do at Fernbank Forest and WildWoods, we genuinely could not hit our goals without them! Forest restoration is not a "one and done" situation; it's an ongoing commitment. In 2026, we were lucky enough to have volunteers show up and put in the work from the following organizations:
•    Cox Communications (30 hrs.)
•    KPMG (126 hrs.)
•    Georgia Power (99 hrs.)
•    Ernst & Young (84 hrs.)

Want to get involved? You don't have to be part of an organization to make a difference; solo volunteers are always welcome. Check out our volunteer page for all the details and come help us do something that matters.