City of Tucker Plans Trails With Connection to South Fork

The South Fork of Peachtree Creek begins in Tucker, yet most of the trail-building and nature-loving successes have transpired inside Interstate 285. The development tide, though, may be shifting.

The City of Tucker is well into the planning stages of a 32-mile series of trails that will connect its downtown with the South Fork. DeKalb County is expected to roll out its “comprehensive trail/greenway master plan” this summer with an assortment of possible connections to the South Fork. And the South Fork Conservancy, the nonprofit crafting trails and parks along the creek’s 32-mile run, recently created a committee dedicated to trail construction from Tucker to Emory University.

“We’ve made great strides connecting nature-lovers and neighborhoods with the creek west of I-285,” said John Spangler, chairman of the Conservancy’s board. “Now, it’s time to extend that same level of attention and commitment to nature-lovers and neighborhoods east of 285 to Tucker.”

In 2019, the PATH Foundation and the Kaizen Collaborative laid out seven trails that, ultimately, connect downtown with Stone Mountain, Clarkston, Atlanta, and the South Fork. It wasn’t easy.

“Tucker is like most American cities. It was planned around cars, trucks, and trains rather than people on foot or on a bike,” the master plan reads. “Tucker is all but built out.” Yet its trails plan creatively melds together hard-surface trails, greenways, roadways, and access paths into a tantalizing blend of mobility and recreation. Neighborhoods, parks, schools, businesses, warehouses, and at least one brewery will be linked. Trail Segment #3, from downtown to the existing Stone Mountain PATH, intrigues South Fork aficionados. The first 1.3-mile stretch is being designed with 22 possible easements and connections to Tucker Middle School and Peters Park. Construction might begin this year.

Cara Schroeder, from the City Council Post 1 District 2, labeled the first stretch of the so-called South Fork Peachtree Greenway “critical.” “This trail will be a great attribute to the citizens of Tucker for both the alternative transportation route it will provide as well as the recreation opportunities for the community,” she said in early February.

The trail’s next stage will carry it over U.S. 78 – and the South Fork – to East Ponce de Leon Avenue and the PATH trail to Stone Mountain and Atlanta. South Fork Conservancy members are keen to run a trail along the creek from the Peachtree Greenway westward to Clarkston and Atlanta.

South Fork Conservancy Leads Effort to Restore Portion of Peavine Creekbank in Emory Village

If you’ve ever enjoyed the South Fork Conservancy’s Duck Race during Emory Village’s Open Streets celebration, you know about Peavine Creek. But you may not know that this tiny gem of a creek is in big trouble. That’s because heavy rains have caused extensive erosion of the creek banks, dumping runoff into the creek, and setting up a cascade of events that are choking off its life.
 
The disrupted soil allows invasive plants, like the strangler vine kudzu, to proliferate. Consequently, access to the creek for maintenance is both difficult and treacherous, and mounds of trash and debris pile up under the bridge at North Decatur Road. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Transformed Peavine Creekbank in Emory Village

With input from Druid Hills residents, the Conservancy came up with  a plan to restore a portion of the creekbank to health so that Peavine becomes a natural amenity in the village and the crown jewel of the watershed that it serves. The plan calls for 1) stabilizing the creekbank in Emory Village near the Panera Restaurant to establish safe access for maintenance; 2) installing a trash trap and rain garden to slow down and absorb storm water; 3) planting native trees and plants; and 4) building an overlook so that people can appreciate the treasure that Peavine is.

South Fork’s Executive Director Kimberly Estep and Board members Dave Butler and Mike St. Louis meet with landscape architect Patrick Hand to discuss restoration plan.

The  Coca Cola Company, Hammersmith, the Druid Hills Civic Association, and other donors financed the initial phase of this project that produced engineering and planning documents and a topographical survey of the area. The survey includes an inventory of existing trees, land contours, and drainage patterns. It also confirmed limitations, such as easements, setbacks, and waterway restrictions, that govern how this area could be managed.
 
Most recently, a design team comprising engineers, analysts, landscape architects, regulatory officials, and volunteer advocates researched required permits.The next step is an engineering analysis of a "no-rise" certificate to confirm that implementing the plan will not adversely affect the floodway.
 
To make the plan a reality will require additional funding of about $40,000 from local businesses and all those in the community interested in preserving, protecting, and enjoying this precious natural resource for years to come. If you would like to donate to this project, please contact the Conservancy’s Executive Director, Kimberly Estep, at kimberly@southforkconservancy.org.

Peachtree Creek to Benefit From Stormwater Project at Cheshire Farm Trail

In late January, Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management (DWM) broke ground on a massive $145 million stormwater diversion system along the North Fork of Peachtree Creek near I-85 and Lindbergh Drive. The system will hold up to 15 million gallons of combined runoff and raw sewage, so sewage won’t spill into and pollute the creek during heavy rains.

Rendering of trail deisgn.

DWM will place the holding tank below the I-85 overpasses. An overflow pump will sit directly above the current Cheshire Farm Trail that edges the creek’s North Fork. The trail will be closed for about three years. DWM will replace the trail with a 12-foot-wide paved walkway stretching from Lindbergh Drive to Cheshire Bridge. The city will also install an overlook, lights, a security camera connected to the police department, and native plants and trees.
 
“It may be a bit of an inconvenience for a few years, but everybody in Atlanta wins once Peachtree Creek is no longer at risk from stormwater and sewer overflows,” said John Spangler, chairman of the South Fork Conservancy. “We wholeheartedly support the project and can’t wait to picnic alongside the clean creek.”
 
The diversion is the largest stormwater project undertaken by Atlanta since a federal judge ordered the city to clean its water in 1998. The consent decree requires Atlanta to separate its water and sewage systems to prevent raw sewage from contaminating waterways.
 
For more information, contact DWM’s Public Information Officer, Bruce Morton, at 404-546-3392 or bkmorton@atlantaga.gov.

What’s Blooming Along the South Fork?

As you walk along the South Fork trails at Zonolite, Peavine, or the Confluence, keep your eye out for flowers that are in bloom right now.  If you’re stumped about the name of a plant, you can check out the plant on the INaturalist app.

Jewelweed

This annual plant grows along wet, shady areas of the South Fork. Its scientific name is Impatiens capensis.  Jewelweed blooms from June to October. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to these showy flowers for their nectar.

Native Americans used the watery jewelweed juices to relieve itching and irritation associated with poison ivy, stinging nettle, and insect bites. Jewelweed was also used as an eye medicine, a diuretic, a burn dressing, and a yellow/orange dye. 

Coreopsis

In the language of flowers (floriography), Coreopsis means “always cheerful.” These delightful natives of the Americas are part of the colorful pallet in the Confluence Garden along the South Fork.

The common name for coreopsis is tickseed, named because the seeds look like ticks.  Coreopsis flowers have been commonly used as natural dyes. Before the introduction of coffee into their culture, indigenous people boiled the flowers into teas. As you walk  past the Confluence, you’ll see coreopsis blooming in June and into the summer.

Elderberry

Elderberry is a tall plant found along stream marshes, moist forests and disturbed areas. There’s a lovely stand of elderberry that you can see when you stand on the Confluence Bridge. Its scientific name is Sambucus canadensis.

Spring flowers are followed by a purple-black drupe that is produced in drooping clusters from late summer to fall. The drupe is an edible fruit, and when cooked can be used in pies, pancakes, and jellies. Elderberry flowers and fruits are also used in winemaking. Wildlife enjoy the fruits, and the branches provide a habitat for nesting birds. 

In some traditions, the elderberry tree is thought to ward off evil and give protection from witches, whereas other beliefs say that witches often congregate under the plant, especially when it is full of fruit.

Here's a recipe for elderberry liquor.
(Compliments of Molly Hanna, South Fork intern in 2022)
Remember these safety tips before collecting any wild plants.

Ingredients

  • 1 large or two small lemons, washed and sliced into rounds

  • 20-30 fresh elderflower clusters with the blooms cut from the thicker stems

  • 1 750 ml bottle of vodka

  • ½ cup honey or sweetener to taste

Preparation

  • In a large glass or metal pitcher or quart-size mason jar, add elderflowers to 2/3 or almost full

  • Pour vodka over the top and then add slices of lemon to weigh down the flowers

  • Stir well to combine, and cover container with cling wrap

  • Place container in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks

  • Strain out lemons and flowers which can be composted

  • Add the honey or other sweetener and shake well or stir to combine

  • Add additional sweetener as needed

  • Bottle as desired

  • Can be consumed at this point or kept to age

Eyes on the Creek

How clean is the water of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek? People ask us this question often, and although the creek is safe for wading most of the time, the answer depends on many factors. The time of year, recent rainfall, and water levels all change what is going on in urban streams. Sewage spills, active construction, and other activities also impact our waterways.

The best way to know how healthy our creeks are is to test them weekly. That is where you come in! We are calling for Neighborhood Water Watch volunteers to test the waters of our creeks. After a 15-minute training, you’ll be ready to become a citizen scientist. You'll collect a water sample and then deliver it to the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper headquarters, where it will be tested by experts for pathogens and pollutants.

This is incredibly important work! Your observations will directly contribute to our advocacy work, enabling us to identify and address environmental concerns. You can even watch your data go live on the neighborhood water watch website. Interested in learning more? Email us today!

Pick a Spot for a Picnic or a Walk in the Park

Although it’s not yet officially summer in Atlanta, you may be ready to discover a place different from your usual haunts for picnics or walks. The South Fork Conservancy has a few suggestions that may be just what you’re looking for. This month we visited two metro area greenspaces that border the South Fork of Peachtree Creek where you can get away for part of your day or weekend.   

Friendship Forest Wildlife Sanctuary
4380 E. Ponce de Leon, Clarkston
Open daily, sunrise to sunset
Click here for more info

Designated a greenspace by Clarkston’s City Council, this 18.5 acre parkland is an established bird sanctuary. A wide asphalt trail lined with pines and hardwoods opens to a wetland that, at the time of our visit, boasted pickerel weed, its purple spires brightening a cloudy Sunday afternoon and daring the sun to come out. (Eventually it did!) 

At the entrance just off East Ponce, there’s a parking lot with space for 19 vehicles, including 2 for people with disabilities; restrooms; and a few picnic tables. The asphalt trail is lined with well-spaced, motion-sensor lighting. It gives way to a soft trail at the wetland where we walked past oaks, tulip poplars, tupelos, and pines and noticed a family walking along the creek. We also sauntered across the boardwalk over the wetland and made our way to a small amphitheater with more restrooms. The tranquil forest offers an enjoyable way to spend a few hours seeing nature from yet another perspective.  We hope you’ll check it out.

Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve
2580 Pine Bluff Drive, Decatur
Located in Medlock Park neighborhood. Parking on street
Open daily, sunrise to sunset
Click here for more info

This lovely, 28-acre preserve is privately owned and supported by volunteers. A pavilion at the entrance contains a picnic table. A map and park rules are posted there as well. Pine needles cover the soft trail, enhancing the quiet and peace we felt as we walked along the gentle slope, lined in some sections with ferns. A boardwalk spans sensitive areas, and some areas are for wildlife only. The preserve contains amphibian and beaver ponds. Signs at various points indicate the length of a trail, the location of observation areas, and the types of wildlife that make their homes here. Birds were everywhere, including what we believe were two pileated woodpeckers that zoomed across the landscape and landed some distance from us on the broad trunk of a pine. The forest included beeches, oaks, tulip poplars, and other trees we didn’t know the names of. Along the way, we spotted orange jewelweed that enlivened the forest floor. Magical!

The only person we saw the entire time was a woman walking her dogs. We hated to leave, but we intend to return for a closer look, perhaps during a bird-watching walk or maybe just to walk in silence and beauty.
 
Note: As with any greenspace, walk respectfully on the land. Follow the rules to protect wildlife and others. Carry out your trash or dispose of it in designated receptacles. Thanks!

SFC Welcomes Chris Muscato!

Little in Chris Muscato’s career resembles the work he’s now doing for the South Fork Conservancy.

He’s been in Army intelligence. Mortgage banking. Customer service. Lifestyle coaching. And as of this past March, Chris is the community outreach coordinator for the environmental nonprofit working to restore the health and beauty of the creek that wends its way from Tucker to Midtown Atlanta.

Yet it is Chris’ ability to handle a multitude of different tasks – a Jack-of-all-tradesman, if you will – that should acquit him nicely in his new gig. His responsibilities are as varied as the aquatic critters that live(d) in the South Fork. Tour guide. Creek cleaner. Social media poster. Website developer. Volunteer coordinator. Driver. Administrative aide. Trash-trap emptier.

“As a non-profit with a small staff, other duties will arise,” the job posting read. Chris, 52, is ready for the challenge.

“I have always worked for either the government or corporations, so the nonprofit world is strange and new to me,” Chris said. “In government or business, it’s all about setting times and goals and long-term forecasting. Here, it’s more like an opportunity will come up to access green space or apply for a new grant, and we should jump on it. It’s a very different way to approach things.”

“Chris has worked with SFC as a volunteer at several events over the years. His ability to take anything that was thrown his way is deeply impressive. Its rare to find someone who can lead volunteers, take great photos, and load a truck with hundreds of tools in less than 10 minutes! We are thrilled to have him on the team,” said SFC Executive Director Kimberly Estep.

He grew up near Miami, in Miramar, FL, a city sandwiched between the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean. He joined the Army out of high school and, with an aptitude for math and science, was steered toward military intelligence. One day Chris would be holed-up in a windowless room building maps, the next slogging through a field with a combat unit. He served 11 years in Arizona, South Korea, New Jersey, and Maryland.

In 2001, Chris earned his B.S. from Kennesaw State University in organizational psychology. He then worked for a variety of corporations in the Atlanta Metro area. Chris moved outside Decatur in 2019 and became a “life organization coach,” a job he still holds. “I help people who are overwhelmed and need more time in their lives by organizing their office, house, or basement,” he said. “I put in processes that make people’s lives better. It’s kind of therapeutic for them.”

Happenings Along Peavine Creek

On a beautiful spring morning at the end of April, children and adults gathered at the Peavine Creek trailhead on Emory Road to listen to educator and birder Josiah Patrick describe the life of a hummingbird. Josiah shimmied to show how hummingbirds flap their wings and told how females build nests the size of walnuts in the limbs of trees. Did you know that the hummingbirds lay two eggs in this tiny nest twice in a season?   

Josiah then led the group to the raingarden, calling out the names of birds everyone heard and describing habits of birds playing in the creek. 
 
Once a group arrived at the raingarden, Becca Raciborski and John Watson with the Friends of Peavine Creek were waiting with native plants that hummingbirds would feast on. With trowels in hand, children dug holes and planted cardinal plants, native violets, and lobelia. These plants provide food for hummingbirds.  Look for them along the trail as they start to bloom.
 
The children’s planting activity was part of the Druid Hills Tour of Homes. In addition to children learning about hummingbirds, visitors had the opportunity to walk the trails on Friday and Saturday and talk to members of the South Fork Conservancy about the creek and its trails. 
 
Comments of visitors ranged from “I never knew this was here” to “This is in my neighborhood. I love this trail.” How special to have neighbors discover and explore the beauty of the creek and trail during the tour!
 
In addition to having a station on the Druid Hills Home Tour, South Fork Conservancy took part in activities during the week-long celebration of Druid Hills. On Earth Day in Emory Village, South Fork’s work was highlighted during the Clean up the Creek Concert headlined by Michelle Malone and Canyonland.

Proceeds from the event will go to the revitalization of the section of Peavine Creek that runs through Emory Village.  Watch for changes as the South Fork Conservancy stabilizes and revitalizes the banks of the creek in the months to come.

Chopping Rocks

By Sally Sears
 
The truck heading for Atlanta was late. Two pallets stacked and shrink wrapped bore South Fork Conservancy’s future landscape for the Peachtree Creek headwaters near Lindbergh Drive and Piedmont Road.

I thought of the fragile plants inside, $10,000 worth, and cringed.
 
Three dozen volunteers from Cox Enterprises were waiting to get the plants into the ground at the foot of the Confluence Bridge at Adina Drive.

The Peachtree Garden Club’s donation, matched by Park Pride, was invested in an experiment: using native plants to show landscaping that’s good for birds, bugs, bees, and all of us. 
 
But no. The truck was late. I shuddered to think of all the things that could go wrong with precious dollars, living plants, and volunteers. 
 
In the scramble to reschedule, I rehearsed the lessons we learned from the Atlanta History Center’s gorgeous example along the sidewalk on West Paces Ferry. Find hardscrabble native plants to go in the miserable dirt. Plant them so close together they’ll crowd out most weeds. And make sure they bloom and offer nectar all season long. Our plan included 15 kinds of plants, 1200 in all, in a design created by landscape architect Nicole Day to make the most of the views of the trails and creeks. 
 
But 1200 individual plants? This would be the largest planting ever undertaken by the South Fork Conservancy. Over a thousand purple pots meant a thousand holes chopped out of the ground, through rock and soil compacted by decades of sewer lines and highway construction.
 
When the Cox volunteers started in with pickaxes and a rototiller, I shook my head. How could we ever get all the babies off the truck and into holes in the ground? The first day we finished only about a third of the job.
 
But Cox volunteers are flexible, fearless, and up for a challenge. More volunteers showed up on the second day.  More pickaxes! More holes! More snacks of doughnut holes! More jokes! “Yes, plant them green side up.” “Yes, remember to take the plants out of the pots.”

Executive Director Kimberly Estep rallied the volunteers and took her turn at wrestling with the rototiller. By the end of the second day, South Fork board member Dave Butler hooked up a pump from the Atlanta ToolBank to water the plants. Board members Mary Leight and Dorothy Sussman packed up empty purple pots to return to a native-plant nursery, and Patrick Dean put guard tape around a trail border.

Now we get to share the new landscape with the whole city. Come and take a good look.