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.
