South Fork Conservancy Receives $500,000 Kendeda Fund Grant

Sept. 1, 2016 - Plans to connect Buckhead to an urban wilderness is getting a big boost. The Kendeda Fund has pledged $500,000 to South Fork Conservancy, which builds and connects trails along Peachtree Creek in Atlanta and DeKalb County. The Kendeda Fund’s many goals include sustainability and improving connections to the natural world.

The announcement of the grant coincided with the kick-off of South Fork’s first capital campaign: Revealing the Creek. The group hopes to raise more than $2 million to build an iconic pedestrian bridge, footpaths and other improvements that will link the Lindbergh area, PATH400 and the Atlanta BeltLine to South Fork’s existing creekside trails. 

"Kendeda’s magnificent grant gives us a solid base on which we can work to raise additional money – including promised matching funds – and demonstrates that our goal is within reach,” said South Fork Board Chairman Bob Kerr. 

“You have to experience the South Fork Trails to really grasp their importance,” said South Fork co-founder Sally Sears, noting that philanthropist Diana Blank has visited the urban greenspace. “She saw long ago what a difference this very generous grant might make.” 

Key South Fork supporters heard the news at an August 18 event hosted by capital campaign co-chairs Billy Hall and Joni Winston. Shortly before the surprise announcement, urban planner Ryan Gravel, best-known for inspiring the Atlanta BeltLine, recalled collaborating with Hall and Sears on South Fork’s initial Vision Plan.

“This topography and this terrain and this kind of watershed is all over Atlanta, but ‘all over Atlanta’ isn’t doing this,” said Gravel, whose new book is called “Where We Want to Live.” “I think that the South Fork vision here is a real model for the rest of the region in terms of connectivity, stream restoration, nature, biodiversity and all the other kinds of elements that are part of this plan.”

For information on donating, or visiting South Fork’s four completed urban wilderness trails, visit www.SouthForkConservancy.org. Check our Facebook page for updates. 

About South Fork Conservancy
South Fork Conservancy is actively developing walking trails along Atlanta’s Peachtree Creek. Its goal is to conserve the urban waterway, connect existing and future trails, and restore the area’s natural beauty. SFC’s first phase is to create a trail system that connects Buckhead, Atlanta’s upscale business and residential center, with Emory University’s campus. Open trails include The Confluence, Cheshire Farm and Meadow Loop trails in Buckhead, and Zonolite Park in DeKalb County.

South Fork Conservancy Adds Board Members

Atlanta (August 2016) – The South Fork Conservancy, which builds and connects trails along Peachtree Creek, is welcoming two prominent Atlantans to its board. They are: 

• Glenn Kurtz
• Christian P. Larsen, M.D., D.Phil.

"These two gentlemen bring additional capabilities to the board and enhance the abilities of the SFC to fulfill its mission,” said South Fork Board Chairman Bob Kerr. “They have excellent experience and exceptional energy, intellect and leadership skills. They also have a strong passion for connectivity of green spaces and neighborhoods through a low impact trail system, providing the opportunity for urban residents to get closer to nature within a reasonable walking distance and offering adults and children alike a nature-based education opportunity, improving both physical and mental health."

       Glenn Kurtz

Kurtz, director of parking at Georgia Institute of Technology, has been involved in transportation planning and management for more than 20 years. He serves as the chairman of the board for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the Grant Park Conservancy. He also serves on the Green Parking Council’s advisory board. He served several years on the Chastain Park Conservancy’s advisory board and was a member of the 2011 Leadership Atlanta class. Before joining Ga. Tech, he was executive vice president - Transportation and Sustainability for Lanier Parking Solutions. 

Christian Larsen, M.D.

Dr. Larsen is dean of the Emory School of Medicine, CEO and chair of the board of directors of Emory Clinic, and vice president for health center integration for the Woodruff Health Sciences Center. He is an internationally recognized leader in transplant surgery and immunology, and was founding director of the Emory Transplant Center. 

South Fork Conservancy is actively developing walking trails along Atlanta’s Peachtree Creek. Its goal is to conserve the urban waterway, connect existing and future trails, and restore the area’s natural beauty. The group’s goal is to create a trail system that will eventually connect Buckhead, Atlanta’s upscale business and residential center, with the Emory University campus and beyond. Active trails include The Confluence, Cheshire Farm and Meadow Loop trails in Buckhead, and Zonolite Park in DeKalb County. For more information, visit www.SouthForkConservancy.org. 

Resolution Honors Martha Porter Hall

The South Fork Conservancy has honored board member Martha Porter Hall for her extraordinary leadership chairing the 2016 Creek Rising Committee. Under her guidance, the event raised more funds than ever before. The resolution follows:

RESOLUTION HONORING AND EXPRESSING APPRECIATION TO

MARTHA PORTER HALL

WHEREAS, Martha Hall joined the Board of Directors of the South Fork Conservancy with a wealth of experience, knowledge, and a passion for the mission of the SFC; and

WHEREAS, The South Fork Conservancy relies on the “Creek Rising Party” as a major fund raising tool; and

WHEREAS, Martha Hall accepted the challenge of helming a project unlike any in her environmental, city planning, zoning, and public spaces organizer experience; and

WHEREAS, Martha Hall worked tirelessly with her husband Van and a small group of volunteers to lay the foundation for a successful enterprise; and

WHEREAS, Martha Hall successfully negotiated the obstacles associated with a major leadership transition; and

WHEREAS, Martha Hall was effective in attracting major corporate sponsors and individual donors; and

WHEREAS, Martha Hall, aided by her band of volunteers, was successful in influencing, the suppliers, the local businesses, the participants themselves, and even the weather; and

WHEREAS, The 2016 Creek Rising Party was the most successful fund raising event in the history of the South Fork Conservancy.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of the South Fork Conservancy commends Martha Porter Hall for her unselfish and untiring dedication and service to the people of Atlanta and the mission of the South Fork Conservancy.

            Adopted this 16th day of June, 2016