Our Objectives

 

The effort to Save Ormewood Forest is about more than saving a few trees. The objectives are to preserve and contribute to the historic and environmental character that is unique to East Atlanta.


By preserving Ormewood Forest, we can…

  • Increase by nearly 50% the amount of publicly-held greenspace in the East Atlanta Community (Project Greenspace)
  • Help City of Atlanta increase much needed park space (ParkScore ranks Atlanta 50 out of 100 largest U.S. cities)
  • Support East Atlanta’s Eligibility for National Register Historic District Designation by Preserving a Historic Landscape
  • Provide direct benefits to urban canopy conservation values by:
    • Preventing deforestation and loss of vegetation
    • Protecting an Intrenchment Creek headwater, a spring-fed stream, from its source
    • Preserving valuable wildlife habitat

 

“Atlanta is perhaps the only major city in America that retains a viable portion of high-quality, native forest land. However, most of Atlanta’s land is privately owned, so most of that forested land is subject to development. It is critical for the health and functioning of our urban ecosystem to protect existing forested land in addition to planting more trees.”

Atlanta Canopy Alliance

 

Atlanta has seen devastating deforestation and loss of vegetation over many decades. When this is coupled with increased pavement and rooftops, the effect creates a “heat island” (temperatures can be up to twelve degrees higher in heavily paved areas of Atlanta) and contributes to the region’s air pollution problems.

East Atlanta is a community of expansive, nearly continuous tree canopy, anchored in part by Brownwood Park. Ormewood Forest could be seen as an extension of our neighborhood park, each complementing the ecological benefits of the other. By preserving Ormewood Forest, we are helping to protect the habitat of all the unique birds, trees, and all the wildlife that also call our neighborhood home.

It is a rare resource to have a stream begin in a natural, unpiped urban location. By protecting the stream that begins in Ormewood Forest and joins Intrenchment Creek, we can help support a distressed watershed that drains the entire southeast and portions of the southwest quadrants of the city.

East Atlanta is currently undertaking an effort to list the entire neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places. Protecting this historically undeveloped forest area would preserve and accentuate the historic integrity of the area in addition to supporting the City of Atlanta’s initiative to protect green space in underserved communities.

All of these are goals and reasons to Save Ormewood Forest! Get in touch to find out how you can help!