Have you been looking for an opportunity to learn more and meet others who want the same? Check out our monthly potluck meetings and our quarterly field trips.

Monthly Meetings

Come connect, learn, and get engaged with CNC during these monthly potluck meetings.  Topics change each month and provide you a chance to enhance your knowledge of the natural world.

Dates: Meetings take place the 4th Thursday of each month. We do not meet in November or December.

Times: Potluck at 7:00pm and program begins at 7:30.  We expect to be done between 9:00 – 9:30pm

Place: We will meet in the Plaza Conference Room at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Whenever possible our programs will include some indoor learning and some outdoor exploration.

Cost: $10 General Public; $5 CNC Members; FREE for CNC Docents, CNC Volunteers & Master Naturalist Students and Graduates

What to Bring: a vegetarian dish to share!  Each month we will assign dishes categories based on name. Once you attend or request to be on our mailing list you will receive this information. In the mean time, bring anything you like.

Ages: The Nature Club is for adults ages 16 and up.

Registration: Advance registration is not required

2013 Programs:

May 23: Plant Folklore and Herblore with Lisa Cole, CNC Environmental Horticulturist

Lisa Cole is the staff horticulturalist for the CNC. In addition to keeping the grounds looking lush and enticing, Lisa has a passion for plant lore and the ways in which plants have been used throughout history. From the myths and legends of Elderberry; tinctures made from common garden plants to healthy and tasty teas. Join Lisa as she takes us onto the CNC grounds and on a journey though mysteries of the plant kingdom.

June 27: Vegetable Gardening with Libby Lintel, CNC Unity Garden Coordinator

What is companion planting? When do I plant potatoes? Can I grow lettuce in November? You will learn the answer to these and many more questions when Libby Lintel, founder of the CNC Unity Garden, presents Herb and Vegetable gardening : Arugula to Zucchini. Libby will take us on a tour of the Unity Garden and explain about the kinds of soils to use, how much can you expect to yield, how to handle pests and much more.

July 25: Geology in Georgia with Bill Witherspoon and Dr. Pamela Gore

Pamela Gore and Bill Witherspoon are geology teachers who want to take us all on a virtual road trip to see Georgia’s geological wonders, from the coast to the mountains: landscapes, rocks, minerals, fossils, and the human stories geology has shaped.

August 22: Nature Photography with Don Stewart

Join the Nature Club in August as we look though the viewfinder at the natural world around us. Nature Photographer Don Stewart will be sharing from his experiences and will offer practical information on how to get that perfect sunset or capture some elusive wildlife. Don will be speaking about technique, equipment and other valuable topics.

October 24: Coyotes with Chris Mowry, Berry College

If you have suggestions we’d love to hear them – Email us at publicprograms@chattnaturecenter.org

Quarterly Field Trips

Explore Georgia with new friends! Four times a year we will venture outside of CNC to explore the places around North Georgia that make it so unique!

Dates: Field trips take place the 2nd Saturday of the following months – March, June, September, and December

Times: Trips usually last ½ or an entire day

Cost: $10 General Public; $5 CNC Members; FREE for CNC Docents, CNC Volunteers & Master Naturalist Students and Graduates PLUS any additional charges by the field trip location. Once a year we will offer one free field trip!

Summer Trip: A Chattahoochee Headwaters Hike

Date: Sunday, June 10, 10am

Join Naturalist Jerry Hightower for a hike along the Chattahoochee River at the edge of the Mark Trail Wilderness. We will hike up the east side of the river to the grotto. There is a fantastic diversity of ferns and wildflowers along a half mile section of river. We will backtrack, cross the river, visit Horse Trough Falls, and then hike upstream along the west side of the river. This is an area where we might find some orchids of interest. This is an unmaintained route. Often we will be on a bear trail or no trail at all. There are many rhododendron, mountain laurel, and dog hobble thickets along the route. At the old home site we will investigate salamander diversity. Please note this is not a spring head hike, which starts at Brasstown Bald. This is a truly a beautiful and extraordinarily amazing area. There are great areas here to get into the river, slide on small cascades and climb into large bore holes. Jerry has been hiking this area for decades and wrote the original Wilderness proposal in the late ‘70’s as a member of the Georgia RARE II Council.

Directions: There will be no organized car pool from the CNC as Carla and Richard will be camping in the mountains that weekend and will meet everyone there. Plan on meeting at the Campground. Travel north from the “beautiful Alpine Village” of Helen on Hwy 17 & 75. Turn left onto Hwy: Alternate 75 and cross the river. Turn right onto Popular Stump Road, which will go through Low Gap, past Low Gap Campground, and winds its way through very beautiful forest along the river. At the entrance to Upper Chattahoochee River Campground pay your daily use fee and drive to the day use parking at the very end of the campground. Our meeting place is at the trail head.

Difficulty: Strenuous to very strenuous with frequent scrabbles over and under rocks, logs, ledges, boulders, and through thickets of Rhododendron and Dog Hobble. Heavy bush whacking. Expect to encounter Yellow Jackets in close quarters.

Bring: Pack your lunch & water and we will picnic in the forest. Remember to dress for the weather and wear very comfortable hiking shoes. Dress in layers so that you can adjust to changes in the temperature and your activity level. Bring water shoes and water clothes if you plan to get into the river. A towel and a jacket is advisable. You may wish to bring binoculars, hand lens, notebook, and camera. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Yellow Jackets are pretty much a sure thing. If you have allergies to wasp stings, BRING YOUR MEDICATION!!! Poison Ivy will be everywhere and unavoidable.

Cost: This field trip does not have a CNC fee – a great way to bring new friends to The Nature Club (you are responsible for any feeds incurred on the trip.)

Check back for information on our future field trips.