Seasonal

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Announcing the Winners of the 2022-2023 Enchanted Woodland Trail

The Enchanted Woodland Trail is one of the most beloved exhibits at CNC. Visitors and Members are always so delighted to see the variety of homes we receive and are impressed to hear that this exhibit is created by volunteers.

The Fairy Houses and Gnome Homes this year have been some of the best so far since beginning the Enchanted Woodland Trail. The trail this year included some of the largest designs we have ever seen such as a large ship, a treasure chest, and a royal coronation!

The judging has been completed and the results are:

First place went to house number 2, made by four students: Ti’Ana D., Ariana G., Jaya M., and Michael V.

    

Second place went to house number 5, by Jackie Fine, CNC member

 

Third place went to house number 8, by Melissa Dorrell, CNC member

People’s Choice Award (voted on by CNC visitors during the month of December) went to house number 15, by William Helbig, CNC member

Honorable Mentions: CNC Staff that created houses: Rebekah, Amy, Nicole, Halimah

First place Winner: House 2, by Ti’Ana D., Ariana G., Jaya M., and Michael V.

“Four students, Ti’Ana D., Ariana G., Jaya M., and Michael V., worked together to design and build an A-frame style home with a Mid-Century Modern addition. These 4 students were grouped together for the “Architectural Residential Styles” class project as a part of their Architecture 1 class because the more modern styles appealed to them more than the historic styles that their classmates preferred. They used a variety of natural materials brought from home and materials found on the campus around the high school. The students are in the Architecture career pathway as a part of the College and Career Academy at Marietta High School.” – Candice, teacher of the four students

Second place: House 5, by Jackie Fine

“We have visited the fairy houses every year since we moved to Roswell in 2019, and it was one of the first outings with our daughter after she was born. This was our first year building a house and it was a family effort. My five-year-old drew up the design and the kids collected all of the materials from our yard. We all had a great time building (so much glue!) and imagined fairies and chipmunks might live there together.” – Jackie

Third place: House 8, by Melissa Dorrell

“I’d like to take a little different approach and present a River nymph. Since I’d like to create something more like a little woodsy cabin, I’m thinking she came down to Roswell to escape the snow from the GA mountains because she doesn’t like the cold. I think it will remind kids of geese flying south for the winter. She chose our little neck of the woods to be closer to the animals that remind her of her summer home. She lives on trails so she can surprise children by bringing attention to something like an animal or unique flower using tricks only a child can see or hear. I’d like to incorporate shiny items like Lorie beads and things to reflect light and small rocks for sound, so they can hear and see her through her things. I’m naming her scarlet sage like one of our native plants. To help pull her personality through her home, I plan to use reds to reject her name.” –Melissa

People’s Choice Award: House 15, William Helbig

When thinking about a house for gnomes or fairies, generally small is what pops into your mind. The huge fairy ship that has been delighting visitors this season took the prize for People’s Choice Award this year! This fairy ship was inspired by the Mayflower and is transporting fairies to CNC’s Enchanted Woodland Trail so that they can delight us this winter season and make our trail even more magical.

Honorable Mentions – CNC Staff Houses

This year CNC staff participated in the Enchanted Woodland Trail and created amazing houses that we’d love to highlight:

Nicole, House number 26

Nicole designed her house as a recreation of the Chattahoochee Nature Center but fairy style! If you look closely, you’ll notice all the areas and rooms in her house that represent real locations and landmarks at CNC, including the newly renovated River Boardwalk Trail! The next time you visit see how many of the CNC buildings and landmarks you can identify.

Just to give you a couple hints Nicole included the Discovery Center, Nature Exchange, the Admissions desk, Camp Kingfisher ga-ga pit, the canoe launch with mini canoes, and the Unity Garden to just name a few. There is more for you to explore when you next visit!

Rebekah, House Number 34

Rebekah used her natural artistic talent and love of plants in creating her gnome homestead. She planted real plants in the oversized pot to create a yard in front of the house. The house is made from pine needles, moss, and pieces of wood.

Rebekah wrote a lovely poem about her gnome home as well:

Deep within the winter wood,
There is a special neighborhood,
Of many tiny shops and homes.
Right here lives three little gnomes.

Their house is made of moss and leaves,
And mushrooms grow beneath the eaves.
The gnomes may be at home today,
But come the spring they’ll go away,

To dance beneath your garden plants,
To talk with butterflies and ants.
The gnomes will work their magic powers
To grow sweet grass and wildflowers.

You’ll see them sitting ‘neath a tree,
With the chipmunks sipping tea.
They’ll soar with birds away up high,
And make cloud sculptures in the sky.

Though their home may look superb,
In wintertime please don’t disturb!
The gnomes are here to get some rest,
So come the spring they’ll be at their best!

Amy, House number 33

Amy created her house using a thrifted small chest to serve as the beach destination for the fairies and gnomes. Amy’s design certainly stands out because of the beach theme, her fairies and gnomes are enjoying a much needed getaway from the cold weather. Unfortunately, the windy weather we had this winter was not kind to her house, but we have photographs to remember it and all the hard work Amy put into her home.

Halimah, House number 37

Halimah’s adorable Pixie Dust Mill is very detailed and you can see all the handmade work that went into it. From the waterwheel to the Mill body, Halimah put a lot of work into her beautiful creation! The extra special smaller details really make it stand out: the water edged with small rocks, the flower-shaped ornaments that adorn the mill, and the use of the tree cutouts for the base and the front step of the mill.

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Green Your Giving this Holiday Season

Practical Tips for Creating a Green Holiday

By Amy Meeker-Taylor, Member and Visitor Engagement Manager


Are you looking for ways to make your holiday a little green? Parties and celebrations are a fantastic way to reconnect and reflect on the past year. With minimal effort, your celebrations and gift giving can model sustainable practices for your guests. Check out these tips for creating a green holiday.  

Green Gifting 

  • Give experiences instead of material things. A CNC Membership makes a great gift and includes a year of adventure and learning in nature.  
  • Donate money or other resources to a non-profit in a loved one’s name. The Chattahoochee Nature Center maintains an Amazon Wish List all year round. If you prefer to shop in person, check out the Wish Tree in our Nature Store. It’s filled with wish list items from all our departments.
  • Give gifts that help others keep it clean. Stainless steel water bottles, reusable straws, and cloth shopping bags are great ways to help someone take steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle and many of these items can be purchased in our Nature Store. If you are crafty, you can make reusable utensil rolls to make it easier to ditch single-use plastic silverware. 
  • Use reusable materials to wrap gifts. Personalized Santa sacks work for younger kids and eliminate excess waste. Older kids and adults appreciate gifts presented in reusable bags or totes. 

Sustainable Celebrations 

  • Skip the disposables! If you do not have enough tableware, ask friends and relatives to lend you some. If your extended family regularly hosts large celebrations, purchase an inexpensive set (or find one at a resale shop) to share and reuse. If disposables are the only option, look for biodegradable alternatives. 
  • Use natural items in your decorating. A table scattered with pinecones or acorns can be just as inviting as glitter or sequins. 
  • Serve as much locally sourced, sustainable food as possible.  

Cleaning your “Clean Up” 

  • Involve the whole family in sorting things that can be reused or recycled. Plastic food containers can be reused for storage. Greeting cards can be saved for craft projects. Cardboard shipping boxes can be saved and reused or broken down and recycled. 
  • When it’s time to take down your Christmas tree, don’t just put it on the curb (unless your municipality collects them for mulch). Chop it up to use for firewood or mulch. Click here to learn more about what you can do with your tree and to learn how Christmas trees are being used in habitat restoration projects!
  • Have lights that no longer work? Switching to LEDs? Don’t just throw out your old lights. They contain valuable materials that can be reused. Working lights can be donated to an organization like Goodwill. Some local municipalities may collect non-working lights for processing but they can also be shipped to HolidayLEDs. Check with your friends and neighbors before shipping to save on shipping costs. 
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Fake spiderwebs are a real fright for wildlife

September 28, 2022- Forest Preserve District Will County 

Photo via Shutterstock

Talk about the tangled webs we weave. Those fake spiderwebs that give your house a creepy Halloween feel are even scarier than you might think for wildlife, because they can be a literal death trap. 

Much like real spiderwebs trap insects, those fake ones do too. And it’s not just teeny, tiny insects that can get caught in the sticky strings. Birds can get entangled in the fake webs, and so can any small animals that are not strong enough to break free, Treehugger reports.

Click to view entire article

how rain affects wildlife

How Rain Affects Wildlife

Discover How Rain Impacts Animal Behaviors

how rain affects wildlife
By Kathryn Dudeck

We have been experiencing a lot of summer storms lately. We know how rain affects us but have you ever wondered how rain affects wildlife? We talked to Wildlife Director, Kathryn Dudeck to find out some ways that the rain affects wildlife.

Nocturnal animals such as raccoons, opossums, and coyotes are seen more commonly during the day if it has been consistently raining the night before. Because prey (rabbits, rats, mice, etc.) does not often come out in the rain, the predators don’t come out to hunt. Once the rains clear, no matter what time of day or night, the animals will all come to forage and feed. This is similar to humans making a late-night run to the grocery store.


While some animals such as frogs and toads relish the rains (and in some cases are triggered by rainfall to mate), others such as songbirds and raptors usually lie low. The feathers of these birds weigh more than their skeleton so if they get drenched, they are unable to fly. Even some of our long-time resident raptors at CNC will not eat when it rains, despite having covered areas in their enclosures.

For large migratory species like Sandhill Cranes who navigate hundreds of miles each day, storms and their accompanying winds can blow them off course. Therefore, these birds find suitable wetlands, a pond, or a lake and wait it out until the weather improves. An additional plus to this tactic is that they are often able to ride the thermals behind the storm so they won’t have to extend as much energy as they would in calm air. You can find out more about Sandhill Cranes and their migration habits here.

The steady rains we can experience at times may be a bit depressing for some of us, but smaller migratory waterbirds like rails and wood ducks love it! The wetlands are recharged and full, allowing for numerous stop-overs for resting, foraging, and feeding.

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Fairies move into a cello house along the Enchanted Woodland Trail

 

An abandoned child-sized cello that once belonged to a now world-renowned musician has been converted into a house by a family of woodland fairies along the Enchanted Woodland Trail. You can visit the Chattahoochee Nature Center and explore the trails to discover the cello house and many more fairy and gnome homes.

They use their magic to repurpose the notes that were locked inside the cello by years of diligent practice and send them back out into the world as hauntingly beautiful melodies that have never been heard before.

For many years, this particular patch of woods has been a favorite spot for composers and songwriters to stroll for inspiration. The fairies are very shy, though, so no one is aware of the true source of the notes.

Visit the Enchanted Woodland Trail to explore the woodland trails for the cello house and many more! Open daily December 12 – February 28. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

650 x 400 Fulton County Library Fairy House

Woodland Whimsy Reading List

Fulton County shares book recommendations to celebrate the Enchanted Woodland Trail

Come visit CNC and our Enchanted Woodland Trail, featuring natural and upcycled fairy houses and gnome homes!

When you go home, the woodland whimsy doesn’t have to end! Check out the Enchanted Woodland reading lists put together by our friends at the library to help us celebrate this exhibit.

Be sure to log your points on a reading log to earn Nature Exchange points at CNC!

 

Nature-inspired and fantastical reads for kids and tweens. Use your Fulton County library card to access them digitally on Hoopla or check out at your local branch. If you want to download the reading list, click here. 

Nature-inspired and fantastical reads for older teens and adults. Books may be available digitally with your Fulton County library card. If you want to download the reading list, click here. 

 

 

 

650 x 400 Naturally Artistic 2021

Naturally Artistic Highlights Local Artists

Connecting Art and Nature

November 5, 2021

Visit CNC and enjoy Naturally Artistic, a homegrown exhibit that celebrates the connection between art and nature. You’ll enjoy creations from local artists, participate in making art, and be encouraged to see the world around you with a fresh set of eyes. This year we present 5 areas where you can get inspired and get your art on! Included with general admission and free to CNC Members.

>> Water-Powered Art (Coming soon!)

We partnered with Roswell Firelabs to create a beautiful mandala design – but, can you find it? Only water will unlock your ability to see this design, located near Beaver Pond. Visit on a rainy day and be surprised, or on a dry day, use the nearby water of the pond to discover the hidden art!

>> Heart-Powered Art

The Nature Exchange hosts our Envelope Exchange, where you can harness the power of your heart and leave messages of kindness to the earth. Need inspiration? Take a message someone else has left, and then leave your own for others too.

>> Sun-Powered Art

 Visit the sun-drenched windows of Nature Exchange where you can make your own fall-themed art that becomes more beautiful with the sun!

>> People-Powered Art

Can you imagine yourself with the wings of an eagle? Nature Exchange is where you will find artistic eagle wings where you can pose for a photo, and even add more feathers to help the eagle soar higher! Take your photo and tag us @chattahoocheenaturecenter #chattahoocheenaturecenter #getyournatureon #naturallyartistic

>> Wind-Powered Art

Watch artistic flowers dance in the wind, and look closely to see how creative
eco-artists made their sculptures – we hope you’ll find inspiration in all that you see. We’ve teamed up with local artists Michael and Katterina of Vamos Chicos Arts for art installations along Kingfisher Pond Trail. The works feature repurposed plastics and aluminum, as well as natural objects like leaves, sticks, and even seeds!

Artist Bio: Katterina Nangle, artist, and teacher is a native of Peru.  She has taught in many countries and also speaks German.  She studied Artes Plasticas in The PUC of Lima, Peru, and later earned her degree in Art Education from the Inter Americana University of Puerto Rico. She then taught preschool and grade school in the U.S. for 25 years. Five years ago she and her husband started their own company, Vamos Chicos Arts, which teaches her own style of eco-arts in after school programs in metro Atlanta. Katterina’s work reflects the passion she has for nature, color and design. Her primary materials are taken either from nature or from recycled items such as soda cans, water bottles or other plastics.

And lastly, stop by our “nature frames” as you head toward the Kingfisher and Beaver Pond intersection – these frames remind us that it’s all about perspective. What may be beautiful to you may be different from what someone else finds “frame worthy”. Slow down and take time to appreciate the beauty all around you, for inspiration is everywhere.

A few of our favorite partners and local art friends:

Roswell Fine Arts Alliance

Georgia Nature Photographers Association

Fulton County Arts and Culture

Roswell Arts Fund

Camera Class for Kids

Vamos Chicos Arts

Bach To Rock

Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance

Presented by:

650 x 400 Common Buckeye

Spring is in full swing, and it’s on the wing!

Explore the migration of birds and insects

By Rebekah Dolan, Visitor Services Associate

 

With the return of longer hours of sunlight and warmer weather, you are probably seeing many critters flying and buzzing around – some of which you may have not seen before. Each spring, thousands of birds and insects migrate north to reach their summer breeding and feeding grounds and then return south again in the fall.

Bird Migration

Sandhill Crane Migration, Photo by Rebekah Dolan

For hundreds of years, the seasonal migration of birds was largely a mystery. Did you know that the Ancient Greeks believed that birds hibernated underground? This is how they explained their disappearance in the winter, and return again in the spring.

While we have learned a lot about birds and their migration since the Ancient Greeks, much of it still seems mysterious.

 

 

Fun Facts:

  • Around 4,000 species of birds are migrants. Even birds that don’t fly, like emus and penguins, still migrate by foot or swim.
  • The arctic tern has the longest migration of any bird, traveling around 49,700 miles each year almost equal to traveling around the Earth twice!
  • Many birds migrate at night to avoid predators and reduce the risk of overheating.
  • Bar-headed geese migrate at the highest altitudes reaching heights of around 23,000 feet when flying over the Himalayas in India.

 

Insect Migration

Monarch Butterfly

There are several species of insects that also migrate up to thousands of miles each year. The most well-known insect migrant is the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterflies are one of only a few butterfly species known to make a two-way migration like birds. While the monarch might be the most famous of migrating butterflies, the painted lady, question mark, and common buckeye also make a two-way migration. These butterflies all play an important role during their migration in pollinating crops and wildflowers.

Milkweed Bug, Photo by Rebekah Dolan

Butterflies are not the only insects that migrate. Moths, dragonflies, beetles, grasshoppers, milkweed bugs, and some species of flies also undergo long journeys in search of food and warmer weather. Besides carrying pollen, because insects themselves are food for birds and other animals, their annual migrations are very important for ecosystems.

Fun Facts:

  • Milkweed bugs, just like monarch butterflies, are colored orange and black to warn off predators and migrate following the emergence of milkweed plants in the spring and summer.
  • The wandering glider, a species of dragonfly, undertakes the longest migration traveling more than 4,350 miles one way. In the Eastern Hemisphere, they are known to migrate from India to Africa by crossing the Indian Ocean and are the only known insect to make a transoceanic crossing.
  • The hummingbird hawk-moth resembles a hummingbird as it flies between plants and hovers over flowers. Like, butterflies, hawk-moths also migrate, but they generally migrate at night, as opposed to butterflies which migrate during the day.
  • Hoverflies mimic stinging insects like wasps with stripes and bright colors and migrate over multiple generations. As they do so, their larvae eat trillions of aphids, and the adults visit billions of flowers carrying pollen as they go, making them the ultimate gardener’s friend!
Snowberry Clearwing Hawk-Moth, Photo by Rebekah Dolan

The annual migrations can be really exciting to watch, they are also a very dangerous time for birds and insects. Some dangers may come from predators, but a lot can be caused by humans.

Each year, millions of birds die from building collisions, and pesticides can cause the deaths of billions of beneficial insects.

 

 

 

What Actions can you Take During Migration Time?

Migrate to the Chattahoochee Nature Center this summer to visit the Butterfly Encounter opening in June. Learn about amazing native butterflies, their importance to our planet, and their incredible migration journey. As a bonus, you can buy native, pollinator-friendly plants outside the Butterfly Encounter to make your home a paradise for migrating wildlife.

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The (Un)usual Suspects

The pollinators you love – and a few you might be surprised to meet

April 19, 2021

By Emma Schell, Scheduling Coordinator

 

Spring has sprung, and while that means warmer weather and blooming flowers, it also means the arrival of something many people dread: pollen.

While it may be a nuisance to our noses, pollen is an essential part of plant reproduction. In order for many plants to make seeds and fruit, pollen must travel between flowers. While wind and water can do some of this work, an estimated 70-87% of flowering plants rely on animals for help.

We call these animal helpers pollinators.

 

1. Butterflies

Perhaps the most widely recognized pollinator, butterflies help pollinate in a rather accidental way.

Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid found in flowers, and it is the primary food source for most butterflies. They use their long, straw-like mouth parts, called a proboscis, to reach down into the flowers and drink the nectar.

Butterflies do not intentionally collect pollen, but when one stops to drink nectar, small amounts of pollen stick to its body. As the butterfly continues its search for food, it carries this pollen to new flowers – helping to pollinate plants as it goes.

 

2. Bees

Georgia is home to over 500 species of bees, and although they might be a little less colorful than butterflies, they are the real MVPs of the pollinator world.

Both pollen and nectar are essential parts of a bee’s diet – nectar provides energy in the form of carbohydrates while pollen provides proteins and other nutrients. Because of this, bees actively collect both nectar and pollen for themselves and their larvae.

Bees possess special structures on their bodies that allow them to store and carry pollen. These adaptations allow bees to transport large amounts of pollen, sometimes 30% of their body weight, back to their nests. Along the way, they distribute this pollen to the plants they visit.

 

3. Wasps

Like bees, wasps have very high energy needs. While most wasps are carnivorous, they cannot survive on meat alone. They supplement their diet with a variety of sugar-rich foods such as fruits and, of course, nectar from flowers. As they pass between flowers, they transfer pollen along the way.

Wasps are less hairy than bees, and they are generally considered less efficient pollinators because less pollen is able to stick to their bodies. However, in some specialized environments, specific wasp species have been shown to outperform their honeybee counterparts.

Though they may not be as widely impactful as a bee, wasps are important specialist pollinators. Specialist pollinators are very picky in their choice of plants that they visit. They choose to visit the flowers of only one small group of plants, and often, the plants that they do visit are entirely dependent on these wasps for reproduction.

 

4. Flies

 

Though flies are often overlooked in discussions of pollination, this ancient group of insects was likely one of the first to pollinate early flowering plants.

Less fuzzy than most bees, they may not be the most efficient pollinators, but in some environments, flies carry the majority of the burden. Especially in cooler climates, where bee activity is reduced, flies are often the primary pollinator group.

Just like with wasps, some plants have evolved specifically to be pollinated by flies. They may emit foul odors or even resemble rotting meat in appearance. They do all of this to attract flies to their flowers.

One of these plants is the cocoa tree. The cocoa tree has small, downturned flowers that grow on its lowest branches and trunk. These flowers smell similar to some mushrooms, and they attract tiny flies that normally feed on fungi. Without these flies, the cocoa tree cannot bear fruit. Without this fruit, we humans would not have chocolate.

 

5. Bats

These nighttime flyers may go unnoticed much of the time, but make no mistake, they are vital to plants all over the world. Over 530 plant species rely on bats to assist with pollination – some of these plants include agave, bananas, and balsa trees.

Bats both drink nectar and also eat many of the insects that can be found in flowers. During both activities, bats collect pollen in their fur and redistribute it to other plants as they travel. Fruit-eating bats will also disperse seeds as they fly.

Bats also have a unique advantage over insect pollinators. They fly farther distances than most insects and are therefore able to transfer pollen between a wider distribution of plants.

 

So, as the weather warms and you explore the outdoors this spring, remember that for every butterfly and bee you spot, there are many more pollinators helping with their important work.

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