Seasonal Hours

November 21st - March 19th: Monday - Friday 10am-3pm, Closed Saturdays

Nights Out for Nature

Elachee is launching a series of dinners hosted by a different restaurant each month. A portion of the proceeds will go to support Elachee programs. Each dinner will be hosted by board members and noted community members. These friends of Elachee will greet diners and thank them and the restauranteurs for their support.

Thursday January 12th: 2 Dog Restaurant in Gainesville

Check out their great menu with new items for January!

Thursday February 16th: Green's Tavern in Flowery Branch

Thursday March 8th: The Blue Bicycle in Dawsonville

Thursday April 12th: Corkscrew Cafe in Dahlonega

Mark your calendar & support Elachee with an enjoyable evening at a great restaurant!

New! Winter Lecture Series

Join us on the 4th Thursday of each winter month (Jan.-Mar. 2012) for a series of talks by guest experts who will share their knowledge in natural history, environmental policy, and other areas of interest regarding the world around us.

January 26th Sally Bethea, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
"The Chattahoochee River Watershed"

February 23rd Hummingbird Expert Rusty Trump
"Detouring Western Hummingbirds Overwinter  in Georgia"

March 22nd Jennifer Ceska, University of Georgia’s State Botanical Garden
"Endangered Plants of Georgia"

Admission: $5 non-members, Elachee members free. Call for information or Reserve Seats Online

GA Adopt-A-Stream Training

Friday, March 9th, 6 – 10pm,
& Saturday, March 10th, 9am – 4pm

Join us for an intensive 1.5-day workshop that will train you to effectively & accurately monitor streams. Learn to delineate your watershed, chemically analyze streams, & accurately identify macroinvertebrates. Upon completion you’ll be certified by GA Adopt-A-Stream, the state’s leading citizen science stream monitoring organization. Trainees under age 18 are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Materials Fee: $5 in advance. Register Online or call.

Trillium Trek Trail Run
Saturday, March 24th

Join us for a trail race in the Chicopee Woods!
5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon & Kid's Fun Run

Enjoy the beauty of the Chicopee Woods in the springtime! Race on single track trails that lead you to beautiful Walnut Creek, cross a 140-foot suspension bridge, & provide the challenge of moderately rolling hills.

Part of the Trail Runner Trophy Series

More Information       Register Online

Georgia Master Naturalist: Spring Session

Weekly classes:
Thursdays, April 5th - June 14th, 1:00-5:30pm
Including 1 field trip: May 3rd, 9:00-5:00pm

Join Elachee staff and invited speakers for a hands-on program that explores habitats and ecosystems in Georgia. After completing this fun and interactive program, certified Georgia Master Naturalists are encouraged to share their knowledge with their communities by volunteering as trail guides or trail stewards at Elachee.

Program fee: $160 for all sessions and field trip. Must be 18 or older to participate.
View Brochure for details or Register Online.

Elachee Explorers- A New Program for 4-5 year-olds

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30am –12pm
2 nine-week sessions:

Jan. 10th – March 8th
March 13th – May 17th
Spring Break April 2nd – 6th, no classes

A new and exciting program for preschoolers. Children will hike, sing, make crafts and explore the wonders of the Chicopee Woods. Families have an option to enroll their children for the 2-day program or the 1-day program (Tues only).

Visit the Elachee Explorers Page for more information or Register Online

Elachee's Nature Shop Now Online!

Share the Joy of Discovering Nature!

We now have a selection of gifts available Online

Elachee's Annual Program Report Now Online

Our annual progress report highlights the many ways your support has advanced education and conservation during our fiscal year of June 1, 2010 – May 31, 2011. View Report

I found a baby bird, a baby squirrel, a turtle crossing the road, a snake in my yard...What do I do?

Elachee is not licensed by the Dept. of Natural Resources to handle animal rehabilitation and cannot accept injured or orphaned wildlife.

View a List of Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities & Resources
Check out Frequently Asked Questions about Animals

Looking for Fun, Family Activities Outdoors?

1st Saturday Hikes

The first Saturday of every month except January and August, 10-11:30am.
If you are interested in learning about local native plants and animals, this monthly hike is a great way to explore the Chicopee Woods with an experienced guide. A great opportunity for small scout groups to work on badge requirements. Includes admission to the museum exhibitions.
Program Fee: Adults, $5; Ages  2-12, $3; Under age 2 & Members free. Check the Calendar for dates

Stars Over Elachee

Monthly Spring through Fall. Fridays, Saturdays, and/or Sundays at dusk. Learn to use a telescope and star chart to view stars, planets and constellations in the night sky. Programs begin just before dark so bring a flashlight and pencil. This program is most meaningful for adults and children 8 years and older. Pre-registration is required due to limited availability so call to reserve one of our telescopes and for exact program times and locations. View/print current monthly Star Chart
Program Fee: Adults, $10; Children through age 12, $5; Members, Free.
Call for information and to register.   Check the Calendar for dates
This event takes place at Elachee's Aquatic Studies Center. View Map

Volunteer Trail Crew Work Days

Saturdays Monthly.
Join us as we work to improve Elachee's Trails!
The work we do varies: digging new trail, building bridges & steps, repairing eroded trails – but we always have fun!  Tools & training provided.  Bring water, lunch, & gloves. Children 8-18 yrs old are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult. This is a great way for families to volunteer and help maintain Elachee's Trails! Meeting locations vary- Call for information and to register.  
Check the Calendar for dates

Elachee's Blog

Chicopee Woods Mitigation Bank

November 20, 2011

A Stream Mitigation Bank is funding mechanism for stream restoration projects which allows the owner of degraded streams to sell credits after restoring, stabilizing, and preserving those streams.

The purchaser of credits is typically a developer with a project in the same watershed. If the developers’ project will cause any stream disturbance or impact on a stream, credits must be purchased in order to receive construction permits. Examples of projects requiring credit purchase include piped road crossings or bridges. The number of credits a developer must obtain is dependent on the size of the impact on the given streams within their project. This determination is made by the Army Corps of Engineers who are responsible for the permitting process.

The Chicopee Woods Stream Mitigation Bank, managed by Elachee, will restore over 30,000 linear feet of stream in the Chicopee Woods. The work of restoring will be performed in five phases over a period of many years.  Read More...

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