BLOG: Nature Mixed In

The Chicopee Woods Hiking Trail System and Elachee Visitor Center will be closed on October 3 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the 10th Annual Trillium Trek Trail Run and Walk.

When you see Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), an elegant late summer wildflower, blooming along the roadside and in rural areas, that means Fall will soon arrive!

Imagine splashing around in the shallows during a Camp Elachee creek day, when just beneath the water’s surface sits an arrowhead.

Preschoolers new to Elachee Nature Academy are getting the chance this summer to meet and learn with their lead teacher in an informal type of orientation.

“Our hikes on Elachee’s beautiful trails have been, for us, the silver lining in this pandemic cloud,” writes Olivia Skey. She and husband, Fred, completed the Hiking for Health 150-mile Chicopee Challenge May 1, seven months ahead of their goal.

Ever wonder what separates the 8-mile hiking trail system in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve and the 21-mile mountain bike trail system in the Chicopee Woods Conservation Area?

Elachee offers these tips for making the most of your experience – and that of your fellow hiker!

For Elachee’s 41st year, educational naturalists gathered for semi-annual training on Georgia curriculum standards and teaching techniques/best practicies prior to a busy spring season!

The “Hi” tree is only one natural phenomenon hikers will encounter in these woods, thanks to diligent work from Elachee’s Volunteer Trail Crew.

Learn what experiences made Elachee Education Program Specialist Wes Hatch say, “I knew I’d found what I wanted to do.”

This independent program provides a framework to stretch your legs and the incentive to get out in the woods to hike on a regular basis.

Elachee’s monthly astronomy program teaches people how to use a telescope and find their way around the night sky.

Have you hiked across this newly constructed pedestrian bridge in Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve?

Chair of the 2020 Flights of Fancy Benefit & Auction, this volunteer’s goal is to introduce as many new people as possible to Elachee “so that they can also benefit from this incredible resource.”

Squirrels, deer and chipmunks would not think of eating meet, would they? More and more evidence says they would, and do, regularly.

As you plan a hike along the trails in Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve or elsewhere in Georgia this fall, you may need to spend more time in planning your outing.

Are they here yet? Perhaps you have already spotted the beautiful Monarch butterfly caterpillar or even seen these butterflies in your yard. If not, then look for them any day!

Elachee’s iconic American chestnut tree serves both as a reminder of an ecological fiasco in U.S. history and a sign of hope for regrowth and renewal.

A UNG-Gainesville biology team is collaborating with Elachee to research the Joro spider in its new habitat.

Thanks to skilled efforts from our dedicated Volunteer Trail Crew, Elachee has completed a comprehensive signage and mapping overhaul for the 8-mile hiking trail system in Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve.

Happenstance describes how a hike in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve turned into an ‘ah ha’ moment for Dr. Katayoun Mobasher that will ultimately lead to discovery and insight that will shape perceptions of the geologic history of region.

The Elachee Nature Academy teachers are excited to begin an adventure with young students ready to learn, grow and explore the Chicopee Woods.

Elachee’s Live Animal Exhibit showcases the special qualities of many Georgia species.

Creature Feature week at Camp Elachee 2019 was a crash course in exposure to wildlife and more domesticated animals – all of which are outside the realm of dogs, cats and goldfish.

Turtles are probably the most approachable reptile we have in the southeast - because of their lack of speed, ferocity (with a few exceptions) or venom.

Campers REALLY got experiential during Mad Science Mayhem week!

This mighty group spent their days learning how early inhabitants of Georgia used their five senses to survive and live purely off the land.

Ice chalk, mud royalty, erosion in a bottle, the Jellyfish song and spray bottle hikes were among the AWESOME activities that campers loved during this damp and crazy week!

Space week at Camp Elachee was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Cheesy, but true.

The concept of ‘feathering my nest’ gained meaning for campers after an AWESOME ‘Habitat Haven’ week at Camp Elachee!

Campers had a WILD time as we welcomed June!

Summer at Camp Elachee 2019 started off with a wave of enthusiasm from kiddos ready for adventure!

With most of the “Pardon our Progress” barriers removed, visitors now have even more reasons to plan a trip to Elachee.

Elachee Nature Science Center has been a natural fit and he feels the organization’s future success depends on public awareness for all that’s positive about supporting a concern for nature and how that correlates to enriching children’s lives.

Be on the lookout for the many beautiful neotropical migrants returning to the Chicopee Woods in March, April and May.

When hiking the Trail System at Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve you will soon find that the signage and mapping system has been comprehensively revamped to greatly enhance hiker navigation and reflect changes made as part of Elachee’s conservation efforts within the Nature Preserve.

From Space Week to Habitat Haven and from Wet & Wild to Mad Science Mayhem, Camp Elachee has it all! Registration for 2019 is now open.

Volunteer work days in February gave Elachee volunteers and staff the opportunity to begin getting the Nature Center ready for spring.

Avoid unwanted hitchhikers! Be prepared before heading into the woods this spring and summer.

The first hiking trail mileage marker and mapping system updated is taking place in six years thanks to Elachee volunteer David Scobey.

Visit Chicopee Lake early morning or just before sunset and you may see otters frolicking.

The Elachee Volunteer Trail Crew’s current projects include trail signage changes, trail relocation and trail maintenance.

Can you believe it? Elachee is turning 40 in 2019.

Witnessing the circle of life, in late October the Elachee family had to bid adieu to a couple of towering trees that stood tall as greeters to the Nature Center.

A Red-breasted Nuthatch irruption brings unexpected visitors to northeast Georgia this fall.

At Elachee, a variety of native, berry-bearing shrubs and trees become favorite food stops for certain species of migrating birds who depend on berries to fuel their return trips to their tropical homes.

Elachee Nature Science Center kicked off the fall festival season with its 26th Annual Snake Day on September 8, 2018.

There is a particularly enchanted section of Elachee’s Geiger Trail, referred to as the Storybook Trail, where visitors may leisurely stroll from kiosk to kiosk and lose themselves in a good book.

Pollinator meadows and demonstration hives make for fascinating studies of bees and other winged creatures.

Elachee Donor Profile: Dave and Faye Westfall

Each summer numerous campers, who may not otherwise have the opportunity, are able to take part in Camp Elachee thanks to the generosity of Elachee donors.

In the spirit of reliving highlights from the previous eight Camp Elachee themed activities, we brought back some old favorites for Pre-K and Elementary campers, as middle school campers had a creature care experience they’ll always remember!

Always one of the biggest adventures of the summer, Green Acres has nothing on the ‘Elachee Ranch,’ the place to be for this week’s animal spectacular!

Experiments, experiments and EVEN MORE experiments defined this week, indisputably proving that learning is fun!

How did we bring the night sky to our day camp? Well, here at Camp Elachee we make the impossible, possible.

Camp Elachee’s Wet and Wild week is always a summer favorite for campers, and this year did not disappoint.

Over hills, in creeks and through woods… there was no limit to Camp Elachee explorations this week!

Younger campers were inspired with a sense of wonder as older campers learned basic wilderness survival skills.

Live birds of prey demonstrations and a virtual trip around the globe introduced campers to creatures near and far.

Rain, rain came to stay. Week one of Camp Elachee was fun, anyway!

Like well-tuned clocks, migrating hummingbirds return to north Georgia each year around the first of April.

Here in north Georgia, the beautiful eruption of spring ephemeral wildflowers is a primary reason this is a popular season.

Elachee collaborates with corporate partners to create a workday experience that matches the timing and interests that best suit their employees’ needs.

Will this spring blooming season differ from last year since winter temperatures are dramatically colder?

Among the most interesting wildlife that might turn up in your backyard are an array of short-term, short-range winter migrating birds.

Winter brings some of the best stargazing of the calendar year for those adventurous enough to step outside on a cold night.

Has your resident taxidermy worn out its welcome? If you get a wild hair to spring clean early, Elachee needs your taxidermy!

Thanks to the herculean efforts of Elachee’s volunteer trail crew who removed storm debris and downed trees, the hiking trails of Chicopee Woods are now open to the public.

Elachee is honored to have been chosen for a Junior League of Gainesville-Hall County Done in a Day Project grant. This project provided funding and volunteer efforts to support Elachee’s school programs’ taxidermy collection and to refurbish the classroom housing this collection at the Nature Center.

Elachee teams with professional arborists to protect and maintain the trees of the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve.

We at Elachee have been fielding phone calls and emails from individuals posing questions about the upcoming Solar Eclipse, and we thought it would be helpful to share these tips from Robert Webb, Elachee senior naturalist and astronomer

How ‘bout those webworms? Seasonal changes are typically subtle, except for the perceived blight of these larvae defoliators.

Elachee friend and photographer Joe Berry recently posted a Facebook series of nature photos he shot while documenting a nesting Hummingbird, a story he shares with us!

The summer of 2017 has Mother Nature in rare form, revealing her secrets to one and all.

Whether you routinely walk in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve or find snakes in your yard, it’s a good idea to have handy a way to identify venomous versus non-venomous reptiles.

One of the most interesting trees in the northeast Georgia forest is the Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboretum), for its popularity with bees and ancient Native Americans.

Camp Elachee had three age-appropriate, diverse themes providing unique experiences for campers that ranged from exploring their senses and learning basic wilderness survival skills to archaeological adventures.

Campers literally got a taste of pioneer life, exploring how children of yore lived.

What’s the best way to start off a kid’s summer vacation? Water Week at Camp Elachee!

Elachee's annual fundraiser was great fun and a resounding success to further the Nature Center's ability to reach and teach individuals in this community.

Week in and week out, Elachee’s Volunteer Trail Crew works diligently to keep the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve hiking trail network safe and sound.

Make sure your children and/or you are prepared for whatever outdoor influences come your way.

Often the first clue that you have a reptile sharing you space is the disquieting discovery of a snake skin festooning a garden shed, basement or attic.

During the Camp Elachee's nine weeks of themed summer day camps, children unplug and learn where nature is the adventure – outside!

Elachee President/CEO Andrea Timpone asks for the community's input as the Nature Center begins developing a 3-5 year strategic plan.

Elachee kicks off the 2017 Annual Fund Campaign to support and sustain this remarkable north Georgia treasure that is nestled in one of the State’s largest protected green spaces, the 1,440 acre Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve.

Spring is bursting forth in Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve and the participants in the 2017 Georgia Master Naturalist Course were first-hand witnesses to this miracle of rebirth.

Race through the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve at the Trillium Trek Trail Run & Walk on April 22, 2017.

Avian visitors are arriving in Georgia for one of the most anticipated events in nature: spring bird migration. Is your garden a main attraction?

Elachee's Spring Plant Sale will help you introduce color and variety to your yard with a diverse selection of 'native' plants, not always available at local nurseries.

Elachee offers a two-for-one special at the Spring Garden Expo with eclectic garden and nature-related items from the Nature Shop, and tips from an expert birder on ways to lure migrating birds to your backyard.

Elachee Nature Academy students welcomed cartoonist, comic strip columnist and author Paige Braddock to visit their classroom and read her newly published children’s graphic novel Stinky Cecil in Terrarium Terror!

Congratulations to Dr. Sylwester Ratowt, Elachee Nature Science Center 2017 Volunteer of the Year.

Each year, the Elachee staff watch eagerly for the first blooms in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve and a late February hike revealed several surprises!

Elachee educators conduct Stream Life studies, sharing best practices to prepare for the nearly 20,000 children that will visit the Nature Center on school field trips March through May.

Voted '2017 Best of Hall' Summer Camp, we blend traditional outdoor camp activities with unique, inquiry-based learning opportunities to get children unplugged and outdoors during school breaks.

Elachee's many open-air and indoor facility rental options are a great fit for memorable occasions.

Become an Elachee Annual Corporate Sponsor and leverage your marketing and community relations’ budget with a single investment.

Georgia Gwinnett College taps Elachee Nature Science Center to help with a regional air quality study.

Learn how Elachee puts to use donor support for the benefit children, families and nature lovers.

Elachee is pleased to offer an exciting line-up of guest speakers for its seasonal Brown Bag Lecture Series, part of the Nature Center's acclaimed Life-Long Learning programming.

Elachee Nature Center recently held its inaugural North Georgia Tree Festival, a celebration of the season and the silent leafy giants that populate our forests.

Starlab, Elachee’s portable planetarium, is the stellar ‘sidekick’ equipment our skilled educators have been using for over 30 years to reveal the wonders of the night sky to children in our community.

Elachee's many open-air and indoor facility rental options are a great fit for special gatherings large or small.

The Tree Party fall gathering puts a different spin on supporting Elachee while communing with nature and visiting with friends.

Witness the miracle of a Black Rat snake hatching from it's egg.

Tucked behind the highway and under plenty of shady trees, I took a tour of Elachee earlier this week.

There are fruiting PawPaw trees along the Dodd Trail!

The last week of Camp Elachee 2016 featured an encore of camper favorites from previous weeks' activities.

Campers ventured far and wide getting to know the creeks of Chicopee Woods.

Elachee Education Director Peter Gordon Presents on Outdoor Safety to Georgia Power Employees

Campers learn wilderness survival skills, while honing teamwork through friendly (and wacky) competition.

No doubt, the highlight of the week was the Extreme Obstacle Course that ‘exposed’ campers to simulated extreme types of weather condition one camper likened to "American Ninja Warrior," the popular reality TV endurance competition.

Creativity and engineering prowess commandeered this water-themed week at Camp Elachee.

Hikers walking over Elachee Creek, near the intersection of the Dodd Trail and Elachee Creek Trail, will cross more safely thanks to a newly constructed bridge.

Campers discovered how people and plants get and use energy to move.

The perfect place to find an ideal hostess gift or unique children's birthday presents.

Building Espirit de Corps Among Campers

Turning the camp experience upside down and out of this world!

Campers watched pigs fly, hugged an Alpaca, met a celebrity Guinea (pig) Chicken and more!

Oh, what a night! Little did we know that at its conclusion we’d be collectively thinking, “Did that just happen?”

As children have been enjoying their last days of school, Camp Elachee counselors have been preparing for summer to begin!

Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve is front and center as part of two national wildlife studies.

Brides rejoice when they discover they can celebrate their special day at Elachee and still feel as though they’re miles from home.

You can easily attract these fascinating little winged jewels to your backyard by hanging a feeder or two.

Make a tax-deductible donation to Elachee's annual fund today. Every dollar counts!

Elachee Nature Science Center will expand its accredited Nature-based Preschool learning environment to offer a Kindergarten-1st Grade program, starting in August 2016.

Have you heard the buzz? Elachee’s demonstration bee hives are hard at work allowing students and visitors to see the wonder of the hives in action.

After a 20-year hiatus, renowned ornithologist Dr. Alison Styring returns to Elachee to visit one of her "favorite places on earth."

Spring break campers got a taste of what summer day camp will be like...TONS of fun!

Students are giving Elachee’s various astronomy programs 'out of this world' reviews.

Alyssa met Elachee's resident Gopher Tortoise while on a summer vacation visit. A decade later, Alyssa returned with her family and recreated a photo op with Gopher Boy!

Each class in the 11-session course includes a presentation and field study.

Sixteen years ago, Elachee Nature Science Center formed a partnership with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to create a new educational program, an example of connecting research and best practice.

This crazy March weather has brought out the haiku in us.

When international firm Soliant Consulting contacted Elachee about a volunteer project to coincide with their company conference at Lake Lanier Islands Resort, we had just the activity.

Elachee Nature Science Center to Offer Telescope Workshop Events this spring

Understanding the ecological importance of bats and dispelling the mysteries that have surrounded them for centuries.

Elachee Nature Science Center welcomed the community to share a heartwarming 2016 Arbor Day celebration in Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve.

Registration for the 2016-17 school year is now OPEN! There are a limited number of spaces available for full and part time enrollment.

With the end in sight, a member of Elachee's Volunteer Trail Crew shares details about the relocation of this popular trail near the suspension bridge in Chicopee Woods.

An interesting trend is emerging as many brides and grooms are considering Elachee for their weddings because they remember visiting as children.

Shrouded in myth and legend as well as associated with vampires and dark superheroes, bats have come to symbolize all that humans fear. But their true purpose and value has long been overlooked.

One of the best things about working at Elachee is that we get the opportunity to share our love of nature and the outdoors with school children, like when Chattahoochee Elementary came for a field trip.

Seven species of bats dwell around Lanier, which dishes up swarms of aquatic bugs for them to eat, especially in warm months. The rarely-seen predators are important dark-side characters in Lanier’s ecology as each can consume nearly its entire body weight – thousands of insects – in a summer night’s hunt.

While the spring flowers have yet to be seen, and ice pockets can still be found in the crevices of our mountains, there is still a lot happening in our own North Georgia backyard. One surprise is our wintering hummingbirds.

The barren months of winter bring their own special beauty. Views obscured by leaves are now visible during the coolest months, and hikers are free to enjoy the scenery without the threat of mosquitos, ticks, snakes and other adorable critters. Seeing the beauty of the delicate colors and patterns of branches, along with the depth of the evergreens, is an acquired taste. For those who prefer the riot of spring colors, there is a way to bring spring early.

Who doesn’t love the taste of golden, sweet honey? Honey is a treasure chest of hidden nutritional and medicinal value. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties have been noted since the early days of the Egyptian pharaohs. Locally produced honey is purported to alleviate allergies by acting as a natural vaccine. Honey is loaded with antioxidants which may boost memory and aid in absorption of calcium in older folks. It has long been used as a cough suppressant and to soothe a sore throat.

Summer is a wonderful season to explore the outdoors. Wildlife is most active early in the morning or just before dusk. These are great times of day to take a walk to not only see more wildlife but to enjoy cooler temperatures.

Droughts aside, Northeast Georgia is blessed with an abundance of water. Our area averages nearly 50 inches of rain each year. Of that total, 35 inches evaporate, 6 inches infiltrate the Earth to become groundwater and almost 9 inches become run-off.

We all have memories of playing outside as kids: exploring the neighborhood, looking for frogs, splashing in the creek, playing hide ‘n seek and the glorious freedom in getting dirty.  Summer is a great time to explore nature with your children.

Nature journaling. Sounds relaxing. It is! Don’t worry if you cannot draw well or if writing isn’t really your thing. And you don’t need a fancy journal. A simple lined notebook will do.