Botanical Garden Walk & Talk featuring Native Plants of GA - little chance of any rain till later Friday! - Fri, May 12 2017

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.



Botanical Garden Walk & Talk featuring Native Plants of GA - little chance of any rain till later Friday!


The Basics:
Event Type:Learn
Event Location: East metro Atlanta near I-285/ I-20 interchange   Learn: Botanical Garden Walk & Talk featuring Native Plants of GA - little chance of any rain till later Friday!  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Fri, May 12 2017  10:00 am >> Fri, May 12 2017 1:00 pm
Registration Opens: Thu, May 11 2017 7:30 am
Registration Cut Off: Fri, May 12 2017 9:00 am
Event Duration:3 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D1: Easy
Distance:2 Miles
Pace:Leisurely
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:12
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 3 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

IN A NUTSHELL:  No rain showers are expected this Friday until this event is over, with partly sunny skies likely all morning!  Hope you can join us for this delightful free 3-hour "combo" at the GA State University Native Plant Botanical Garden.  Each spring and fall the GSU "Decatur Campus" (formerly GA Perimeter College) sponsors these weekly "Friday open-house walk & talks" hosted by expert naturalists.  On display at the garden are hundreds of species of beautiful trees, wildflowers, shrubs, vines, ferns and other fascinating plants.  Their "Ferns of the World" exhibit is said to have perhaps more different species of ferns than any other garden in the United States!

EVENT DETAILS:  Our Atlanta Outdoor Club "subgroup" will gather a few minutes before 10:00 AM at the garden entrance - see detailed directions & GPS info below.  After introducing one another we'll walk in together and first explore the greenhouse area where a variety of potted native plants are offered for sale to garden guests at reasonable prices.
  At 10:30 AM we'll join native plants expert Eddi Minche for a leisurely guided walk through the garden focusing esp. on the POLLINATION aspects of the gorgeous plants that are native to Georgia - many of them sporting colorful blooms at this time of year and may be visited by their wild pollinating insects or birds during our walk.  Then at 12:00 Noon we'll regroup in a nearby classroom for an indoor presentation - also by Ms. Minche - on the topic, "Pollinator Power." - Eddi will present a slide show about the thousands of species of insects and birds that flowering plants depend on to thrive and reproduce.  Eddi herself is a beekeeper, and has accumulated lots of fascinating knowledge about domestic bees and their kindred wild pollinating insects.

  Bring a picnic lunch if you like, and we can enjoy our lunches and share extra items both before and during the classroom talk.
  If you can join us only for the Walk, or the Talk, but not both - no problem.  Feel free to arrive and depart as your schedule permits.  

FOR MORE about the GSU BOTANICAL GARDEN and lots of lovely photos click on the following link:  http://gpcnativegarden.org/index.html
  For a complete schedule of GSU's free "Friday open-house walks & talks" this season (and their specific topics) click on "Plant Talks and Garden Walks" on the left side of the Home Page.


Required Items to Bring:


- Wear comfortable Clothing & Walking Shoes.
- Consider bringing a little Water and/or hydrate well before the event.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.


- A light Daypack or Fanny Pack for carrying your personal items.
- A Picnic Lunch & Beverage. We can take the time to have lunch together just after the guided walk and/or during the talk.
- A Pen or Pencil and small Notebook in case you'd like to take notes.
- Your Camera! The GPC Garden is a very photogenic place and your shots can remind you of new plant species you've learned, etc.
- Some Cash and/or your Checkbook in case you'd like to purchase some of the nice potted native plants for your own garden or as gifts for friends.
- A compact Umbrella or other light raingear, esp. if there's a likelihood of showers in the forecast.


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

DIRECTIONS from I-285/ I-85 "SPAGHETTI JCN" INTERCHANGE in NE METRO ATLANTA:
1. From the I-285/ I-85 Interchange (near Doraville) take I-285 southward about 15 miles and get off at the "Flat Shoals Rd" exit (I-285 exit #48 which is 2 mi south of the big east-side I-285/ I-20 interchange).
2. Turn Right onto Flat Shoals Road and go just 0.2 mile (northwestward) to the traffic light at Panthersville Rd.
3. Turn Left onto Panthersville Rd and continue straight ahead for about 1 mile (southward). After passing through the traffic light at Clifton Springs Rd get in the rightmost lane of traffic.
4. About 0.1 mile beyond the traffic light look for a small brown "Botanical Garden" sign and turn Right into the large parking lot.
5. Meet me and our AOC "subgroup" at 10:00 AM in the far side of the parking lot in the shady area near the garden entrance path. (If you arrive early feel free to explore the garden on your own before you meet us.  Conversely if you have to be late, no problem!  - just look for our slow-moving group in the garden or along its adjoining wooded pathways.)

For a zoomable map or satellite view of our meetup spot near the garden entrance click on the rectangular blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.

You GPS Users may wish to augment the above directions by entering the following concise Lat/Lon coordinates of our meetup spot as your destination: 33.68706,-84.27415

The street address & phone number of GSU's "Native Plant Botanical Garden" are:
3251 Panthersville Rd, Decatur, GA    678-891-2668


Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

FREE Event with free Parking and never a Garden Entrance Fee!


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.