Rationale of Choosing the Blue Heron Nature Preserve

For my project, my study area will be the Blue Heron Nature Preserve in north Atlanta, Georgia. The nature preserve includes the 3-mile Blueway Trail within 30 acres of the nature preserve; the preserve is made up of meadows, woodlands, wetlands and riparian. They have over 28 plant species and over 35 animal species, so I think it gives a lot of opportunities for investigating and documenting the biodiversity. The nature reserve also promotes certain aspects of each area: the meadows promote reintroduction of pollinators, the woodlands promote proper burning of firewood to reduce tree disease, the wetlands promote the importance of water quality and the riparian promotes runoff education. The are also has over 13 research conservation projects, including a turtle sanctuary, rain garden, Neighborhood Water Watch program and the Field Research Center Native Pollinator Garden. I think the Blue Heron Nature Preserve has a lot of opportunity to be a great source of information for this project.

I also like the nature preserve as a project because they have a lot of community outreach efforts that would help in understanding the area. I also live nearby to the nature preserve, so that would help a lot with the in-the-field exploration; living in the nearby area also helps with the understanding of local policies and government officials.

Here's the link: Blue Heron Nature Preserve