Other Resources

Park Locations - City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation -- A listing of parks in Atlanta

Trees Atlanta (www.treesatlanta.org, 404-522-4097)

• Tree Plantings and Tree Care. Volunteers plant trees from November through March. The remainder of the year volunteers maintain the planted trees and care for other trees. To volunteer, sign up on the Trees Atlanta web site. There are projects every Saturday.
• Invasive Species Removal. Kudzu, ivy and Chinese privet are some of the biggest threats to trees and park health. Trees Atlanta will provide you the support and education you need to rid your green space of these pests.

Hands on Atlanta (www.handsonatlanta.org, 404-979-2800)

Atlanta's largest volunteer organization, Hands On Atlanta can match volunteers - and sometime resources - with your park needs. As part of Hands On Atlanta Day and the Hands On Atlanta Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Summit, Hands On Atlanta volunteers can undertake large projects in your park. Hands On Atlanta also works with agencies to support on-going volunteer needs.

Atlanta Community Tool Bank (www.toolbank.org, 404-880-0054)

For a nominal membership fee, organizations can borrow from the Tool Bank’s Tool Lending library. The library contains over $400,000 worth of tools and supports organizations like Park Pride, Hands on Atlanta and community groups throughout metro Atlanta.

KaBoom (www.kaboom.org, 202-464-6070 ask for Evelyn Furia)

National organization that works with select communities to plan, build and help fund playgrounds in their park. For information on how to spruce up an existing playground or how to build a new one, visit their web site. Targeting child rich, playground poor communities.

National Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org, 404-876-8733)

Through NWF's Backyard Wildlife HabitatTM program you can learn how to turn your yard, garden, schoolyard or local park into sanctuaries for wildlife and people. Learn how to create these beautiful places and reinvigorate the world around us.

Nike Track Renovation Program (www.nike.com)

The Bowerman Track Renovation Program, administered by Nike's Community Affairs department, provides matching cash grants to community-based, youth-oriented organizations anywhere in the world that seek to refurbish or construct running tracks. Applicants must demonstrate a need for running track refurbishment or construction and must provide track access to neighboring communities. Special consideration will be given to existing running tracks in need of repair or refurbishment and tracks located in low and moderate-income communities. Nonprofit organizations, schools, and governmental units throughout the U.S. and charitable nongovernmental organizations outside of the U.S. are eligible to apply. Applications are accepted year-round.

National Fish & Wildlife Federation (www.nfwf.org)

The Five-Star Restoration Program provides modest financial assistance on a competitive basis to support community-based wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. This program is open to any public or private entity. Awards are between $5,000 and $20,000. The average grant award was $10,000 last year. This is a matching grant program so partners are needed. They can include: schools & youth organizations; local businesses or corporations; conservation organizations or local citizens groups; state & federal resource management agencies; and Foundations or other funding entities.
Projects must include an on-the-ground restoration component and should include training, education, outreach, monitoring, & community stewardship components. Applicants must show measurable ecological, educational, social, and/or economic benefits which will result from the project’s completion.

Conservancies

If you need some advice – or want to benefit from the experience of someone who has been there before – Atlanta’s existing park groups can be a wealth of information.

• Cabbagetown Initiative (www.cabbagetowninitiative.org, 404-526-9900)
• Chastain Park (www.chastainparkconservancy.org, 404-237-2177)
• Freedom Park (www.freedompark.org)
• Grant Park (www.gpconservancy.com, 404-521-0938)
• Olmsted Linear Park (www.atlantaolmstedpark.org, 404-853-7159)
• Piedmont Park (www.piedmontpark.org, 404-875-7275)
• Sandy Springs Conservancy (www.sandysprings.org/ssc, 770-640-4020)

Local Government

In addition to these non-profit organizations, don't forget about your local government agencies.

• Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (http://www.atlantaga.gov/Government/Parks.aspx, 404-817-6788)
• Atlanta Greenways (http://greenway.usigis.com/CleanWaterAtlanta/)