Park Pride is proud to award over $20,000 in funding to nine park projects across the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County through its Small Change Grants Program. The Small Change Grants are awarded annually, and the program is supported by an anonymous donor.
From invasive species removal and native plantings to erosion control and tree care, the neighbor-led Friends of the Park groups are investing directly in the parks their communities cherish, engaging volunteers and often creating opportunities for community education along the way.
“Neighbors know their parks best. Each project started with community members noticing something in their park that needed care, and Park Pride is proud to bring the resources to help make it happen,” Director of Grantmaking & Implementation Andrew White said.
The recent grants will fund projects in these parks:
- Barker Bryant Memorial Park – Converting a space overgrown with invasives into a usable lawn that visitors can enjoy. This is part of a multi-phase project to create a more welcoming grassy gathering space.
- Delano Line Park – Launching an eco-friendly goat-grazing land management pilot program to remove invasive plants in the park.
- Flat Shoals Park – Beautifying the entrance with deer-resistant native bushes, grasses, and pollinator plants, along with installing a volunteer-built birdhouse.
- Glen Emerald Park – Planting native species to combat erosion and support local pollinators in partnership with Beech Hollow Farms and the Georgia Native Plant Society.
- Historic Fourth Ward Park – Hiring a professional arborist for structural pruning, limbing, and invasive removal in the park’s tree canopy to improve visibility.
- Orme Park – Supporting ongoing invasive removal and planting over 1,000 native plants to restore old-growth forest health. This effort includes community plant swaps and educational tours.
- Red’s Farm Preserve – Installing tree identification signage. The Friends of the Park group will continue to offer educational opportunities — building on ecological stewardship, which was a guiding principle for the Vision Plan that the community recently completed alongside Park Pride’s team of park designers.
- Vermont Park – Addressing erosion in an area where washouts occur, including installing new dome drains, restoring a gravel path, using natural materials for erosion control and planting native species.
- Zonolite Park – Removing invasive plants and replacing them with native species in partnership with the Georgia Native Plant Society.
Park Pride’s Small Change Grant Program supports community-led park improvements that strengthen stewardship and help neighbors shape and care for their local greenspaces. Rooted in Park Pride’s goal to empower communities and catalyze meaningful park enhancements, these small grants have a big impact in ensuring local parks meet community needs.
Park Pride is grateful for its partnerships with the City of Atlanta’s Department of Parks & Recreation and DeKalb County’s Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Affairs.