*****Author’s Note: The following post was published on July 22, 2018 and has not been updated since its initial publication. As this post was written as part of a bigger, older project that has already ended, I do not intend on updating this post with new information about the organizations featured in it. This means some or all of the information in this or other posts in this series may be outdated by the time you read this post.
If you need the latest information on these organizations, it is your responsibility to conduct that research on your own. These posts can be used as a jumping off point for that research, but it is still your responsibility to look up these organizations on your own to verify whether or not their services still exist or will actually work for your needs.
***This blog post is part of a weekly series titled #SignalBoostSunday. This series will highlight organizations and social causes that are of importance and provide assistance to the Greater Atlanta area. ***
For today’s #SignalBoostSunday, we’re focusing on two local organizations that work to improve and protect the environment and its natural resources.
1.) Southern Environmental Law Center: Atlanta Office
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is a regional non-profit organization that works to protect and conserve the Southeastern United States’ natural resources and environment. Within this organization, over 80 lawyers across the southeast, work on environmental issues such as offshore drilling, endangered species and logging.
The SELC also has an Atlanta office in which its lawyers work on Georgia-specific environmental law issues such as fracking, transportation reform and promoting the use of solar energy.
2.) Trees Atlanta
Yes, Trees Atlanta is primarily focused on trees and the organization has been focused on them since 1985. This non-profit works to conserve and expand Atlanta’s urban forest by planting trees, conserving trees and educating the public about the importance of preserving Atlanta’s trees.
Since its creation 33 years ago, Trees Atlanta has planted over 119,000 trees and has done so through its many planting programs such as, NeighborWoods (in which they help local communities plant trees in their own neighborhoods), Urban Trees (in which trees are planted near roads and businesses) and Forest Restoration (a program in which trees are maintained by watering, pruning and most importantly, removing invasive plant species and replacing them with more native plants).
Trees Atlanta also provides educational events for adults and children in an effort to teach members of local communities how to conserve Atlanta’s trees and why it’s important to do so. For adults, there are Pruning classes, Trees Atlanta Speaker Series and its TreeKeepers Program, just to name a few. Youth programs include the Thirsty Roots Reading Group and an in-school program known as Urban TreeTrackers.
Anita M. George: Journalist, Writer 