Field Notes

This weekend, you’ll find us far away from the quiet hills and historic sites of the AMNHA: we’ll have a booth in the heart of the bustling Decatur Book Festival! We love books (almost) as much as we love the National Heritage Area, and we’ll be giving out our Junior Ranger booklets so kids can […]

With Daisy Days on the horizon, we joined Panola Mountain State Park Assistant Park Manager Taylor Aluko for a preview of what to expect at Panola as the yellow daisies bloom. Panola Mountain’s daisies haven’t started blooming yet – we’re still in the thick of summer – but as Ranger Taylor guided us across the […]

On a hot August Saturday, Johnny Waits stood with two assistants outside of the historic T. A. Bryant, Sr. Homestead, unrolling a 90-foot-long sheet of paper. Waits is President and Co-Founder of the Flat Rock Archives, an organization that preserves the history of one of Flat Rock, one of the oldest African-American communities in Georgia. […]

Every year in September, an explosion of yellow flowers covers granite outcrops such as Arabia and Panola Mountains. These are yellow daisies (Helianthus porteri) and they are one of the fall wonders within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. Here are some sun facts about these vibrant flowers: Yellow daisies are related to sunflowers. They […]

A newly designed garden celebrating Lithonia’s rich and impactful history opened to the public on Friday, July 26. Officials and community members from the City of Lithonia, DeKalb County and the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance gathered at the Ruth Carroll Dally Johnson Interpretive Garden (located at 2564 Wiggins Street) on Friday morning to announce […]

Where butterflies flutter by day, moths fly at night, meaning that most of us don’t really get to see or experience these animals on a regular basis. That’s unfortunate because moths are one of the wonders of the insect world. There are around 160,000 species of moths, compared to a mere 17,500 species of butterflies, […]

The South River has seen human activity for thousands of years: Native Americans traded up and down the River and settled along its banks. Today, the South River Watershed Alliance works to educate people about this blue jewel flowing just southeast of Atlanta. We joined a South River Paddle in June to see the sights […]

Even though summer days heat up, we can still get outside and enjoy nature in the mornings. Not only is the air cooler, but many animals are more active in the mornings: hiking in the beginning of the day can give you views of nature you would not otherwise enjoy. Here are a few spots […]

Over five miles of new trails have opened at South Rockdale Community Park, creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation in the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (AMNHA). Supporting mountain biking, walking, and horse-riding, these new trails bring a new avenue for exploration of one of the AMNHA’s green spaces. These new trails have been in […]

The hottest days of summer are headed our way. At the AMNHA, we don’t like to let the heat keep us inside – and we’re sure you feel the same! You can get outside and avoid the heat one some of our more shaded trails. Here are a few options for shady hiking across the […]

At the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area (AMNHA), we’re taking action to help protect our pollinators. Some pollinator populations have been declining (like bees and butterflies), and that’s important not only for the animals themselves: pollinators are responsible for over one third of the food that we eat. We love our pollinators – so we’ve been […]

Summer is in full swing and the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area welcomes anyone looking to experience the beauty of the Georgia Piedmont, from outdoor exploration to discovering Georgia’s hidden history to just experiencing the peace and tranquility of this iconic landscape. Here’s our guide to all things AMNHA in these sun-soaked summer months. The […]