GMREC: Community Council
Preservation
A primary goal of the Community Council’s Preservation Committee is
to educate the public about the importance of preserving the incredible diversity
of native plant species living in our Southern Appalachian Mountain region.
This goal is being pursued by:
Developing
an Appalachian Ethnobotanical Native Plant Demonstration Garden, a Native Plant
Medicine Trail, and an Heirloom Garden on the grounds of the Georgia Mountain
Research & Education
Center.- Offering Native Plant seminars to the public and interested area agencies.
- Establishing a Plant Rescue Project to transplant threatened native species to public garden sites.
Appalachian Native Botanical Sanctuary Certification Program
This is an exciting new program in our area to promote the creation and maintenance of residential native landscapes. The “Appalachian Native Botanical Sanctuary Certification Program” is sponsored by the Preservation Committee of the Community Council of the GMREC. Qualified landowners will receive a certificate and, optionally, signage identifying their land as such.
A large amount of property is not required. What is needed is a contiguous portion of land that is maintained in its natural state, with a representative mix of trees and plants native to Appalachia. Use of conservation practices such as composting, mulching, capturing rainwater, and natural pest control are also encouraged.
For further information, see Certification Program (PDF file).
To print an application form to be completed and mailed in click here.
To complete an application online click here.
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| Spring time view of arbor in the Ethnobotanical Garden |
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Volunteers work on Ethnobotanical Garden
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Preservation Activity Highlights |
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Plant Rescue tags a Flame Azalea |
Planting an herb garden |