Description

Please join the Friends of the Marshall Forest on Sunday, October 26 at 2:00 p.m. for the 11th Annual Weed Walk. Guest speakers include Owen Kinney, Science Department Head at Darlington School, and Katie Owens, Upper Coosa River Basin Project Director with The Nature Conservancy. Wear sensible shoes and come and learn about the only virgin forest within city limits of any city in the United States! Once part of the Cherokee Nation’s lands, the Marshall Forest covers 301 acres of pine-hardwood forest. The site is one of the last remaining stands of old-growth forest in the Ridge and Valley Province, a geographical corridor that runs from Pennsylvania to Alabama. Ranging in elevation from 600-900 feet with five walking trails, the site is home to over 300 species of plants and 55 tree species in 3 distinct plant communities: pine-oak, chestnut oak, and mixed hardwood forest. The forest is home to the largest population in Georgia of the endangered large-flowered skullcap. The site is also home to a wealth of fauna, including frogs, salamanders, at least six species of snake, and dozens of bird species. Marshall Forest was the first National Natural Landmark in Georgia, designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1966. Parking is available on site. The Marshall Forest is located a little over a mile off Shorter Avenue down Horseleg Creek Road across from a large pecan grove. We look forward to seeing you there!