SACS Review Team Recommends Elachee Accreditation

A Quality Assurance Review Team from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has recommended that Elachee remain an accredited member of the prestigious body. The committee's recommendation follows on the heels of its visit to Elachee on November 17 - 19, 2009 and its review of a Standards Assessment Report prepared by the center's staff.

Elachee is Georgia's only SACS-accredited nature center or museum. A SACS Quality Assurance Review team will visit the center again in 2014.

Elachee thanks the team for its hard work, professionalism and the tremendous respect shown to our organization and staff during the entire accreditation process. If you would like to learn more about Elachee's accreditation, please feel free to call us at (770) 535-1976.

Winter is a wonderful time to get out and hike in the Chicopee Woods! We have lots of mild winter days that offer great opportunity for getting a little exercise and seeing what winter has to offer.

The close, lush green of summer is gone. In its place you will find open views of the ridges and creek valleys. The beech trees are the only holdouts, and their brown leaves rustle in the breeze. Tipularia leaves emerged in the fall and shine green on the forest floor where they persist until next spring. Commonly called cranefly orchid, the leaves have deep purple underneath--always a fun discovery for kids.

Scores of short-range migrant birds have set up temporary occupancy. White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are likely to join the Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees and Titmice in the winter woods (and at your backyard feeder!) Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and Hermit Thrushes are searching forests and shrubs for hearty insects and the remnants of the fall crop of berries still on vines and trees.

Winter is the best time to see migrating ducks. On the pond side of the Preserve, look for American Black Duck, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal. In addition to the birds, you may see deer, fox, and river otter--and of course--squirrels and chipmunks are always abundant.

See you on the trails!