Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, streets and parking lots prevent rainfall from naturally soaking into the ground.  With an average rainfall of 53 inches a year, Dunwoody Nature Center, a 501(c)3 created in 1992, is committed to restoring the grounds, which are negatively impacted from this stormwater runoff, through a comprehensive rehabilitation plan that will improve our local creeks and rivers.

The project site shares a driveway with a new 900 seat elementary school and have seen the negative effects of increased storm water runoff into Wildcat Creek, Ball Mill Creek and ultimately, the Chattahoochee River, the primary source of drinking water for metro Atlanta’s 6 million residents.

Three components of this restoration and rehabilitation project include:

(1) constructing a permeable paved entrance and driveway;

(2) refurbishing our existing boardwalk to meet EPA standards and minimize disruption to the natural ecosystem;

(3)removing invasive plant species that hinder proper storm water runoff and restoring healthy wetlands.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded a grant to remove invasive plants and restore three acres of wetlands, two miles of streams and 15 acres of forests. Work is currently underway.  Additional funding will allow for full protection and rehabilitation by lessening the human impact on the grounds and waterways resulting in cleaner water for all.