Sustainable Georgia Roundup

New Environmental Learning Lab: Hall County’s Lake Lanier Aquatic Learning Center (LLAC), a floating classroom, recently moved to a new home at River Forks Park. The collaborative effort among the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Elachee Nature Science Center and Hall County Parks and Leisure Services will enable North Georgia’s K-12 students to learn about preserving and protecting natural resources. During the past 18 years, LLAC has hosted more than 50,000 students on a floating classroom where they collect samples of lake sediments and plankton and measure pH and oxygen levels of water. The new facility includes a boathouse and everything needed to serve more than 5,000 kids each year.

Green Power: According to COMMERCIALCafé, an information services provider for the commercial real estate industry, Atlanta is the nation’s 20th most sustainably powered city – and Savannah comes in at No. 28. One factor that helped boost Atlanta’s ranking is that it has one of the highest number of electric vehicle charging stations in the country. Other factors examined were the mix of energy sources and carbon emissions.

Restoring Wetlands: Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Ducks Unlimited are teaming up to restore wetlands in the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area, which is an important home to birds and is a public waterfowl hunting area. The work to install, enhance and replace water-control infrastructure will improve recreation opportunities, water quality, coastal resilience and waterfowl habitat in McIntosh County. The $8.7-million project is being funded through grants Ducks Unlimited received and funding from the Coastal Conservation Association, Georgia DNR and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.