Blue Heron Nature Preserve Awarded Legacy Grant From Park Pride

Park Pride awarded the Blue Heron Nature Preserve a $150,000 Legacy Grant to kick start the Preserve’s new Blueway Trail Initiative. This grant program is funded by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, and the awarded funds are a large portion of the support needed to bring the Blueway to life.

Park Pride has supported Blue Heron during its formative years, providing funding for several habitat restoration and improvement projects. This grant award represents their continued commitment as the Preserve grows.

“The Blueway initiative was born out of the strategic plan we created with input from our stakeholders, in which we identified our desire to activate the park,” said Executive Director Kevin McCauley.

This initiative is known as a Blueway because it follows the course of the creeks that flow through the Preserve. The nearly three miles of soft trail work will connect the various parts of the Preserve, providing safe passage across streets and creeks where necessary. Blue Heron’s Blueway will be marked by consistent design and materials with wayfaring and interpretive signage to improve navigability and learning. The trails will be ADA accessible where possible, to make an outdoor experience in nature open to everyone.

“A Blueway trail will be a great way to get people outdoors, not only for recreation but also for interpretive information and ongoing education for all ages,” said McCauley. The trails lead past four Field Education Centers highlighting the habitats at the Preserve, with education resources to inform and inspire.

Park Pride’s Legacy Grant will begin the $500,000 fundraising effort for the Blueway. After the internal Blueway is completed, subsequent phases will focus on connecting the Preserve to nearby trail destinations, beginning with Chastain Park and PATH400 via a multi-use trailway.

"Park Pride is very excited to support this project,” said Allison Barnett, Park Pride’s Associate Director. “The expansion of the Blueway will allow visitors into many previously inaccessible areas of the preserve, and will also provide important linkages to PATH 400 and Chastain Park, creating a more connected Buckhead for all Atlantans to enjoy.”

Park Pride’s Legacy Grant program supports city of Atlanta public spaces to build capital improvement projects. This grant provides critical initial funding for the estimated $500,000 project. A capital campaign is planned for 2017 to raise the additional funds needed to complete the project.