CNC Recognized For GA's First Highway Pollinator Garden

ROSWELL, GA — The Chattahoochee Nature Center was recently recognized by the Federal Highway Administration for efforts in building The Ray, “the sustainable road of the future.”

The director of horticulture for Chattahoochee Nature Center, Henning von Schmeling, received the 2019 Environmental Excellence Award on behalf of Chattahoochee Nature Center Jan. 6. This award was given to Chattahoochee Nature Center for its involvement in the pollinator habitat installation at The Ray, in conjunction with the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The Ray is 18 miles of highway along I-85, near the Alabama border, billing itself as the sustainability highway of the future. As part of the project, von Schmeling and Chattahoochee Nature Center joined with volunteers from Troup High School and Kia Motors in LaGrange, Georgia, and the LaGrange visitor’s center, to plant two pollinator gardens. Chattahoochee Nature Center grew the native pollinator plants that were planted in the gardens.

“The nature center is honored to be involved in this project, especially one of this size, magnitude, and success,” von Schmeling said. “Native pollinator plants make perfect sense for roadsides. They have deep roots and require little upkeep, prevent soil erosion, water pollution, and are drought resistant. And they provide food sources and homes to all kinds of insect pollinators such as bees and butterflies, while being beautiful to look at.”

Von Schmeling said this is the first pollinator garden along a Georgia highway.