Clairmont Heights Civic Association

The Atlanta BeltLine is charging full force into 2010 with a Volunteer Kick-Off Happy Hour on March 18th, 2010 at Park Tavern on Piedmont Park! To welcome the spring, the 2010 festival season, and the BeltLine’s great accomplishments this year, we would like to gather our current, future, and potential volunteers for this social event! As the BeltLine project continues to advance rapidly, we want to keep everyone up-to-date with the latest news and developments so you feel prepared to volunteer this coming year. Come out and socialize with fellow volunteers, enjoy a drink or two, review the latest BeltLine 101 presentation, and learn about all of the ways you can get involved with the Atlanta BeltLine! And feel free to stick around for a local dinner at our fantastic BeltLine supporter, Park Tavern.

Some of our volunteer opportunities include staffing the booth at local festivals, becoming a BeltLine Ambassador, administrative help in the office, Art on the BeltLine, social networking, and much, much more!

• What: BeltLine Volunteer Kick-Off 2010
• When: March 18th from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Park Tavern on Piedmont Park at the corner of Monroe and 10th Street in Midtown

Busy summer schedule? Not sure if you’ll have time to volunteer? We still encourage you to come out anyway so you’re trained and prepared to volunteer whenever it’s convenient for you.

Please feel free to bring your friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else who might be interested in learning more about the BeltLine and our volunteer program. You don’t have to have volunteered previously to attend and, of course, you’re under no obligation to volunteer by attending.

If you have other ways you would like to get involved with the BeltLine, please email festivals@beltlinepartnership.org.

As always, a HUGE thanks to all of you who make it possible for the BeltLine booth to appear at over 15 festivals each year and spread the word about the future of Atlanta’s transportation! We look forward to seeing every one of you out at a festival this coming spring, summer, and fall!

You don’t have to take our word for it – check out this BeltLine volunteer video! (and yes, that’s me in there talking about our stellar volunteers!)

On a large double-lot at the corner of North Highland Avenue and St. Charles Place in Virginia Highland sits the neighborhood’s newest park – New Highland Park. As a fundraiser to get the park out of the ground, the Virginia Highland Civic Association is hosting the “Hard-to-Find Edible Plant Sale” with fruiting trees and bushes for your garden. You can pre-order online now through 4 p.m. on Friday, March 12th and then you can pick up your fruit plants at the actual sale on Saturday.

Selections include apple, fig, plum and persimmon trees; olive trees; blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry bushes; pineapple guave; muscadine vines; pomegranate / quince; strawberry plants; and much more. Check out the full catalog of fruit trees and bushes here!

• What: The Virginia Highland Hard-to-Find Edible Plants Sale
• When: Saturday, March 13th, 2010 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (or pre-order online through March 12th)
• Where: At New Highland Park at the intersection of St. Charles Place and North Highland, across from Belly (Atlanta, 30306)

I’ll be ordering my fruit bushes later today – for now, it’s time for me to head out and play in my own garden for a bit!

Buried in one of the inside pages of the AJC’s Metro section today, I found this article placing Georgia firmly in the list of top ten states with the worst financial burden from food-borne illnesses. This is a distressing situation, that in a state predominated by agriculture, we still can’t keep track of our food and where’s it’s been, instead importing our groceries from across the globe – E. coli, salmonella, and all. How hard is it to buy from a local Georgia farmer? Three times a day, we put food in our mouths from who-knows-where instead of from our own back yards.

If we all made a conscious decision with our food purchases and elected to go to a local farmers’ market once or twice a week (and that’s not hard to do – see my page here for info (and this is just the beginning!)) and cut back on the imported food, I’m confident we could bring down the $4.7 billion it costs our state each year to deal with food-borne illnesses.

Ironically, California, who is a huge source of produce, ranked highest with food-borne illness costs soaring to $18.6 billion, which indicates the necessity to take that step beyond industrial farms, no matter where they’re located.

Your wallet talks and you can make it resonate in the food industry by making smarter, healthier choices. Who wants E. coli anyway? I’m sure the people who got it went to the grocery store thinking, “oh, that won’t happen to me…”

the bamboo forest in the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve (thanks to HamWithCam for use of this photo!)

Tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac in Medlock Park (and backing up to the Saturn dealership on Lawrenceville Highway) is a lovely, hidden nature preserve with trails, a bamboo forest, learning centers, wetlands, bird-watching outposts, and more. If you would like to discover the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve for yourself, this Sunday, March 7th, 2010 (and one Sunday of each month) is the perfect opportunity with volunteer work days at the preserve!

From 9 a.m. until noon, join your Decatur neighbors and friends to help mulch trails, remove invasive plants, and more. Be sure to bring work gloves and a water bottle!

For more information, please visit the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve website.

And mark your calendars for the upcoming workdays through summer 2010:

• April 17 – Volunteer Day 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• May 2 – Volunteer Day 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• June 5 – Volunteer Day 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• July 11 – Volunteer Day 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Directions to Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve:

To get to the Nature Preserve take Medlock Road north to Medlock Elementary School. Turn right onto Wood Trail Lane and follow to the preserve entrance. For complete directions and for more information, visit the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve website, leave a detailed message at 678-951-0105, or email information@cshepherdpreserve.org.

Every month, Virginia Highland neighbors get together for the community Trash Walk to pick up litter along North Highland and to keep the area clean. It’s also a great opportunity to come out and get to know your neighbors!

The March walk-and-talk session will be held this Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 9 a.m. Meet at the Intown Hardware parking lot on North Highland and bring your own gloves!

You can read more about Virginia Highland events (and their tree sale on March 13th – post coming soon!) on the Virginia Highland Civic Association website.

We enjoyed a stunningly snowy walk on the Atlanta BeltLine's west side trail - be sure to check out the next one this Saturday, February 27th! Click the photo to check out more wintery west side BeltLine photos on flickr!

This weekend’s BeltLine walk may not look like it did two weeks ago >>>>>
but it will be awesome – and you should be there! Whether you are an artist answering the call for artists’ submission for Art on the BeltLine, or a volunteer interested in bringing the BeltLine to life, or you’re just curious to see what all this fuss about transit and trails is all about, you should come out! Here are the details on this Saturday’s BeltLine walk:

• What: A six mile walk through Atlanta’s west side neighborhoods along the BeltLine
• When: this Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 12 p.m.
• Where: Meet at the tennis center at Washington Park at the dead end of Lena Street (map it!)

Artists’ submissions for Art on the BeltLine are due March 12th!! Please visit the website for more information: http://art.beltline.org.

Please leave a comment if you have questions or need more details. And please email me or leave a comment if you’re interested in volunteering – I’ll be helping the BeltLine out with volunteer coordination for our festival program as well as Art on the BeltLine.

That’s right – Atlanta is getting a new source for locally food with the Chamblee Farmers’ Market debuting on the scene this spring! And they’re looking for those special leaders to spearhead this new effort through organizational, planning, administrative roles, and more. If you’re interested, you are encouraged to attend the organizational meeting on March 10th, 2010. This meeting will be specifically geared towards those who would like to participate in the Chamblee Farmers’ Market in a leadership capacity. More to come soon for helpers and patrons of the market!

• What: Organizational meeting for The Chamblee Organic/Locally Grown Market
• When: March 10th, 2010 at 7 p.m.
• Where: the Community Room of the Chamblee Library (map it!)
• Please RSVP to thechambleemarket@gmail.com
• Bring your ideas, experience, skills, relationships and resources with you!

Keep up with the market on facebook with the Chamblee Farmers’ Market fan page.

And get updates on the Chamblee Farmers’ Market organizational meeting on facebook.

Last year's Signing of the BeltLine yeilded 108 plywood signs at 54 BeltLine crossings - this year's goal is 216! Photo courtesy of Angel Poventud, not sure which artist.

Last summer, dozens of Atlantans came out for the Signing of the BeltLine – a grassroots project that involved 108 plywood boards, hand-painted and hung two-to-a-crossing along the entirety of the Atlanta BeltLine. Did you see those signs and wonder what those signs were? Did you wish you’d been able to participate? Well, it’s happening again! Whether or not you’ve wielded a paint brush before, your help is needed! Especially since the goal is to double the number of signs to 216 to place four at each of the BeltLine’s 54 crossings!

• What: Signing of the BeltLine 2010
• When: Saturday, February 20th, 2010 from noon until complete
• Where: Eyedrum Gallery at 290 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Atlanta, 30312
• Who: YOU! Everyone is needed to paint signs, no matter the level of artistic skill
• What you need: Bring any paint and paint brushes you may have lying around the house, as well as the determination to paint as many boards as you can handle

Questions? Please feel free to contact Angel Luis Poventud, official BeltLine Cheerleader at anotherloudperson@yahoo.com or 404-892-8306.

Luckily, the Atlanta Wine School is here to answer all of your questions about green wine! I know this is short notice, but AWS and the Green Chamber of the South will be hosting a special seminar tomorrow night to go over what justifies an organic wine, how to identify vegan wines, sustainable agriculture practices within the wine industry, and the impact of sulfites in wine. Chances are, there will be a tasting or two as well…

• What: What it Means to be Green in Wine
• When: Thursday, February 18, 2010, from 7 – 9 p.m.
• Where: in The Wine Room of the Atlanta Wine School at 1570 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30076
• Cost: $39
• RSVP: Pre-registration for this event is required and you can register by clicking here!

On March 1st and 2nd, 2010, Southface Energy Institute will present their annual Greenprints Conference and Tradeshow: “Sustainable Communities by Design.” Taking place at the Sheraton Atlanta Downtown, this large southeast environmental event will feature four main tracks with which to focus your interest:

1. The commercial track: greening campuses; high performance, eco-friendly office buildings; corporate sustainability; creating zero waste in the workplace; sustainable design; LEED for existing buildings; and the role of the lifecycle assessment
2. The residential track: leverage the power of Earth Craft; the new Energy Star; water efficiency; integrating sustainble practices into multifamily development; embracing the value of new technologies
3. The sustainable communities, economy, and policy track: new energy programs for Georgia; federal legislation and the southeast’s energy use; municipal sustainability efforts; green building programs; sustainable urbanism and emerging trends; green building sales and financing
4. The workshops and seminar track: if you’re looking for continuing education credits, this is the route for you with a focus on sustainable development; renewable energy potential; advanced energy design guides; and historic preservation as sustainable practice

In addition, you get admission to the Greensprints Tradeshow with green products and services from across the southeast.

Register online now at www.Greenprints.org – pre-conference discount of $55 ends on Friday, February 19th!

The forecast for snow may be deceiving, but spring is right around the corner! And the time is here to start planting – at least one tree – in honor of Arbor Day. Every year, Georgia celebrates Arbor Day on the third Friday of every month, which is Friday, February 19th in 2010. Arbor Day in Atlanta wouldn’t be complete without Trees Atlanta and the trees of the Fernbank Science Center forest, which is why they’re teaming up to bring you two events on Saturday, February 20th.

Fernbank Science Center Arbor Day Tree Sale

From 8 a.m. until noon, the Fernbank Science Center will hold a plant sale with trees and shrubs in honor of Arbor Day. The sale will only go until noon, so make sure you get there in time. Click here for a map of the Science Center’s location. Their plant sales are usually in the back parking lot to the right of the building, but if you have any questions, you can contact Mary Larsen, Volunteer Coordinator at 678-874-7116 or larsenm@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us.

Atlanta’s Champion Tree Search & Walk

Calling all Atlanta Champion Trees! Trees Atlanta is now accepting big tree nominations for the Atlanta Champion Tree Search. Unsure how to evaluate a big tree? This weekend on February 13, 2010, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., Robby of Trees Atlanta along with Fernbank Museum of Natural History will be conducting a guided walk through the Fernbank forest to practice identifying and measuring trees! Please RSVP for the workshop by emailing Robby at robby@treesatlanta.org.

Other Arbor Day events

The tree celebration continues with Trees Atlanta’s free-and-open-to-the-public Arbor Day Photography Exhibit on Friday, February 19, 2010 from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Photo will feature tree images by noted Atlanta photographers Kathryn Kolb and David Knox. So mark your calendar and head to the Trees Atlanta Kendeda Center, 225 Chester Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30316. The opening will serve as the official launch party for their”My Favorite Tree” Photo Contest, sponsored by a grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission. Check the Trees Atlanta website for info on applications and contest details – coming soon!

Awesome.
(it’s funny because it’s true )

Welcome to Atlanta’s New Public Place!

The Atlanta BeltLine is inviting Atlanta artists and residents to rediscover our historic rail corridors as they are transformed into the future of Atlanta’s transit! Coming this June 2010, the BeltLine will launch a massive public art event taking place along the eight miles of open hiking trail. “Art on the BeltLine: Atlanta’s New Public Place” will showcase visual arts, performing arts, and historic site interpretation to direct the public’s attention to this amazing resource that encircles downtown Atlanta, thus increasing the level of awareness and fostering a sense of ownership to ensure that the BeltLine becomes a truly public amenity.

We just released the call for artists to submit proposals this week and, already, this public art project is taking on a life of its own! In conjunction with performances, sculpture, music, art, and more within the BeltLine corridor itself, galleries and festivals along the path are already gearing up with their own tie-in events – and it’s all happening quickly! So how can you get involved?

Submit an Artist’s Proposal to Art on the BeltLine

Visual and performing artists are invited to submit proposals for temporary works of visual and performing art to be a part of this May through October event. Potential projects should reflect the historic, environmental, cultural, functional, urban design, and/or aesthetic parameters of the sites and should be well‐researched, well‐planned and feasible. Although not limited to the following examples, potential projects might include all or some of the following:

• Temporary art, sculptural or visual installations
• Gateway or entrance works
• Performance works of all kinds, including but not limited to music, dance, theater and performance art
• Transformation of existing structures or surfaces, such as bridges and overpasses
• Utilization of fences or screening devices
• Transformation of the backs of buildings
• Amenities for visitors – such as benches, bike racks, shade structures, recycling and trash collection receptacles
• Establishment of play areas or game sites
• Loan of existing artwork, such as sculptures or assemblages
• Murals
• Plantings or environmental works

Direct from the Atlanta BeltLine temporary call for artists:

Potential art projects may be designed for site‐specific installation, but this is not a requirement. Contemporary and interdisciplinary approaches, innovative uses (or re‐uses) of materials and new technologies are encouraged. Applicants are asked to consider ways in which some level of community involvement might be facilitated in the creation or ongoing interaction of the projects.

Proposed materials should be modestly priced and durable with minimal maintenance in an outdoor setting. All works must be designed to be safely removed at the end of the designated period, or disintegrate safely into the environment. No works or materials deemed to be dangerous, toxic or hazardous to public safety will be accepted and all construction methods must be adequate and safe for public interaction. While we would like to have projects that last throughout the six month time period, we are also interested in performance works or ephemeral works that could be scheduled to occur periodically throughout the time frame. If the location or its elements (trees, slope, etc.) might be part of the concept, we will identify volunteers to work with the artist(s) to help prepare the site, clear underbrush, etc.

This view from Inman Park Village toward Freedom Park bridge in the BeltLine corridor will be transformed into a massive Atlanta public art exhibition this summer as this stretch of hiking trail opens!

Proposed projects will be presented in the following sections of the BeltLine:

1) Stretch between Piedmont Park and DeKalb Avenue
2) Stretch between Wylie Street and Glenwood Avenue
3) Stretch between Washington Park and Allene Avenue

BeltLine walking tours will be conducted every Saturday along a section of the BeltLine. Artists are encouraged to explore the trails during one of these tours to be better educated about the terrain and history of the BeltLine (see timeline and calendar below).

There are three budget levels for the temporary projects: $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000. Please note that funds are limited and we encourage proposals at all three levels. The amount awarded will be at the discretion of the selection panel. Of the total grant amount, artists should incorporate a minimum of 20% as an artist fee in the budget that must be submitted with each proposal. The fee will cover the design (including artist’s fee) fabrication, shipping, installation, maintenance and de‐installation of the project. Artists may solicit contributions of materials or cash from other sources.

The timeline for informational workshops, BeltLine hikes, submission, juried selection, notification, and installation is as follows:

• Call for artist proposals published: February 2010
• Workshops: February 16, 17, and 18, 2010 (see full calendar for details)
• BeltLine walks to explore the corridor for site-specific submissions: February 13, 20, 27 and March 6, 2010 (see full calendar for details)
• Deadline for entries: March 12, 2010 at 4:00 pm
• Panel review: March 2010
• Accepted entries notified: Week of April 5, 2010
• Contracting and initial payment: Beginning week of April 12, 2010
• Installation period: May 8 – June 4, 2010 [Installations will be staggered beginning in May, projects must be installed no later than June 4th. A timeline and installation schedule will be developed with each artist or artist team.
• Exhibition officially opens: June 5, 2010
• Public events and performances: May – October 2010
• Final de‐installation: October 2010

Click here for the artists’ and volunteers’ google calendar, which will be updated as dates and events are solidified – so keep checking back! The official website for all things Art on the BeltLine is http://art.beltline.org. Easy enough, right?

Volunteer with Art on the BeltLine

This temporary art project will not be possible without the help of dedicated volunteers – and I know you’re out there because I’ve worked with so many of you! I am working with the committee on establishing our volunteer needs and schedule, so please stay tuned as we put out calls for volunteers as well! A few of the volunteer types we will be looking for include: an overall Installation Manager to coordinate the artists’ work along the eight miles of trail; artist liaisons to be the point of contact for a certain number of artists; volunteer crews to help clear and prepare sites for installation; folks to assist artists with their installations during their allotted set-up time; etc. If you’re interested, you can email me right now at jenny.p@mac.com and I will make sure I keep you posted as opportunities develop.

Donate to or sponsor Art on the BeltLine

In addition to a volunteer force, we’re also looking for generous donors who may have goods or services they are able to donate to help pull off this project. This could be anything from building materials to help with stages for performance art or a crane to help lift in heavy sculptures or printing services to help with the Art on the BeltLine guide maps that will be made available. We’re also looking for corporate sponsors who are willing to donate funds in return for us displaying your logo across marketing materials. We’ll also be developing this list of specific items we’ll be in need of, but in the meantime, if you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to email me at jenny.p@mac.com!

We hope to make this an annual public art event in Atlanta and appreciate everyone’s support in this inaugural year! From artists to volunteers to donors to sponsors, we’ll have a lot of talented people putting on this huge, one-of-a-kind event in Atlanta’s new public realm!

Below, you’ll find a press release from Southeast Green about their upcoming GREEN Real Estate Summit next month!

Southeast Green is pleased to announce its partnership with BOMA-Atlanta to present the inaugural GREEN Real Estate Summit, held Feb. 16 and 17, 2010 at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta. As the first meeting of its kind in the state of Georgia, the Summit brings together commercial real estate owners, property managers, facility managers, building engineers and companies providing green products and services to learn about the benefits of utilizing sustainable practices. Specifically, the event will focus on sustainable operations and maintenance of existing buildings.

The Summit will feature educational seminars equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to go green successfully. Session topics include presentations about ENERGY STAR®; creating buy-ins for green programs; taking advantage of low-cost/no-cost ways to green-fit your building; dispelling “green” myths; analyzing the ROI of going green; and much, much more. Every session will include three take-aways you can implement at your property.

Visit the GREEN Real Estate Summit website to view the summit schedule, session descriptions and speaker bios. Exhibitor and sponsor information are also available.

Don’t miss out on this educational opportunity – register online today! Late fees apply after February 5th.

For more information or if you have specific questions about the GREEN Real Estate Summit, please contact BOMA-Atlanta at (404) 475-9980, Sandra Cummins at sandra@southeastgreen.com, or Beth Bond at beth@southeastgreen.com.

I stumbled across Georgia Organics’ local organic directory online today. This is an extensive google map they’ve built which identifies with colored balloons our Georgia growers, farmers, and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture); farmers’ markets (and not just in Atlanta, but also other major cities in Georgia); restaurants that sustain farm-to-table practices; and grocery stores and specialty shops that support local Georgia farmers.

If you like this map, you’ll love Georgia Organics’ Local Food Guide! If you’ve never seen it before, you should take a few minutes to download the PDF and check it out. It’s an in-depth guide to the pin points on their google map – and so much more about local Georgia farms, organic Atlanta restaurants, etc. And if you’re looking for a year-round CSA to join, I can highly recommend my CSA, Moore Farm and Friends. So check them out, too!

If you’re looking for reviews of local Atlanta restaurants that endeavor to embrace not only farm-to-table principles, but also sustainable business practices, then take a look at Kathy’s Georgia Green Dining Guide as she munches her way through the cities most eco-friendly restaurants. And happy eating!

Georgia Organics has assembled an impressive directory of local Georgia farms, farmers' markets, CSAs, Atlanta restaurants, and specialty grocery stores who all support the local food movement!

Wow – I love getting Georgia Organics’ special monthly update on their push for Farm to School programs and seeing how quickly school gardens and support of local farmers are taking root in metro Atlanta and Decatur. Cobb County schools kicked off their exploration of local food possibilities with a Farm to School Stakeholders meeting this month while City of Decatur schools are launching into their Farm to School workshop program in conjunction with Oakhurst Community Garden. This program is designed especially for teachers and ways to incorporate gardening and local food into lesson plans.

More updates to come on both of these topics, but for now, I wanted to get the word out about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s national push for farm to table programs in schools. The USDA is accepting applications from schools across the country who already have sustainable food programs underway in their local communities. The goal is to study the start-up, struggles, and success stories of current programs in order to develop a model for others to follow. The long-term goal is to then help school districts implement their own farm to school programs with assistance reaching out to local farms, communicating with stakeholders, and identifying and overcoming obstacles.

School districts have until January 31st, 2010 to apply! Just click here for more information and an application!

Please let me know if you’re involved in a local Atlanta or Decatur Farm to School program – I’d love to learn more firsthand!

Why do Mason Mill redevelopment plans make me nervous? Since 1988, master plans have been in the works to transform this beautiful swath of woods in Decatur into, more or less, a generic playground. Mason Mill Park (and its sibling parks, Ira B. Melton and Medlock Park) is one of Atlanta’s last and largest standing forests and an ideal nature preserve. I love these woods (as do many of my Medlock and Clairmont Heights neighbors) and do not need to see trees torn down for a running track or soccer field or pavilions. We’ve already seen enough damage with the installation of the one mile concrete and boardwalk “trail” installed by the PATH Foundation to the chagrin of much of the community two years ago (I’m still holding onto a small bit of hope that it will connect further intown some day).

But enough of my pessimism, the plans to redevelop the “day use area” of Mason Mill Park show great promise. The day use area includes the current tennis courts, dog park, and fitness circle at the end of McConnell Drive (see a map here). This area seems to be the main focus for now (so I will save my energy for fighting to save the woods later) and I like the incorporation of more features while not losing the heart of the park’s value with the tennis courts and senior community center.  With playgrounds, picnic shelters, refurbished buildings, a community garden, water quality pond, a trail to the new library, and grassy, pervious surface parking lots, the new features have potential to revitalize the park.

Click the image for a detailed view of plan one for the Mason Mill Park day use area!

And click the image here for a detailed view of the second proposed plan for the Mason Mill Park redevelopment!

Want to weigh in your two cents? DeKalb Parks and Recreation is holding the next public information meeting regarding the redevelopment of Mason Mill Park next month.

• What: a public information meeting regarding Mason Mill Park redevelopment plans
• When: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Avis G. Williams / Toco Hill Library at 1282 McConnell Drive, Decatur, 30033 (map it!)
• Who: DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Department and our Decatur neighbors in the surrounding communities
• For more information, contact Revonda Moody, Project Manager, at 404-687-3708.

Heading south on our BeltLine walk of the northeast corridor, we walked over these railroad cross ties. On our way back north, two small bobcats hard at work had already pulled up those same cross ties and tossed them into piles to be picked up and carted off. Look for mulch trails coming this spring!

This morning, a smaller crowd than usual set off on a six mile hike of the Atlanta BeltLine’s northeast corridor, headed from Piedmont Park to DeKalb Avenue. (The predicted rain deterred some folks from coming out and we hoped it would hold off until after 1 p.m., but that’s didn’t work out so well.) We had to watch our steps as we walked back and forth across the tracks of two small bobcats that were at work tearing up the railroad ties. Last month, the rails had been pulled up, but the cross ties remained. Not so anymore. On our way south, we tromped on some of the remaining ties and, on the way back north, walked past the piles of wooden beams the crew had extracted from the earth in the hour or two we’d been gone. It just keeps getting easier and easier to walk the path and if you haven’t already, I highly suggest you check it out!

I just did this walk a month ago with Angel and was doing it again so soon as part of our planning efforts to debut the first ever BeltLine public arts and exhibition coming to the 8 miles of open trail this summer and fall. By June 2010, artists will begin installing works of art, ranging from sculpture to performance art to horticulture, along the northeast and southwest sections of the BeltLine.

Who are these artists? We will be sending out a call for entries in two weeks for artists across metro Atlanta to submit proposals for their own public art projects that represent their take on the past, present, and future of the BeltLine and, most importantly, the welcoming of these historical parts of the city back into the public realm. This public art project will be a reawakening of an integral part of Atlanta’s past and a peak at the future of transportation and greenspace. So stay tuned for more details on the call for entries for artists and for the call for volunteers to support them in the near future!

Let the 2010 Atlanta plant sales begin! This is the earliest Atlanta plant sale that I’ve heard of so far this year and we have the Atlanta Community Food Bank to thank for kicking off the gardening season’s “opening ceremony.”

• What: The Incredible-Edible-Grow-It-Yourself Fruit Tree, Vine and Berry Bush Sale
• When: Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 9 a.m. – noon
• Where: The Atlanta Community Food Bank at 970 Jefferson Street, Atlanta, 30317 (map it!)
• Why: The Atlanta Community Food Bank is hosting this plant sale to benefit the Atlanta Local Food Initiative
• Payment: Cash or check only please

Experts will be on hand at the plant and tree sale to answer any questions you may have and to help you learn the basics of planting, pruning and caring for your fruit trees, berries and vines.

Not sure how to to go about planting and caring for an edible tree? After the sale, join Robby Astrove of Trees Atlanta for a Community Orchard Planting in East Atlanta. Here’s a snippet from the Georgia Organics website:

As a follow up to the Incredible Edible Fruit Tree Sale, join Georgia Organics and Trees Atlanta for a “serve and learn” at Burgess Peterson Academy (map it!). Come to learn more about farm to school efforts at Atlanta Public Schools and then get down and dirty while learning about proper tree planting and care. Gloves and tools will be provided.

Click here for more information and to register for this free gardening workshop!

If you’re on the fence about whether to plant edible trees and bushes (or your ability to keep them thriving, a big concern of some people’s!), Farmer D Organics can help you out with a Fruiting Tree and Berry Workshop on Janaury 19, 2010, before the sale. The class is 1 to 3 p.m. at the Briarcliff Road location. $10 per person.

And when harvest rolls around and you have more fruit than you know what to do with, check out Concrete Jungle – an organization dedicated to gathering unused fruit from residential yards around metro Atlanta and north Georgia and donating it to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Funny how things come full circle!

Mark your calendar – next week is a free-to-the-public “Sustainable Transportation Forum” hosted by the Consulate General of Switzerland in Atlanta and Georgia Tech. Why is Switzerland talking to us about transportation? Because the Swiss have long since figured out the intricacies and efficiencies of public transit and are here to share with us Georgians.

Local and international transportation experts, business leaders and policy makers will explore solutions to Georgia’s growing transportation challenges in a three-part program covering:

• The Future of Georgia’s Transportation Grid
• What Choices Do We Have?
• Where Do We Go From Here?

Expert presentations will forecast our future traffic capacity and transportation demands. Outstanding examples of sustainable transportation solutions from Switzerland – a world leader in passenger rail – will be highlighted. Political realities and financial constraints will also be explored.

What: Sustainable Transportation Forum: Georgia Officials Look to Switzerland for Transportation Solutions

When: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 from 1:00 – 5:30 pm

Where: Technology Square Research Building at Centergy, 85 Fifth Street in Midtown Atlanta (map it!)

Getting there: Walk from the Midtown MARTA Station or park at Georgia Tech Conference Center on Spring Street.

Register now at www.thinkrail.org!