A group of volunteers from Georgia Natural Gas recently spent a morning at Fernbank Museum helping to clear potato vines, a fast-growing invasive species, from Fernbank Forest. Invasive species outcompete native trees, plants and animals, which cause harm to the forest’s ecological health.

“Georgia Natural Gas TrueBlue Crew Employee Volunteers tackled removal of invasive plant species at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s urban forest,” said Maurice Baker, Community Relations Manager. “With the hard work of committed volunteers, the use of chemical herbicides was avoided; which is good for the environment – especially for small animals that call Fernbank’s grounds home.”   

This work was part of an ongoing restoration effort led by Fernbank to conserve this old-growth urban forest.

“Removing non-native invasive species is one of our main tasks in Fernbank Forest. By removing invasives, including English ivy, liriope, nandina and privet, we are restoring the native habitat,” explains Heather Waringa, Forest Manager. “This is beneficial for the entire ecosystem, including pollinating insects, hawks, coyotes, salamanders and many more. We rely on a dedicated core of volunteers, including those from Georgia Natural Gas, to support this important initiative.”

While working, Fernbank Museum’s forest manager and rangers shared their knowledge about native plants, Fernbank’s history and other ecological and environmental facts. The volunteers removed approximately 10 debris bags of invasive plants.

GNG is proud to partner with organizations like Fernbank that champion responsible sustainability in our community and provide a place for everyone to learn about the natural world and how we can all work together to protect it.

If you're interested in volunteering at Fernbank, you can learn more about the Volunteer Program. 

Fernbank is also a Greener Life^® for Business partner, and recently celebrated a carbon offset milestone that GNG was able to present them with while we visited. Greener Life for Business demonstrates how GNG can play an important role in helping commercial and industrial customers offset emissions while still maintaining day-to-day operations. Through the program, businesses can reduce their emissions footprint significantly without the complications associated with building new infrastructure.

Residential consumers looking to lessen their environmental impact can visit gng.com/greenerlife.