Cloudland Canyon State Park and its manager, Brad Gibson, received the Georgia Parks’ Natural Resource Enhancement Award.
The award was presented Aug. 16 at the 2019 Leadership Conference of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites in Savannah.
Cloudland Canyon’s staff and volunteers strive to be good stewards of the park, working with Save Georgia Hemlocks to combat woolly adelgids and with additional conservation groups to teach trail maintenance.
They are improving butterfly habitat by adding pollinator plants and native grasses to a meadow, plus protecting wood lilies with small fence borders.
A recent land purchase has re-established access to Bear Creek and additional trails along the canyon. The park’s interpretive center has lately been remodeled as well.
Additional nominees for the award included Reynolds Mansion on Sapelo Island, Kolomoki Mounds and Hard Labor Creek state parks.
Twelve active members of the Friends of Cloudland Canyon State Park attended the conference where they were trained in skills to support, enhance and promote the park in Dade and Walker counties.
