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A series of eight free workshops were conducted to learn more about the following topics:

• Orientation information on environmental education at ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ
• Georgia's mountain treasures
• Soil quality
• Native tree species of Georgia & tree care
• Invasive threats
• Gardening & pollinators
• Water quality and streambank restoration
• Weather and climate effects on forest ecosystems of North Georgia.

Gainesville

Attendees went on a trail walk.

On this trail walk, the group:

• Identified both native and invasive species through an introductory lecture by community partners
• Researched species type using mobile applications or online field guides on the iPad during the forest walk at the field lab workshop
• Measured trees using calipers and assess tree health with a field lab demonstration
• Had lunch, which was provided
• Recorded tree, soil, and water conditions on a GIS data collection app on the iPad during the field lab workshop
• Tested soil in proximity to selected trees for soil conditions necessary for optimum planting and tree maintenance during a field lab demonstration
• Conducted test for water quality in streams located in forest areas
• Promoted sustainable practices for removing invasive threats

Dahlonega

The theme for the Dahlonega workshops was gardening, tree health, and clean water.

At these workshops, the group:

• Learned how water quality is measured in streams located in forest areas
• Learned more about water retention practices for your home garden
• Promoted sustainable practices for removing invasive threats and planting native trees in your landscape
• Had lunch, which was provided
• Learned about pollinators for your garden
• Created their own container garden to take home