Tree Plantings at McFarlane Nature Park

County arborist David Griffin demonstrated the proper planting techniques to Boy Scouts of Troop 200.

McFarlane Nature Park, an 11.5 acre passive park owned by The Cobb Land Trust Inc., is quickly becoming a mini-arboretum. Since December, two tree plantings have taken place at the East Cobb park, manned by boy scouts and other volunteers. Keep Cobb Beautiful donated 21 mitigation trees, purchased with funds charged those who were not able to replant trees on newly developed property. Each of the 2” caliper trees is native to the Piedmont region of the state in keeping with the Land Trust’s interest in maintaining a native landscape at McFarlane.

Boy Scouts of Troop 200 assisted with the first planting. The event was closely related to the Eagle project of Austin Adams, a 13-yr. old Life Scout, who worked with fellow scouts to identify and tag nearly 100 trees within the Park. Cobb County arborists Les Brewer and David Griffin confirmed the identifications and Griffin worked with the scouts, teaching them the proper methods for planting.

A second tree planting, conducted on April 2, involved adult volunteers planting the last 6 large mitigation trees along with 17 smaller trees donated by the Georgia Native Plant Society and several Shagbark Hickories purchased for the site. Unusual species like Green Ash and Georgia Oak were included.
Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, who maintain display gardens at the park, have included many small native tree species in their gardens. Sope Creek Garden Club chose McFarlane as their site for planting memorial trees, and the members continue to plant native trees under the direction of the Trust.

The farmhouse on the property is flanked by two gingkos thought to have been planted near the time the house was built, around 1941. It is unusual to see two such large specimens together. To the side of the house is a Box Elder which very nearly reaches the dimensions of the State Champion Box Elder in McDonough GA.

Written by Karin Guzy.