Trees Removed for Road Improvements Are Being Repurposed

The Dunwoody Nature Center plans to repurpose 16 trees that were removed for road improvements on Roberts Drive.

Dunwoody, GA – March 4, 2019 - The Dunwoody Nature Center will find a new purpose for 16 trees that had to be removed for road improvements tied to the construction of the new Austin Elementary School.

“As a nature center, we obviously hate to see any native trees removed, but we understand the need for the new intersection and that sometimes good trees do have to be removed,” said Dunwoody Nature Center Executive Director Michael Cowan. “I thought it would be a great idea if we could make lemonade out of the lemons and find a good natural use for the trees.”

The trees will be used in the following ways:

The trunk of the giant oak at the entrance will be turned into several game tables placed throughout the park.
Larger limbs will become sitting “stumps” for campers.
Logs will be used as borders for trails. “Our trails need maintenance, so this will kickstart that effort,” Cowan added.
Smaller limbs will be cut into woodchips to be spread long the trails.

“When the Nature Center said they could repurpose all of the tree material, we thought it was a great way to reinforce their mission of environmental stewardship and the city’s sustainability values” said City of Dunwoody Public Works Director Michael Smith. “We also plan to replace the trees with new plantings as part of the City’s one-for-one program.”

Dunwoody’s policy is to replace trees that are removed for city projects. On this project, the city is also using special construction techniques to build a new sidewalk while preserving 10 large hardwoods.

The trees were removed to build a new signalized entrance to the Dunwoody Nature Center and the new Austin Elementary School, which is scheduled to open in 2020.

The Dunwoody Nature Center plans to work with Eagle Scout candidates and other volunteers to support these repurposing projects.

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For more information regarding the City of Dunwoody, please contact Michael Cowan, Executive Director for the Dunwoody Nature Center, 770-394-3322 or Jennifer Boettcher, City of Dunwoody Communications Director, at 470-352-2959 or at Jennifer.Boettcher@dunwoodyga.gov.

About the City of Dunwoody, Georgia

Dunwoody is located in metro Atlanta, in northern DeKalb County, Georgia and was officially incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008. The City of Dunwoody provides quality service to its citizens and supports the largest economic engine in the Southeast by planning in a careful and thoughtful manner. The City of Dunwoody is inventive, transparent and embraces responsible progress, tempered by the city’s rich history and strong desire to maintain a close and vibrant community atmosphere that values family life and the entrepreneurial spirit. The City of Dunwoody supports and nurtures a community dedicated to the preservation of family, education, religious institutions, and the environment.

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