Georgia Natural Wonder #116 - Alcovy Conservation Center. 1,137

[Top Row Dawg]

Looking for swamps in South Georgia, I found one much further north in Newton County on the Alcovy River. We did a earlier post on the Alcovy River GNW #91 (Part 1) at Factory Shoals. We did a history tangent with GNW #91 (Part 2)  on Newton County. I remember discussion about the Tupelo Gum Tree Swamp up here, and I found a swamp with some Internet information so for swamp eight in this waterfalls to swamps exchange, we present the Alcovy Conservation Center.



Much of the mission of the Georgia Wildlife Federation depends on successful conservation education. Quality education requires well-trained conservation leaders, public officials, and educators. Using the magnificent tupelo swamps of the Alcovy River as an interpretive backdrop, the Alcovy Conservation Center (ACC) provides quality education, networking, and training opportunities for these leaders who will deliver the conservation message to the next generation. 



Situated on 115-acres along the Alcovy River, the main building complex contains 15,000 square feet of office, lecture, classroom and library space, surrounded by native plant gardens. 



Other facilities on the site include pavilions, an executive retreat house, and a quaint log cabin.



Scenic boardwalks and trails meander through woodlands, wetlands, and meadows.



Georgia Wildlife Federation is one of six recipients of Georgia DNR’s 2019 Watchable Wildlife Grant program. The purpose of the GA DNR program is to improve public opportunities to see and learn about our state’s priority animals, plants, and habitats. GWF is using the funding to repair and upgrade a boardwalk and observation platform at the Alcovy Conservation Center (ACC) in Covington.



Trails at the ACC meander through a Piedmont tupelo river swamp. Elevated boardwalks are used to cross over the swamp and provide an observation area. The $3000 grant will be used to repair a 5’ x 150’ portion of boardwalk with an attached 14’ x 16’ observation platform. Much of the work will be accomplished through a partnership with a local Eagle Scout candidate. Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the summer.



GWF offers free access to trails and boardwalks at the Alcovy Conservation Center Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm and on the weekends for special events. Resources include information about the trails, Alcovy River, and migratory birds.



Walk through our forest along Dogwood trail, as it takes you to the edge of our Tupelo Gum river swamp, along the Alcovy River.



Using the magnificent Alcovy River & Swamps as an interpretive backdrop, the Alcovy Conservation Center provides quality education and training opportunities for these leaders who will deliver the conservation message to the next generation.



This Center means great things for the future of GWF. It doesn't change our focus, but it increases our ability to accomplish our mission. GWF remains dedicated to environmental education, sportsmen's issues, and land conservation. The Alcovy Conservation Center allows GWF to deliver our message more effectively to more people - to truly be the community service organization we were designed to be.



The main building complex contains 15,000 square feet of office, lecture, classroom and library space, surrounded by native plant gardens. Situated on 115-acres along the Alcovy River, other facilities on the site include pavilions, an executive retreat house, and a quaint log cabin. Scenic wildlife areas include woodland, wetland, and meadow habitats, as well as demonstration wildlife habitat gardens. Amble through our forest along Dogwood trail, as it takes you to the edge of our Tupelo Gum river swamp, along the Alcovy River. Deer, fox squirrel, otter, and a variety of songbirds are just a few of our year-round residents.


Former year - round resident.

Phone: 770-787-7887

Address: 11600 Hazelbrand Road, Covington, GA 30014

Directions from Atlanta:

Take I-20 East past the exits for Covington to Hazelbrand Road, Exit #93.
Turn left off the exit ramp. Cross back over the Interstate, and turn right onto Hazelbrand Road (at the intersection with Home Depot).
Travel approximately 1.5 miles. Cross over the Cornish Creek Bridge, and turn right into our driveway (across from the Hazelbrand Road Recycling Center).

Features And Trails

#1 UPLAND HARDWOOD FOREST: Layers of Life Here in the forest, the plants are arranged in layers. Oaks, hickories, and other large trees form the top layer, or canopy. The mid layer, or understory, is made up of smaller trees such as dogwoods, hawthorns, and hollies. Lower layers include the shrub layer, the herb layer (wildflowers, grasses, and ferns), and the forest floor. Each layer represents a unique ecological niche, with its own particular temperature, humidity, insect populations, and food supplies. Different species nest and forage in different layers — a great system for dividing up the forest’s resources.



#2 CORNISH CREEK: Channelization’s Lingering Effects In the 1960s this Alcovy River tributary was channelized to prevent it from flooding its banks. Bulldozers and dredgers scooped out its bottom and removed its natural bends, reducing the once beautiful and complex creek to little more than a drainage ditch. Now, almost forty years have passed, and the creek is still not fully recovered. During storms the water travels too fast. As a result, it erodes the banks and transports large amounts of sediment downstream. High sediment loads reduce water quality and damage aquatic habitats.



#3 RIVER CANE THICKET: Once Common, Now Threatened The only bamboo native to North America, river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) was once an extremely common sight along Georgia’s rivers and streams. The eighteenth-century American naturalist and writer William Bartram described canebrakes 40 feet high and several miles wide, but most of the canebrakes that remain today are nowhere close to that size. Many of the great cane stands were lost to agricultural development and river control and alteration. Suppression of wildfires has also taken its toll, since the stands require occasional burning to maintain their productivity.



#4 FLOODPLAIN: Keeping Water At Bay This low, flat area surrounding Cornish Creek is a floodplain. Its function is to hold the overflow of water from the creek during a flood. Did you notice the change in vegetation as you entered this area? Because the land is periodically under water, only the most moisture-tolerant species can survive here. Trees include sweetgum, river birch, and musclewood. In the herb layer, river cane predominates. Notice the piles of sediment around the bases of the trees. This is evidence of past flooding.



#5 POWER LINE: Man and Nature in Cooperation This power line right-of-way is a wonderful example of the way that people and wildlife can live together. The area is developed, but care has been taken to minimize impact on wild populations. Underneath the power lines the land is maintained as a meadow, full of a rich diversity of berry-, seed-, and nectar-producing plants. These plants provide food, shelter, and nesting spots for wildlife.




#6 WETLANDS: Serving the Environment and Mankind Not too long ago, wetlands like this one were considered useless, disease-ridden wastelands. Now we understand that wetlands provide many benefits to humans and our environment. They act as water purifiers, filtering out pollutants and sediments. They prevent flooding downstream by providing storage space for excess water flow, performing this task free of charge. They are spawning ground for fish; protective habitat for migratory waterfowl; quiet refuges for human-shy mammals; and home to the wide variety of reptiles, amphibians, and mollusks that need wetlands habitat to survive.



#7 FROG BOTTOM: An Amphibian Oasis This seasonal wetland area provides important breeding opportunities for frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians. Many salamander species spend the majority of their adult lives feeding in the uplands, but in order to mate they must return to the wetlands where they were born. Females lay their eggs on submerged sticks or plant stems. After the eggs have hatched, the larvae spend about 60 days in the water, developing their legs, losing their gills, and gaining their adult colors. Because salamanders spend portions of their life cycles immersed in wetland habitats, the health of their populations can tell us a great deal about the health of our wetlands.



#8 FARM TERRACING: Traces of the Past Fifty years ago this forest was a field and the farmer built terraces (similar to long, wide steps) so that the steep hillside could be farmed. The terraces allowed the farmer to maximize the area available for cultivation. They also prevented soil erosion by slowing the flow of water runoff. Now the forest has reclaimed the field, but traces of the old terraces are still apparent; they remind us of the land’s agricultural past.



#9 SUCCESSION: The Battle for Dominance There is a battle going on here. This old field is slowly giving way to a forest. The first year the field was removed from cultivation, sun-loving annual weeds sprang up from seed and took over the bare, exhausted earth. They aerated the soil with their roots and fertilized it with their leaves, and as a result, grasses and other herbaceous perennials were able to get their start—and edge the annuals out. Grasses and wildflowers eventually gave way to shrubs, which then gave way to trees. These trees—mainly sun-loving pines—are dominant now, but they won’t remain that way for long. As they mature, an understory of shade-tolerant trees will take root and eventually rise above them.



#10 OLD HEDGEROW: Planted by the Birds Dense, diverse, and heavily fruiting, this old hedgerow makes an ideal home for songbirds and other wildlife. That’s because the hedgerow was planted by birds. Season after season they perched on the farmer’s fence and casually sowed the seeds of their favorite fruits and berries until eventually the fence all but disappeared amid their plant selections. The resulting hedgerow—a tangle of blackberry, pokeweed, wild grape, and sweetgum—is a mini-ecosystem, complete with all the key ingredients a wild creature needs to survive. It’s a plentiful source for berries, nectar, and seeds, and its dense leaves and thorny branches make it a secure spot for hiding, resting, and nesting.


Hedge Nesters elsewhere in the State. Hey I'm in this picture way up Top Row in shade.

#11 THE EDGE: Where Forest Meets Pasture Edge is the area where two habitat types meet—in this case, pasture and forest. The edge is a transition zone, and it’s one of nature’s busiest, most bustling spots. Here you’ll find residents of both habitats, along with species specially adapted to live in this in-between zone. Edges allow wildlife to move easily from one habitat type to another to fulfill their needs. This edge area provides hiding places for pasture-dwellers and secure stopovers for forest animals on their way to the pasture for a meal.



The Alcovy River at East End is 16.7 acres of lush shaded woodland, gradual rocky inclines, and forested swamp. The property is part of the Alcovy River Greenway, a protective corridor surrounding the river in Newton County. The area was once a favorite dumping ground for construction debris. With the help of a Five Star Restoration Grant, East End is now a special gathering place for the community. An ecologically significant and useful site, East End gives the community an access point to the river and education facilities with minimal impact on the natural habitat.



Five Star is a partnership program with the goals of not only restoring habitat, but also empowering communities to embrace natural resource stewardship. Together, the commitment of these partners protected a mile and a half of Alcovy River frontage while developing the property into a model low-impact, place-based education facility.



Before we leave this swampy area of the Alcovy, I found several images of the old and new train trestle crossing near this swamp of Newton County.


Old trestle (torn down) next to new trestle.


New trestle still active.



Pretty remote wetlands around this trestle.





Looking down on old bridge, now a road.



Lot of watershed's in Georgia, promises to keep these Georgia Natural Wonders rolling a bit longer.


I am Upper Chattahoochee.

How many more swamps on the list? asked our GNW gal of the day.