Wildwood Urban Forest

I. Background

The Wildwood Urban Forest Group was formed by concerned neighbors, who worked together to protect one of the last large remaining urban forests in the City of Atlanta.  In the process, this group mobilized elected officials, advocacy groups, and other civic and environmental groups.  We used innovative communication strategies, including on-line petitions, a website (http://www.whidco.com/Wildwood), and a 250-person e-mail list that was activated at each decision point.  Strategic organizing efforts made it possible to win a rezoning battle, raise large amounts of capital in a short period of time, and to generate intense public interest in greenspace issues throughout the city.  In March, 2001, The Nature Conservancy purchased the land, and held it for several months until the City Council appropriated funds for its purchase as public parkland and greenspace.

II. The Master Planning Process

Here is your opportunity to get involved! Since the purchase of the land, the community has formed the Wildwood Urban Forest Steering Committee, which is responsible for the development of the park Master Plan.  A public meeting was held in the fall of 2001 informing the community of the master planning process, and to enlist committee volunteers.  The planning process includes writing the vision and mission statements, establishing development needs and priorities and creating a plan that will include restoration, access, and preservation.  A thorough understanding of all site conditions is necessary for sustainable design, appropriate use, and protection of the existing natural amenities.

In Fall of 2001, the Wildwood Urban Forest Steering Committee distributed a park survey throughout the community to generate input and preferences for park development of the Wildwood tract. Sixty replies were received that assisted the Steering Committee in better understanding this community's opinion and preferences on parks and greenspace.

The Committee is chaired by Morningside resident Sherry Wheat, Landscape Architect formerly with DeKalb County Parks and Recreation, and a sixteen-year veteran of park planning and development in the Atlanta area.  Ms. Wheat is joined by founding members of the Wildwood Urban Forest Group, Rochelle Routman and Steven Rowell.  The committee includes individuals with masters degrees in Environmental Design, Landscape Architecture, Engineering, Public Policy, Journalism, and Fine Arts, as well as a representative from The Cheshire Bridge Task Force, the Atlanta Audubon Society, the Morningside neighborhood association, the Rock Creek Watershed Alliance, the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign, and the Georgia Native Plant Society. Funding development, marketing, and communication experts round out the full compliment of the project's organizational and management resources.

Although we are in the middle of the master planning process, the Steering Committee has officially adopted the following vision statement that will guide further planning and use of this greenspace.

"The Wildwood lives on because of community effort and shall be managed to conserve the natural and historic resources, interpret the ecosystems, and demonstrate their benefits."

The Steering Committee anticipates that the final Wildwood Forest Master Plan will include passive recreation, vehicular and pedestrian access points, and a hierarchy of trails that will move park users through a variety of habitats and microclimates.  This project will function as a dynamic model for educational and interpretative opportunities, serving the surrounding communities and engaging our city's youth to become actively engaged.

There are currently several openings on the steering committee. If you are interested in participating in this important process, contact Sherry Wheat at swheats@mindspring.com.

Wildwood Urban Forest Steering Committee Members (involved in the master planning process)

Chairperson
Sherry Wheat

Steering Committee
Mary Chapman
Frederick H. Crudder
Clayton Dunn
John Finck
Lynn Hennelly
Wriston N. Jones
Walter Kellar
John C. McGuinness
Rochelle I. Routman
Steven Rowell
Thomas J. Tomaka