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Ten Sites for Reflection
Wesley Woods Forest
Wesley Woods Forest
is one of the "best preserved hardwood forests in
the entire Piedmont Province of the Southeastern United
States," said Chancellor Billy E. Frye in 1994. It
is "an infinitely precious aesthetic and scientific
resource which we now hold in trust for present and future
generations." It contains a very high diversity of
plants, including rare plant species, and it forms an
integral part of the band of woods along the fork of Peachtree
Creek that extends from the Wesley Woods retirement complex,
behind the Emory Conference Center, east to Hahn Woods,
and across Houston Mill Road. This ecological pathway
facilitates the movement of plants and wildlife and protects
the streambank.
In 1989, President
James T. Laney proposed that this forest be preserved
because of its intrinsic and educational value. The Board
of Trustees pledged in 1999 that the University would
take all practical measures to preserve this and other
Emory forests designated as "near-pristine"
in the Murdy/Carter Report on the Status of Forested Land
of Emory University (1986).
Once referred to
as "idle land," forests are now recognized as
crucial to improving Atlanta's poor air quality. Through
their removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they
may also help offset global climate change by reducing
greenhouse gases. They also help offset Atlanta's "heat
island" effect.
Hahn Woods borders
Wesley Woods forest to the south. Originally, it was the
site of Emory's construction material dump, which covered
a pasture and swimming pool belonging to the former estate
owners. A project funded (and still maintained) by Georgia
Pacific has beautified the site by creating a forested
area using native plants. Scenic trails follow Peachtree
Creek and include the remnants of the sluiceway from the
old Houston Mill. When comparing Hahn Woods with the adjacent
natural forests, one is struck by how difficult it is
to recreate a forest once it has been lost.
Retrace your steps to Clifton Road and walk south on
Clifton Road. If you have time, you may want to take a
detour to visit Hahn Woods by turning left on Houston
Mill Road and left again when you reach Hahn Woods. At
the grey stone entrance gates on Clifton Road, turn into
Lullwater. This stop on your tour can be brief or lengthy,
as you wish. Walk down the paved road and stay right as
the road forks. Follow the gravel path off to the right,
as it takes you to the new Shuttle Road and bridge.
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