10 minutes from UNG’s Dahlonega campus lies Hurricane Creek, a hotspot for learning opportunities.
About a year ago, 6 acres of unhealthy loblolly pines from the 72-acre site were removed, transforming Hurricane Creek into a valuable research site for UNG’s undergraduate students.
Thanks to partnerships with the American Chestnut Foundation and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the school’s faculty and staff are aiming to enhance the site’s plant diversity. The school also receives collaboration and donations from Save Georgia, the Georgia Botanical Society, and partners with the Georgia Forestry Commision for timber harvests.
"It's such an important asset to get these students out of the lab and into the field so they get hands-on learning," Stacie James, program coordinator of UNG's Environmental Leadership Center (ELC) said.
The research opportunities offered at Hurricane Creek include animals, fungi, and bacteria.
"It's great that there's a set place we can have ongoing research projects and restoration," Kara Cobb, a junior from Dahlonega, pursuing a degree in biology, said. "We have some endangered species planted there to help them regrow."
The site also removes the burden of travel, as students can often face that obstacle during research.
"This is really convenient for the students. It's a safe place for them to be,” Katie Ann Fadroski, senior lecturer of Biology and ELC outreach and engagement coordinator said. “It's been an incredible asset."
