WWiW - CLP: 2026 Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz
About this Event
Wellness Walks in Wildlife invites participants to slow down and experience the seasonal rhythms of South DeKalb’s interconnected green spaces. These guided walks combine gentle movement with mindful observation, offering space to notice how forests, waterways, plants, and wildlife shift throughout the year.
Across the month, Wellness Walks in Wildlife rotates among Constitution Lakes Park, Glen Emerald Park, and the Michelle Obama–South River Trail via the Gresham Park Recreation Center side, highlighting the ecological diversity of this interconnected stewardship cluster.
This Month’s Theme: 2026 Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz
Walk, observe, and document—turning everyday nature discoveries into community science!
Throughout September, we are joining the 2026 Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz, a month-long community-science effort that invites people to explore parks and document the plants, pollinators, and other wildlife they encounter.
After sharpening our pollinator-observation skills during August’s Pollinators, Periodt. walks and the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, we are expanding our focus to the biodiversity that supports an entire ecosystem. From bees, butterflies, and beetles to birds, plants, fungi, and other living organisms, each observation helps create a fuller picture of the life found within South DeKalb’s parks and greenspaces.
Using iNaturalist, participants will photograph and document their discoveries as part of the Parks for Pollinators 2026: DeKalb County RPCA – South DeKalb Parks project. Together, our observations will help increase community awareness of local biodiversity and the important relationships among pollinators, plants, wildlife, and public green spaces.
What will we discover—and which park will reveal the greatest variety of life? I guess you will just have to join us out here in these trees to see!
September Wellness Walks in Wildlife Schedule:
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 | 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Constitution Lakes Park
1305 South River Industrial Boulevard SE
Atlanta, GA 30315
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Glen Emerald Park
1479 Bouldercrest Road SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Michelle Obama–South River Trail via Gresham Park Recreation Center
3113 Gresham Road SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
Participants may join one session or experience all three locations to compare the biodiversity found across this interconnected South DeKalb stewardship cluster. Registration is required separately for each session.
What to expect:
Each walk will move at a relaxed, observant pace with frequent stops to photograph, discuss, identify, and document plants, pollinators, birds, fungi, and other wildlife.
Participants will learn how to create useful iNaturalist observations and contribute their discoveries directly to our official Parks for Pollinators 2026: DeKalb County RPCA–South DeKalb Parks Project. Each observation will become part of our collective effort to document and better understand the biodiversity found throughout South DeKalb’s parks and greenspaces.
The full program lasts approximately 2.5 hours and includes mindful observation, community-science documentation, discussion, and opportunities for nature journaling.
No previous species-identification, iNaturalist, or community-science experience is required. Participants without smartphones are still welcome to join the exploration and contribute through shared observation.
Before you arrive:
Participants who plan to document observations should:
- Download the current iNaturalist app—not iNaturalist Classic or Seek
- Create an iNaturalist account
- Confirm that you can sign in before arriving
- Fully charge your smartphone or camera
- Allow the app to access your camera and location while making observations
Guidance will be provided during the walk, but completing these steps beforehand will allow us to spend more time exploring in the field.
Program leader:
Your guide will be Tasha L. J. Messer, the South DeKalb Park Naturalist with DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs.
Where to meet:
September 2 – Constitution Lakes Park
Meet Naturalist Tasha at the semicircle rock seating wall near the main trailhead.
1305 South River Industrial Boulevard SE
Atlanta, GA 30315
September 9 – Glen Emerald Park
Meet Naturalist Tasha near the main park entrance and parking area.
1479 Bouldercrest Road SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
September 16 – Michelle Obama–South River Trail
Meet Naturalist Tasha behind Gresham Park Recreation Center near the entrance to the trail.
Gresham Park Recreation Center
3113 Gresham Road SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
What to bring:
Wear weather-appropriate clothing and supportive walking shoes with good tread. Bring a refillable water bottle, notebook, and writing utensil.
A fully charged smartphone with the current iNaturalist app installed is strongly recommended for documenting observations. Participants may also bring a portable charger, camera, binoculars, or magnifying lens.
Before the walk, please visit our official iNaturalist project page to preview the experience and learn how your observations will contribute to the BioBlitz:
Parks for Pollinators 2026: DeKalb County RPCA–South DeKalb Parks
Restrooms:
Constitution Lakes Park: There are no public restrooms within the park. Through a supportive community partnership, Rush Trucking has graciously allowed limited restroom access when programs align with its business hours. This accommodation may be available before the walk begins or after it concludes, as the restroom is located inside the building’s rear service-area break room. Access is time-limited and cannot be guaranteed during the walk.
Glen Emerald Park: There are no public restrooms within the park. Participants are encouraged to plan accordingly before arriving.
Michelle Obama–South River Trail: Public restrooms are available inside Gresham Park Recreation Center during the facility’s operating hours. Participants are encouraged to use the restroom before the walk begins, as there are no restrooms along the trail.
Recommended ages:
All ages are welcome. Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Dogs:
This program is not appropriate for dogs. To support wildlife observation and the comfort of the group, please leave your pup at home.
Weather contingency:
This program will be held rain, snow, or shine unless conditions are deemed unsafe by DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs.
Walking distance:
Approximately 2 miles over 2.5 hours at a relaxed, observant pace, with frequent stops for photography, documentation, discussion, and seasonal observation.
Exposure:
Routes include varying combinations of shaded tree canopy, woodland edges, open areas, and direct sunlight. Participants should prepare for late-summer heat and humidity, changing airflow near wooded and waterside areas, and encounters with mosquitoes, ticks, bees, wasps, and other insects.
Trail surface & accessibility:
Constitution Lakes Park: The walk begins on compacted gravel and firm soil before transitioning to an elevated boardwalk system over wetland habitat. The boardwalk provides a wide, stable walking surface with railings but may become slick after rain. Beyond the boardwalk, trail sections may include uneven surfaces, exposed roots, soft ground, narrow areas, and seasonal mud.
Glen Emerald Park: The route may include paved entrance areas and natural trail surfaces near the lake, woodlands, and Rock Garden. Conditions may include uneven ground, exposed roots, leaf litter, stones, slopes, soft soil, and seasonal mud, particularly after wet weather.
Michelle Obama–South River Trail: This walk follows a wide, paved concrete trail nestled between woodlands, with views of nearby creeks and portions of the South River. The route provides a firm, generally even walking surface, with gradual changes in grade along portions of the trail. After rain, the pavement may be slick or contain wet leaves, small branches, sediment, or other natural debris.
Participants using mobility aids or strollers should consider the terrain associated with their selected session and the approximately two-mile round-trip distance.
Questions about whether a session will work for your mobility or interested in discussing an alternate route? Contact Naturalist Tasha at [email protected] or 404-927-4227 at least 48 hours before the program.
Program Photos:
We love documenting our programs and may share photographs on DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs' websites, publications, and social media platforms. While participants are welcome to take their own photos, photographs taken by staff are generally intended for County documentation and promotional purposes and are not routinely distributed to participants.
Waiver & Release:
By registering for this activity, each participant hereby acknowledges and agrees that he/she is participating in this program at his/her own risk and holds DeKalb County and all its officers, agents, servants, and/or employees harmless from and against any and all claims, loss, damage, charge, or expense to which they or any of them may be put or subjected by reason of participant’s participation in this program. You further acknowledge that DeKalb County is not responsible for the acts of others participating in this program and the other participants may include, but not be limited to, interested individuals, members of civic groups, religious groups, or community group, and/or persons convicted of crimes and/or violations of County ordinances and ordered to provide community service. I give permission that all photographs, films, video recordings, and sound recordings of me and/or my child(ren) made by the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs during this Naturalist program may be used non- commercially by the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs to promotion and educational purposes. I understand and acknowledge that neither my child(ren) nor I will receive any compensation whatsoever for appearing in any photograph, film, video recording, or sound recording made by the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs.
Naturalist Tasha L. J. Messer
Park Naturalist | DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs
[email protected]
404-927-4227 (Work Cell)
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
