Part of PATH400 trail certified as Atlanta Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

The first completed portion of the PATH400 trail has been designated an Atlanta Audubon Certified Wildlife Habitat. CatMax Photography

The first completed portion of the PATH400 trail has been designated an Atlanta Audubon Certified Wildlife Habitat. CatMax Photography

A section of PATH400 in North Buckhead was recently designated an Atlanta Audubon Certified Wildlife Habitat as part of a collaborative effort between Atlanta Audubon Society, Livable Buckhead and the North Buckhead Home and Garden Club. The Atlanta Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Program encourages both private and public properties to enhance their land for birds and other wildlife by installing native plants and providing food, water and shelter for birds and other wildlife. The certified section runs between Lenox Road and Old Ivy Road, and was the first completed segment of the trail, opened to the public in January 2015.

To gain certification, invasive plants, including privet and English ivy, were removed from the area. In addition, a variety of native Georgia plant species, including oakleaf hydrangea, serviceberry, dwarf Yaupon hollies, sumac and others, were added to the landscape to provide invaluable sources of food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. Atlanta Audubon Society’s goal is to create a network of certified wildlife sanctuaries throughout metro Atlanta to counter the loss of wildlife habitat to urbanization and to provide additional habitat for the hundreds of birds and other species.

Some of the birds and wildlife species observed along the certified portion of the trail include American Goldfinches, Carolina Wrens, Northern mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a variety of wildlife species including squirrels, deer, raccoons, and opossum.

PATH400 runs along the spine of GA 400 and, once complete, will provide a 5.2-mile greenway through the heart of Buckhead, connecting neighborhoods, office and retail locations with a path for bicyclists and pedestrians. The multi-use greenway will eventually join with the Atlanta Beltline in the south and trails in Sandy Springs and north Fulton County, providing a key link in a regional trail network.

Information on PATH400: path400greenway.org/