Just in time for
spring, the Friends of Smyrna Library hosted its April First Sunday
Lecture Series with Jonah McDonald’s introduction to “Hiking Cobb
County” at the Smyrna Public Library. Some sixty people of all ages attended
the talk to learn about many beautiful nature hikes available in west and north
metro and Cobb County.
Author of Hiking Atlanta’s Hidden Forests and
a ten-year resident of Atlanta, Mr. McDonald proved that nature is not
something you only see once a year on vacation. He shared the locations of many
“greenspaces” within and around Smyrna—not just the ever-popular Kennesaw
Mountain National Battlefield Park and Silver Comet trail but lesser known gems
too, such as Heritage Park, the East and West Palisades, Cochran Shoals and
Lost Mountain. These nearby spots can be enjoyed in a day or even in an
afternoon.
Mr. McDonald shared
with the group that his goal—besides offering us a mini-vacation—is to increase
the community’s participation in the local environment and so foster a sense of
stewardship, especially among young people, that will help preserve the city’s
vast natural beauty—a beauty that many do not even realize is there beside the
malls, the office parks and the parking lots.
Jonah
McDonald is the founder of an outdoor guide service providing hiking, camping,
backpacking and outdoor education programs throughout the Southeast. As an
educator and naturalist, he has designed and taught wilderness and outdoor programs
for several Atlanta-area independent schools. McDonald thru-hiked the
Appalachian Trail in 2002. Hiking Atlanta’s Hidden Forests was inspired by his
many days spent exploring the greenspaces of metro Atlanta.
For more information
about green spaces to see in Smyrna, visit: http://hikingatlanta.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment