Cubihatcha Center beautification the goal of Earth Day Workday
Approximately 30 Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) employees and guests enjoyed a very productive 2024 Earth Day Workday.
During the Saturday prior to Earth Day, this group of volunteers were busy working throughout the Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center, planting seasonal flowers at the entrance, around the public use area, and in the community garden, among other activities.
“What an incredible Earth Day volunteering event we had; it was inspiring to see so many passionate individuals come together to make a tangible difference here at the Cubihatcha Center,” says Suzanne Earls, HCWA Administrative Assistant at the Cubihatcha Center who helped to organize the event, which included several children and youth working during the day.
Earls noted that the volunteers far exceeded expectations for the scheduled activities to celebrate Earth Day, as collectively the group planted flowers, vegetables, and herbs, while pruning trails for visitors and cleaning and replanting wildlife food plots.
“Every action taken brought us one step closer to a more sustainable future,” notes Earls. “It gives me such hope to see our younger generation out here giving back, as well as our local schools supporting our mission by donating plants and sending their students here to help.”
Gary Woods, HCWA Land Management Supervisor at the Cubihatcha Center, has participated in many Earth Day events. He helped supervise many of the 30 volunteers who gave of their time on a beautiful spring weekend.
“This event is all about giving back to Mother Nature, while protecting our natural resources for generations to come,” says Woods.
Established in 1999, the Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center is a wetland enhancement and protection corridor created to improve and protect existing wildlife habitats, while also providing an avenue for public education, outreach, and recreation.
In addition to being a focal point of outdoor education for the community, the Cubihatcha Center also serves as a critical piece of the Authority’s wetland mitigation plan by preserving 1,000 acres of protected green space, which help to enhance the utility’s water quality.
Lorenzo Bennett, HCWA Naturalist at the Cubihatcha Center who also supervised volunteers planting in the community garden and food plots, noted that the Earth Day Workday reflected the spirit of watershed protection and preservation.
“Our Earth Day Workday demonstrated the willingness of people to come together to make a difference in the care of the Earth and in the protection of our local water resources,” says Bennett.
Captions for photos (top to bottom):
(L to R) Luke Trimble, Meagan Powell, and Jessica Powell plant flowers at the entrance of the Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center during the 2024 HCWA Earth Day Workday.
Stephen Banister helps his daughter Nora Banister water freshly planted vegetables in the HCWA Cubihatcha Center Community Garden during the Authority’s 2024 Earth Day Workday.
Narda Mitchell (left) and Sandra Hall-Willacey (right) plant flowers at the Cubihatcha Center during the 2024 HCWA Earth Day Workday.
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Media Contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D.
P: 770-757-1681
E: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu.edu