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Forest Restoration in Legacy Park – October 2025 Update

At Trees Atlanta, our mission is to protect and improve Atlanta’s urban forest through planting, conserving, and educating. Legacy Park in Decatur is a prime example of this work coming to life. Since 2021, our Forest Restoration team and volunteers have been working across the park’s 77 acres to remove invasive species, restore native habitat, and prepare the land for future generations to enjoy.

Work continues. To volunteer at a planting or forest restoration project in Legacy Park, keep scrolling for a list of upcoming projects!

Trees Atlanta and Legacy Park

In 2021, Trees Atlanta began a five-year partnership with the City of Decatur to restore Legacy Park’s forests. Our Forest Restoration team, alongside dedicated volunteers, has focused on removing invasive plant species such as kudzu, English ivy, Bradford pear, Chinese wisteria, and Chinese privet. These plants spread aggressively, crowding out the native species that provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Over the past four years, consistent restoration efforts have begun the transform the park’s woodlands. Where invasive vines once smothered trees, we now see healthier forest layers and the return of native plants like Virginia creeper, muscadine, sedges, elderberry, oak saplings, and more. The ability to once again see through the forest edges and down to the forest floor is a significant sign of progress.

As we enter the final year of this contract, our work is shifting toward renewal: planting native trees and shrubs that will restore habitat and ecological balance for the long term.

Progress to Date

Since 2021, Trees Atlanta staff and volunteers have:

  • Mapped and treated invasive plant populations across all 77 acres
  • Removed thousands of invasive trees, shrubs, and vines using professional crews and volunteer workdays.
  • Cleared invasive groundcovers like English ivy to give native seedlings a chance to thrive.
  • Engaged hundreds of neighbors through dozens of volunteers projects.

Recent Progress

Step by step, Legacy Park is transforming. What was once a wall of invasive species is now cleared out and prepared for new growth.

This area at the front edge of the park was covered in privet, multifloral rose, honeysuckle vine, porcelain berry, and more. We thought it would be an excellent area for planting once cleared out, but it was going to take a lot of work.

Fast forward to today, the restoration crew was able to get a hold on the invasive species in this area. With abundant, open canopy space, it is perfect for planting multiple forest layers.

We were curious what this area would look like if it were all cleared of invasive species. It was all wisteria, porcelain berry, and blackberry. If rid of invasive species, or at least mitigated, we could plant shrubs and ensure the wisteria doesn’t creep into the neighborhood garden.

Now, we can see the garden and say hello to our neighbors, Global Growers! This area will likely have shrubs planted this fall to prevent crowding out sunlight for the garden.

This incredible progress is only possible because of the many community members who give their time to care for this special place.

Looking Ahead: Planting Season 2025-2026

Planting season is starting soon, and this year’s focus in Legacy Park is adding diverse, native species to different areas to support wildlife and strengthen forest resilience. Here are a few of the species we’ll be planting:

  • Wetland Plantings (near the pond): bald cypress, silky dogwood, swamp chestnut oak, and smooth alder
  • Near Global Growers: shrubs like witch hazel, beautyberry, viburnum species, and oakleaf hydrangea are chosen to support pollinators without shading the gardens
  • Front of the park & well-drained soils: Eastern red cedar, American hornbeam, fringe tree, and flowering dogwood
  • Open canopy spaces: overstory and mid-story trees such as persimmon, oaks, maples, serviceberry, and sweetbay magnolia

These species are specifically selected because they provide food for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife, while ensuring a diverse forest structure for years to come.

How To Get Involved

Volunteers are the heart of our work at Legacy Park. This season, you can join us for tree and shrub plantings, invasive removals, or ongoing stewardship projects.

Upcoming Planting Projects

Upcoming Invasive Species Removal Projects

Sign up for any of the upcoming events at treesatlanta.org/get-involved/events.

Legacy Park Forest Stewards

Volunteers John McFarland and Tony Fiore stand with Forest Restoration Coordinator Vicki Mendez in front of a white truck with Trees Atlanta's logo.

Legacy Park is supported not only by our staff, but also by dedicated community members. Two of those leaders are Tony and John, our Certified Forest Stewards. Trained through Trees Atlanta’s Forest Stewardship program, they are equipped to teach volunteers about invasive species, lead removal projects, and apply their knowledge of safe herbicide use when needed.

Forest Stewards play a vital role in extending restoration efforts throughout Atlanta’s greenspaces, helping us care for more land and engage more neighbors.

Learn more about becoming a Forest Steward: treesatlanta.org/forest-steward

History of Legacy Park

Legacy Park is a 77-acre property in Decatur, GA with a rich history. For more than a century, it was home to the United Methodist Children’s Home, originally founded as the Decatur Orphan’s Home in 1873 to care for children left without families in the aftermath of the Civil War. Historic landmarks like Moore Chapel (built in 1906) and the gravesite of Rev. Jessie Boring, one of the original founders, still land on the property today.

In 2017, the City of Decatur purchased Legacy Park to preserve it for public use. Guided by a community-driven Master Plan, the site has been transformed into a hub for conservation, recreation, community services, and the arts. Today, more than 20 nonprofit organizations, including Refugee Women’s Network, Wild Nest Bird Rehab, and Global Growers, call Legacy Park home. The property is also know as a hotspot for birdwatching, attracting both resident and migratory species.

 

About The Author: Vicki Mendez

Legacy Park’s restoration efforts are coordinated by Vicki, one of our Forest Restoration Coordinators. A graduate of Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Science, Vicki has always been passionate about wildlife and environmental conservation. She’s been with Trees Atlanta for three and a half years, beginning as a Forestry Technician before stepping into her current role as Coordinator.

While she helps oversee multiple sites across Atlanta, Legacy Park has become her favorite place to work and dram about the future. From days in the office to long hours tackling invasive plants in the field, Vicki brings dedication and enthusiasm to every project. Having witnessed the park’s transformation firsthand, she’s excited to share its ongoing story and invites you the be part of its next chapter.

“I am deeply humbled by the community’s involvement at Legacy Park, and always happy to get to stop and chat with locals about our work, how our day is going, etc. The restoration crew has also become familiar to the park’s regulars (and their furry companions), and facilities manager, Dorsey, who is always a pleasure to talk to! After three years of working in the park as a crew member myself, and seeing change within the landscape, I am eager for what is to come. I hope to see you all soon!” 

 

 

Published: October 1, 2025