25th Anniversary Capital Campaign Underway at Wylde Center

Wylde Center, one of Greater Atlanta’s most engaging and educational collections of greenspaces, is celebrating its first quarter-century by launching the public phase of its 25th Anniversary Capital Campaign. The campaign’s goal is $2.89 million, which will be used to enhance existing infrastructure and create new spaces to expand its community and school programming at four of its five greenspaces: Oakhurst Garden, Edgewood Community Learning Garden, Hawk Hollow and Mulberry Fields. www.wyldecenter.org/25th-anniversary-capital-campaign

“Our capital improvements have been carefully planned to support current educational offerings and provide space and facilities for new ones,” said Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of The Wylde Center. “We serve youth, families, individuals and seniors both onsite and in schools and senior centers. The need for and interest in our educational programs far exceed our current facilities. Thanks to our Board of Directors, under the leadership of Board Chairman Jill Wasserman, we have undertaken this very exciting and much-needed fundraising effort. The early response from local government, foundations, corporations, our Board members, Wylde Center members and the general community has been extremely gratifying and exciting.”

The Campaign has been structured to fund five major components:

• Creating and strengthening infrastructure to support current and future educational programs
• Making the greenspaces more inviting to visitors and surrounding neighborhoods
• Addressing environmental mitigation
• Purchasing additional property
• Funding the design of all enhancement components

Specific planned enhancements throughout the four greenspaces include:

• Site improvement plans including a new pavilion and outdoor classrooms
• Expanded restrooms and onsite amenities
• Additional indoor classrooms, a teaching kitchen, chicken coop and play spaces
• Enhanced entry points, sidewalks, walking trails and boardwalks
• Water mitigation features, including bioswales and rain gardens
• Future expansion at two lots recently purchased adjacent to Hawk Hollow in Atlanta

“Wylde Center was born when two Decatur neighbors, Sally Wylde and Louise Jackson, solved the problem of young school children walking through Ms. Jackson’s garden by inviting the children to become the garden’s caretakers,” said Van Parys. “Through their kindness and encouragement, Sally and Louise lit a spark in these children and, unknowingly at the time, planted the seeds for what would become Wylde Center. This is a true grass-roots organization that is nourished and supported at every level by the people we strive to serve. Our campaign has already been blessed with major gifts from organizations, as well as more modest gifts from individuals and families. We are grateful and honored by the support, and invite everyone to be a part of this exciting campaign as we usher in the next quarter-century and beyond of the Wylde Center.”

About Wylde Center

For more than two decades, Wylde Center has been growing, educating and greening. From the seed of an idea in 1997, Wylde Center has blossomed into an environmental organization that oversees five distinctive greenspaces, conducts a year-round educational program for all ages, partners with the Decatur Housing Authority to establish community gardens and healthy eating programs for DHA residents, hosts social events and delivers farm to school programming in Decatur and Atlanta schools. Staff and volunteers engage children, families and individuals in activities designed to develop creative skills in sustainable living, organic gardening, health and nutrition. Despite its robust growth, Wylde Center has stayed true to its original mission of cultivating vibrant greenspaces for everyone to enjoy, and inspiring communities of environmental stewards. Wylde Center is supported by memberships, donations, volunteers and grants. www.wyldecenter.org