Hikers Explore Euharlee Wildlife Refuge at Dobbins Mountain

On April 20, Cartersville Ranch and the City of Euharlee hosted two educational hikes at the 107-acre Euharlee Wildlife Refuge, located at Dobbins Mountain. Bird and wildflower enthusiasts joined local experts for the opportunity to observe and learn about many different species of wildflowers, plants and birds.
 
“The Euharlee Wildlife Refuge is a significant refuge that needs to be protected,” said Trish Sullivan, city manager for the City of Euharlee. “The forested refuge provides very important wildlife habitat for native plants and local and migratory birds.”
 
The hikes provided local nature enthusiasts and members of the Atlanta Audubon Society and Georgia Botanical Society the opportunity to experience the protected land firsthand. Coalition for the Right Road, an organization of Georgia citizens committed to making sure the U.S. 411 Connector is built with minimal environmental impact and at the lowest cost to taxpayers, participated in the outings as well. Public access to the wildlife refuge is limited to protect refuge habitat and species.
 
Bird Hike
Bird expert Joshua Spence, who has 16 years of experience in bird identification in North Georgia, led the birding hike through the wildlife refuge. “Everybody was very impressed with the property. It’s a great hardwood forest and we saw several types of birds, including tanagers and rose breasted grosbeaks.”

Joann King of Cherokee County said of the bird hike: “It was absolutely beautiful. The leader was great and the participants spotted a lot of greatbirds. We also heard several birds and I’m sure if we could have pulled up a chair and waited we would have spotted them. I’ve always wanted to come to this property ever since I heard about it, and I look forward to coming back.”
 
Wildflower Hike
Jim Allison, a leading expert on Southeastern wildflowers, butterfly enthusiast and retired botanist for theGeorgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), led the wildflower hike.
 
"It was nice to see undeveloped land and the many varieties of plant life that are available to enjoy,” said Blooma Slaughter, a participant from Sandy Springs.
 
During the hike, attendees were able to learn about and photograph a variety of ferns, sassafras plants and fungi. The most notable observation during the hike was a budding Pink Lady’s Slipper, a native orchid that is protected by the state of Georgia.
 
Bonnie Rubin of Alpharetta said it “would be a shame to see this beautiful land destroyed.” She added: “I enjoyed getting to talk about the various edible and medicinal plants.”
 
Established by the City of Euharlee in 2010, the Euharlee Wildlife Refuge on Dobbins Mountain was certified for conservation status by the DNR because it protects wildlife habitat through the conservation of high priority species and habitats. The DNR also said the conservation easement at Dobbins Mountain reduces erosion by protecting steep slopes andprovides water quality protection for streams, wetlands and floodplains.