Living in Atlanta means you’re surrounded by some seriously impressive trees. We’re talking about a city with nearly 48% tree canopy coverage, which is pretty remarkable for a major metropolitan area.
But here’s the thing—keeping all those beautiful oaks, maples, and magnolias thriving takes more than just professional tree services (though we’re definitely part of the equation). It also takes dedicated organizations working behind the scenes to protect, plant, and preserve Atlanta’s green spaces.
If you love the trees in your yard as much as we do, you might want to know about the nonprofits working hard to keep Atlanta a “City in a Forest.” These organizations are doing incredible work, and frankly, they could use your support. Here are five local environmental nonprofits that are making a real difference in our community.
1. Trees Atlanta
When it comes to protecting Atlanta’s urban forest, Trees Atlanta is basically the MVP. Founded in 1985, this organization has been the driving force behind much of what makes our city so green and gorgeous today.
They’ve planted over 130,000 trees throughout the metro area, which is no small feat when you consider that each one needs to be carefully selected for its location and properly cared for as it establishes.
What makes Trees Atlanta special is their comprehensive approach. They don’t just stick trees in the ground and hope for the best (we’ve seen what happens when people try that approach—trust us, it’s not pretty). Instead, they focus on education, advocacy, and long-term stewardship.
Their volunteer programs are fantastic if you want to get your hands dirty, and their educational workshops can teach you more about the trees in your own backyard.
Trees Atlanta also works closely with the city government to ensure that development projects consider tree preservation. In a rapidly growing city like Atlanta, having someone fighting for the trees is absolutely essential.
2. Chattahoochee Nature Center
Located just up the road in Roswell, the Chattahoochee Nature Center is doing incredible work protecting the watershed that feeds our entire region. While they’re known for their wildlife rehabilitation program (they’ve helped thousands of injured animals), their environmental education and habitat restoration efforts directly benefit the trees and forests throughout north Georgia.
The Center manages over 127 acres of protected forests, wetlands, and meadows along the Chattahoochee River. This isn’t just about pretty scenery – healthy watersheds mean healthy soil and water systems that support all the trees throughout our region, including the ones in your yard.
Their family-friendly programs are perfect if you have kids who need to understand where trees actually come from (hint: it’s not the garden center). Plus, their hiking trails give you a chance to see what Atlanta’s forests looked like before all the development.
3. Park Pride
If you’ve ever enjoyed a picnic under the shade of mature trees in Piedmont Park or any other Atlanta green space, you can thank Park Pride. This organization has been working since 1989 to develop and maintain parks throughout the city, and trees are a huge part of that mission.
Park Pride doesn’t just maintain existing parks—they help create new ones. They’ve been instrumental in developing everything from small neighborhood pocket parks to major green spaces like the Atlanta BeltLine. Every new park means more places for trees to grow and thrive in our urban environment.
What’s really cool about Park Pride is how they bring communities together. Their volunteer programs give neighbors a chance to work side by side, planting trees and creating the kind of green spaces that make Atlanta neighborhoods so desirable. Because let’s be honest, nobody ever sai, “I love this neighborhood because of all the concrete.”
4. The Nature Conservancy in Georgia
While they work on a much larger scale, The Nature Conservancy’s Georgia chapter plays a crucial role in protecting the forests and ecosystems that surround Atlanta. They focus on preserving large tracts of land throughout the state, including some of the source areas for the rivers and streams that flow through our region.
Why does this matter for Atlanta homeowners? Because healthy forests upstream mean cleaner air, better water quality, and more stable weather patterns for all of us. The Nature Conservancy works to protect entire ecosystems, not just individual trees, which helps ensure that Atlanta’s urban forest stays connected to the broader natural world.
Their conservation work includes protecting some of Georgia’s most remarkable forests, including longleaf pine ecosystems and mountain forests in north Georgia. These large-scale conservation efforts help maintain the biodiversity that keeps all of our local forests healthy and resilient.
5. Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance
Just east of Atlanta, the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance protects one of Georgia’s most unique ecosystems. The granite outcrops and rare plant communities around Arabia Mountain and Panola Mountain might not look like typical forests, but they play an important role in our region’s environmental health.
This area is home to plant species that exist nowhere else in Georgia, and the organization works to protect these rare communities while also providing educational opportunities for the public. The hiking and biking trails around Arabia Mountain give Atlanta residents easy access to a completely different type of natural environment.
The Alliance also manages several historic sites in the area, showing how humans and nature can coexist over time. It’s a great reminder that environmental conservation and community development don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Why Supporting Environmental Nonprofits Matters for Homeowners
You might wonder why you should care about these organizations when you have professional arborists taking care of the trees on your property. Here’s the thing – even the most skilled tree care can’t overcome broader environmental problems.
The work these nonprofits do creates the conditions that help all of Atlanta’s trees thrive. When they protect watersheds, plant new trees, and preserve green spaces, they’re helping to maintain the urban forest ecosystem that makes our region so special. Your backyard trees are part of a much larger system, and keeping that system healthy benefits everyone.
Plus, supporting these organizations helps ensure that Atlanta stays the kind of place where people want to live and work. Healthy trees increase property values, and the work these nonprofits do helps protect that investment for all Atlanta homeowners.
Here are some practical ways to support these organizations:
- Volunteer for tree planting events (great family activity!)
- Attend educational workshops to learn more about your own trees
- Make financial contributions, even small ones, add up
- Spread the word about their work on social media
- Participate in community advocacy efforts
How Professional Tree Care and Conservation Work Hand in Hand
As professional arborists, we see ourselves as partners with these conservation organizations. We’re all working toward the same goal – keeping Atlanta’s trees healthy and beautiful for future generations.
While we focus on the trees on your specific property, these nonprofits work on the bigger picture. They plant trees in public spaces, educate the community about proper tree care, and advocate for policies that protect our urban forest. It’s a team effort, and we’re proud to be part of it.
Sometimes our work directly supports conservation efforts. When we remove trees that are diseased or dangerous, we often donate the wood to organizations that can use it for habitat restoration or educational programs.
We also recommend native species to homeowners looking to plant new trees, supporting the broader ecosystem health that these nonprofits work to maintain.
The trees in your yard are part of something much bigger than your property lines. By supporting both professional tree care and local conservation organizations, you’re helping to ensure that Atlanta stays the “City in a Forest” for many years to come.
Whether you’re dealing with a tree emergency or planning for long-term tree health, remember that you’re not just caring for your own landscape – you’re contributing to a community-wide effort to keep Atlanta green and beautiful. And that’s something worth supporting.