Peachtree Garden Club Supports Swan Woods Over Five Decades

August 02, 2023

Secondary Growth Forest and Educational Program Continue to Thrive

In the heart of Atlanta, ten acres of peaceful native woodlands are home to Swan Woods, a carefully preserved secondary growth forest and ecological classroom nurtured and supported by Peachtree Garden Club (PGC) and the Garden Club of America. PGC established the Swan Woods Foundation in 1967 to preserve these magnificent woods, planting seeds to promote horticultural research and educational outreach for over five decades. 

Located in the Goizueta Gardens at the Atlanta History Center, Swan Woods has twice been recognized by the Garden Club of America’s Founders Fund awards--once in 1969 for the Swan Woods Nature Trail, and then in 2014, for the Wood Family Cabin (as a runner-up). The cabin is a relocated log structure from Georgia’s frontier days which highlights traditions of the rural South.

Over the past fifty plus years, Swan Woods has taught school children about conservation and endangered species, allowing them to walk woodland trails, and observe native species in the middle of a booming city. Today, the woods and cabin play an important role in the Atlanta History Center’s educational programs.

Through oral histories and hands-on archaeological exploration, the ninety-minute experience We Are Still Here conveys the challenges that the Cherokee people faced in the early 19th century. It also shows how their values and practices have been preserved and are still utilized today.

The woods and adjacent meadow continue to nurture important horticultural research. In 2014, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta History Center, and Peachtree Garden Club collaborated to propagate and plant rare trillium. Today the meadow hosts an experimental hybrid chestnut orchard, a joint initiative with the Georgia Chapter of the American Chestnut Society to foster revival of one of the great American tree species.

Deep within Swan Woods is the Garden for Peace. This special garden—the first of an international network promoting gardens as places of meditation—was founded and supported by members of Peachtree Garden Club.  

Peachtree Garden Club holds regular workdays in Swan Woods and provides financial support through grants from Peachtree’s Community Fund. Residents and visitors appreciate both the respite provided by the woods and the exciting educational programs engendered by the richness of its resources.

 

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