Sweetwater Creek Service Day with SAGE

Join the Georgia Conservancy’s SAGE on Saturday, October 24  at Sweetwater Creek State Park in Douglas County.

SAGE (Stewards and Advocates for Georgia’s Environment) is a new community within the Georgia Conservancy, bringing together women who care deeply about protecting our state’s natural resources and want to be more engaged, informed, and connected in that work.

Our SAGE-led service project will continue an April 2026 service project begun by Georgia Conservancy’s Generation Green. Participants will continue building out Sweetwater Creek’s protective trail fencing along the popular Red Trail. The fencing will help deter off-trail use, allowing native vegetation to return to previously impacted areas.

Located just 15 miles west of Downtown Atlanta, Sweetwater Creek State Park is a beautiful 2,500-acre park within the Chattahoochee River watershed that features a recreational lake, cascading streams, river shoals, and the historical ruins of the New Manchester Mill, which was burned during the Civil War. Sweetwater Creek was also the birthplace of the Georgia Conservancy in 1967 and was one of the first places our nascent organization helped to protect.

Project Summary

This project focuses on protecting and restoring trailside ecosystems impacted by high visitation and the creation of informal “social trails.” These off-trail routes contribute to erosion, vegetation loss, and wetland disturbance over time.

Volunteers will take part in a combination of stewardship activities, including installing split-rail fencing to guide visitor movement, removing litter from high-use trails, and assisting with invasive species removal in sensitive areas as needed.

Each task plays a different but equally important role in maintaining the health of the park. Together, these efforts support long-term conservation, improve visitor experience, and help ensure that Sweetwater remains a resilient and accessible natural space.

Work Tasks & Activities

We will have 3 project tasks available.

1. Fence Installation:

Volunteers will help install split-rail fencing at key trail intersections along the Red Trail. These fences serve as durable visual boundaries to discourage off-trail use and protect surrounding habitat from further damage. Training and supervision will be provided for this task. This activity is for teens and above, and is moderate+ intensity. Note that due to leadership and material limitations, we only have limited spots for this specific service task.

2. Trail Trash Cleanup (Self-Guided):

Teams will walk designated trail sections to collect litter using bags and grabbers. This work helps maintain the park’s natural beauty while also preventing pollution from entering nearby waterways. This is a self-guided activity. We will provide guidance and instruction on which trails to follow, but then you will hike the trails in groups with trash bags and litter grabbers to collect as much trash as possible.

Invasive Species Removal (supplemental task):

If capacity allows, a portion of the group may assist park staff with removing invasive plant species in a nearby wetland area. This work helps restore native plant communities and improve ecological health. The particular site we are working on will help promote the growth of local Rivercane. This native bamboo, having declined by 98% in its original habitat, acts as a vital ecological anchor for Southeastern US watersheds and is a deeply significant cultural resource for Indigenous tribes.

All tools and instruction will be provided, and no prior experience is required.

We welcome all individuals and ages to participate in this service day.