Join CNC’s storytellers at the boardwalk for stories! We’ll encourage your child’s participation by acting out movements and sounds of storybook characters. CNC will make the best nature stories come alive. Stories are geared towards ages 6 and under. Enjoy your day on our 127 acres after storytime – bring a picnic and make a day of your visit!
(Included with General Admission and Free to CNC Members)
Dads get in FREE
Visit the nature center on Father’s Day and Dads and Grandfathers get in FREE!!! Bring a picnic, enjoy on-site programs, walk the Wildlife Walk, and explore the new River Boardwalk Trail. For added fun, register to have breakfast with the butterflies, family canoe day on the pond, a guided river canoe trip in the evening, or soar through the trees with Screaming Eagle Aerial Adventures. Check out the calendar for specific information on programs and times.
You can purchase tickets, but you do not need to purchase ones from Dads or Grandfathers.
(Included with General Admission and Free to CNC Members)
Moms get in FREE!
Visit the nature center on Mother’s Day and moms get in FREE!! Bring a picnic, enjoy CNC programs, walk the Wildlife Walk, and explore the River Boardwalk Trail!
You can purchase tickets below, but you do not need to purchase ones for Moms or Grandmothers.
A Night Out with Nature sets itself apart from the usual fundraisers. It provides complete immersion in CNC’s offerings while you savor cocktails, enjoy music on the river boardwalk and discover our resident animal ambassadors during a leisurely stroll through the Wildlife Walk.
Relish delectable food and dessert stations with Kingfisher Pond as your backdrop, snap a selfie by our captivating staircase mural titled “The Flow” by Thomas Turner, and culminate the night with a champagne toast on the bridge. All of this, while contributing to our vital operational funding that fuels our mission to unite people with the wonders of nature. This is a night unlike any other!
Registration Now Open!
Session Dates: May 27 – July 31
One and two-week sessions are available
Ages: Rising Kindergarten – Rising 9th graders, plus ½ day 4-year old camp AND leadership opportunities for 10th-11th graders
Camp Hours: 9AM–3:30PM (drop off 8AM-9AM pick up from 3:45PM-4:45PM and paid aftercare until 5:45PM)
Camp Kingfisher has provided a true nature camp experience to thousands of campers for over 30 summers. Campers are immersed in the outdoor world throughout CNC’s 127-acres, including CNC’s River Boardwalk Trail! Campers learn about canoeing, native animals and plants, and enjoy hikes along the Chattahoochee River and through our many forest trails. Camp Kingfisher works to help your child develop a love and appreciation for the outdoor world. Summer is right around the corner, so book your sessions early to secure a space for the 2025 camp season. Never been to Camp Kingfisher before? Give us a call, our staff is more than happy to answer any questions!
Questions? Call: 770-992-2055 x222
Email: camp@chattnaturecenter.org OR kingfisher@chattnaturecenter.org
Activities Include:
We offer programs for campers of all ages!
Owlets
Camp K’s half-day program for 4-year-olds is the perfect introduction to camp for the youngest campers! The Owlets day is split into five periods (periods times are designed with 4 yr in mind) in which they get to explore the natural world, see live animal demos, and swim daily.
Leaders in Training
Rising 10th–11th graders build leadership skills and life skills, all while having fun and making new friends outdoors. The LIT program is a great résumé builder for teens and their time spent in the program can be used for volunteer hours for school.
Camp Kingfisher is Hiring Camp Counselors and Specialists
We’re on the hunt for another amazing staff for the 2025 camp season! Get a job you are sure to love this summer. Hiring rising high school seniors and older. Spend your summer days working, playing, and laughing at Camp Kingfisher. For more information, check out the staff page.
Choose from eight indoor and outdoor venues to suit a variety of events, including weddings, celebrations of life, baby showers, mitzvahs, family reunions, corporate events, family reunions, or special anniversaries. Diverse and award-winning catering with full-service beverage options. Celebrate at Atlanta’s greenest venue options.
Venue Tours: Monday-Friday 9:30AM- 4:30PM
*These prices do not reflect wedding package pricing. Please contact us for wedding package pricing.
Have an unforgettable evening at the Ben Brady Lakeside Pavilion with its breathtaking views of the water and the Nature Center’s grounds. This is an ideal location for a unique outdoor wedding, business function, private party or anniversary celebration.
Kingfisher Hall is a large, multi-purpose room that is flexible for a different number of events. It is ideal for corporate meetings, retreats, mitzvahs, family gatherings, clubs, or community meetings.
This venue offers spectacular views of the grounds and seasonal views of the Chattahoochee River. This is the ideal venue for cocktail receptions, bridal or baby showers, birthday or anniversary parties, and other private catered events.
Breathtaking views of the Chattahoochee River and wetlands. Includes use of the Hirsekorn Family River House and the Abreu Family A-frame. This is an ideal location for a unique outdoor wedding, business function, private party or anniversary celebration.
This small private classroom with a white board and projector screen is a great area to host meetings, presentations and teambuilding breakout rooms. It is also a perfect space for small birthdays!
This multi-purpose, sun-filled room is an ideal meeting space. Perfect for a business meeting, bridal or baby shower, family gathering, or club or community meeting.
This private rustic picnic pavilion area, adjacent to the Heron Pond, offers corporate groups, families, high school reunions, or clubs a place to gather and enjoy a daytime picnic in a shady setting.
Our state-of-the-art theater with HD screen is an excellent place for lectures and mixed media presentations; intimate business, club, or association meetings; or small cultural events.
Halloween Hikes is a time to catch up with lots of woodland and watershed creatures and learn about their natural lives. Trail guides lead groups along the well-lit trails for a close encounter with some creatures that can be hard to spot in their natural habitat.
We caught up with the River Otter down by the river, imagine that! He is a hard one to catch up with because he is always busy, busy, busy. Find out who he likes to hang out with when not at Halloween Hikes and other interesting bits of information.
First of all, what do the other characters at Halloween Hikes call you?
Most of them call me crazy.
Where do you hang out when not on the trails at Halloween Hikes?
When not at Halloween Hikes you will find me on the riverbank. I have a wicked mud slide just off the boardwalk.
Why do you want to share your story at Halloween Hikes?
Although I am known as a wild and crazy mammal, I get serious about reminding humans to keep the river clean. That’s where I live! You otter tell your friends.
How long have you been a part of Halloween Hikes?
Seems like I have been part of Halloween Hikes for years. It is so much fun that I lost track of how many years!
Who is your favorite other Halloween Hikes character to hang out with?
Mother Nature is a blast to hang out with down by the river. You should see her on the water slide! It is “otterly” hilarious!
What do you do to get ready for your big nights?
No preparation necessary for me. I just show up for the fun. I always show up for fun.
What is your favorite part of the evening?
My favorite part of the evening is seeing all the human pups in costume.
What do you do after an evening on the trails at Halloween Hikes?
I’m working on a new routine for water gymnastics– a triple summersault.
I’ll practice that and munch some tasty fish.
Tell us your favorite joke!
What did the swamp rabbit say to the beaver? We need to be nice to otters.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the River Otter. There is much more that you can only hear at Halloween Hikes on the woodland trails! It is an evening you and your family do not want to miss.
Halloween Hikes at the Chattahoochee Nature Center
October 23, 24, and 30 | 6-10PM
By Taylor Lamb, Horticulturist at CNC
July 26, 2020
There is no better time than now to get outside and stretch your legs and your brain! In the horticulture department at the CNC, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of native plant species, and we thought it would be fun to challenge visitors of all ages to a friendly scavenger hunt!
Georgia is renowned for its vastly differing landscapes. From the sandy, dry terrain of The Coastal Plains to the cool, moist climate of The Blue Ridge Mountains, plant species across Georgia have adapted over time to fill every niche.
This variety produces absolutely stunning and unique specimens that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Each of our gardens across the CNC strives to emanate these unique habitats, and we would love it if you join us on this virtual tour throughout our property.
Plan your visit to CNC to explore the gardens and try to find as many species as you can! Some of the plants are not in top bloom so it will be even more of a challenge!
Cowboy Pants: Garden on your left as you exit the top of the Discovery Center
Rudbeckia maxima, Large Coneflower
Extremely tall flowers that can reach 8 feet in height! In the Fall these tall stalks need to be stabilized so they don’t fall in the way of the path.
Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem Grass
Little Blue-Stem is aptly named as its foliage has blue tints to it. This becomes more apparent as Autumn approaches.
Craft’s Memorial Garden: Garden on your right as you exit the top of the Discovery Center
Manfreda virginica, False Aloe
This aloe plant look-alike fools many! It has an aloe-like basal rosette and tall flowering stalks that can reach 5 feet.
Butterfly Garden: Garden above Butterfly Encounter
Asclepias sp., Milkweed
This garden is home to many different species of milkweed – the host plant of the monarch butterfly. Monarch’s require these tall slender plants to reproduce.
Longleaf Pine Gardens: Gardens across the Brady Pavillion
Pinus palustris, Long-leaf Pine
These pines differ from the typical Loblolly Pine that we find around Atlanta with their long leaves and their distinctive growing habits. Immature adults will have one major shoot will stay in this form until they reach adulthood. Then they will branch off to look like a more standard pine.
Barbara’s Button Garden: Garden just below the Great Horned Owl Exhibit
Marshallia caespitosa, Barbara’s Button
Eccentric, low-growing perennial that forms white fluff ball blooms in early Summer.
Georgia’s Living Wetland: Garden past the Brady Pavilion as you walk the unpaved paths near the exit to the boardwalk.
Sarracenia sp, Pitcher Plant
This carnivorous plant is a perfect example of a species that has adapted to fill niches where most organisms would have trouble surviving. Pitcher plants thrive in highly acidic, nutrient-poor environments. When they feel an insect inside of their opening, they shut their hood trapping insects inside digesting/dissolving the prey slowly over time. We have many species in this garden including Purple Pitcher Plant, Yellow Pitcher Plant, and more.
We hope that you have enjoyed a virtual tour of the gardens found at the CNC. There are many other plants to explore in the gardens and we hope that you will plan your visit and take the time to experience the native gardens and all that they have to offer.
ROSWELL, GA. – Visitors to the Chattahoochee Nature Center on February 29 played exciting baby-themed games, such as matching pictures of baby animals to their adults, or guess the animal scat in the diaper. Fun! The day was to support the CNC Wildlife Department’s efforts in rehabilitating injured animals. Check out some photos here.
All told, the Wildlife Department raised over $4,000 from community contributions throughout the month. Add in a dollar-for-dollar match from Northside Hospital and that number doubles. Donations included cash and gift cards, but also cans of wet cat food, bags of dry cat food, cans of various vegetables and bags of “Reptibark,” a reptile bedding. Also, plenty of bottles of laundry detergent.
The day was made possible thanks to a generous gift from Northside Hospital, which matched donations up to $5,000, all to go toward the Wildlife Department. Northside Hospital’s mascot, Sammy the Stork, also came to the event Feb. 29. As the nation’s largest provider of births in the nation, Northside was a perfect choice as partner on the day.
Students from nearby Timber Ridge Middle School also donated hundreds of canned goods and gift cards.
Kathryn Dudeck, CNC’s wildlife director, said she was pleased by the community support for the department.
“We had such an amazing turnout for this day all about wildlife,” said Dudeck. “Through the help of the visitors, donors, and sponsor Northside Hospital, the wildlife department will be well-stocked to help many injured raptors and reptiles this year.”
CN
C takes in hundreds of injured animals a year for rehab, with nearly 40 young birds of prey (raptors) and reptiles among them, and hundreds of calls a month from people who have found animals and are looking for advice. The majority of young raptor patients come in due to nest loss, such as from a storm or trees being cut down, and from good Samaritans who might not know when an animal is actually in need of help. Dudeck says it’s best to contact a local rehabber before attempting to “
rescue” any animal, especially babies.
With all three full time Wildlife Department staff members licensed for rehabilitation, CNC treats over 600 injured raptors and reptiles each year. If the animals can be released back into the wild, they will be; otherwise they may become resident animal ambassadors on CNC’s grounds for educational purposes. All resident animals at CNC are injured and non-releasable.
For more information about CNC’s wildlife department or to make donations, visit https://www.chattnaturecenter.org/visit/experience/wildlife/
For more information about CNC, visit www.chattnaturecenter.org.
For over 40 years, the Chattahoochee Nature Center prides itself on connecting metro Atlanta with nature, through education and experiences unlike anywhere else. Sitting on 127 wooded acres on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, CNC offers amazing access to this important water source through guided canoe trips on the river and a river boardwalk. CNC also forms connections in the wider community through animal encounters with rehabilitated wildlife, excitement on the new treetop zipline courses over our ponds, unique yearlong pollinator gardens, unparalleled family events, and more all year long.
To learn more about CNC, its mission and its programming, visit us online at www.chattnaturecenter.org.
By Samantha Kennett
CNC Wildlife Technician
A common myth regarding turtles is that they can leave their shell for another. However, this is not the case. Did you know that a turtle’s shell is a made of bone and is a part of the turtle’s spine? A turtle’s shell is as much a part of its body as our skeleton is to ours. The shell is made of two pieces, the carapace (top) and the plastron (bottom), which are fused together on each side at what’s called a bridge. The carapace is covered by an outer layer of individual pieces called scoots. These are made of keratin, just like your hair and nails. Who knew you had so much in common with our reptilian neighbors.
A turtle’s shell is its armor and its ultimate protection from many of the dangers of the world. But when that strong shell is cracked or broken, it leaves the turtle vulnerable to infection, bacteria, and predation by other animals. Though turtles are resilient, a severe injury to the shell could cost its life. Working as reptile rehabilitators, CNC’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic receives countless injured turtles each year, many of which sustained injuries to their shells often the result of car collisions. CNC relies on a community of good Samaritans to transport these turtles to get them the appropriate care they need.
The reality of wildlife rehab is anything but warm and fuzzy. Fortunately for a couple red-eared sliders at CNC, a good Samaritan was walking the Roswell Boardwalk at just the right time. These turtles were found in the Chattahoochee River with punctured shells and chained together.
“Because the shell is living bone, any puncture can lead to systemic bacterial, viral, and/or fungal infections,” said Kathryn Dudeck, Wildlife Director at CNC. “Additionally, since the organs are not in a fixed position, but instead housed in a thin membrane called the coelom, the organs themselves can be damaged.”
A turtle’s shell is its greatest defense, but once compromised can be a potentially fatal weakness. With the help of the reptile vets at The Veterinary Clinic West in Marietta and the local good Samaritan who found them and brought them to CNC, these two turtles are on the road to recovery. This particular story will conclude with a happy ending, but that is not always the case.
Less obviously deadly is paint on the turtle’s shell. While it may look funny or cute to paint the shell, as we have learned, the shell is an integrated portion of the animal. They get their Vitamin D from the sun through their shells. The paint blocks this process and can be fatal to the animal.
“Turtles require UV light and specifically UVB wavelength for Vitamin D synthesis needed for bone and shell growth,” said Dudeck. “Unlike mammals and birds, reptiles cannot synthesize their own Vitamin D and must absorb sunlight through their shells. Painting the shell blocks the absorption of UV and can lead to weakened and deformed bones and shell.”
With paint, different removal techniques are used based on the type of paint, and the removal procedure can take several days.
With proper medications and care, a damaged shell can often grow back, though this can take months to years. If you see an injured turtle in the wild please call the Wildlife Clinic at the CNC at 770-992-2055 x239 or find your local rehabilitator at Animal Help Now.
