When my mother moved into nursing care many years ago, I became the custodian of our family history: dozens of large envelopes, bulging albums, and even a small “horse-hair” trunk. They contained handwritten deeds, certificates, wills, and other memorabilia from the late 1700s to the 1940s. In this unorganized jumble of births, deaths, news stories, old photos, and family trees, I found an amazing woman—Helen Cowles Whitehead, my grandmother. 

Born in New York City in 1880 and educated there in physical education and social work, my grandmother moved to Norfolk, Virginia, as the bride of a physician in 1909, and got involved in her community. Today, we would call her an activist. By the time she died in 1948, a few years before I   was born, she had helped improve public welfare programs throughout the city and, in 1913, established Norfolk’s public playground program in five city parks. As a longtime advocate for rivers, parks, and other natural areas, I like to think that my DNA mix may contain some of her genes.

Beloved Green Spaces

Georgians love parks. Whether located in cities or remote areas, they are places where people can go for physical and mental well-being: a way to manage stress in an increasingly stressful world. In 1634, the oldest public park in America was created as the Boston Common. Two and a half centuries later, the first national park was established as Yellowstone National Park (1872), and the first state park, in 1885, at Niagara Falls State Park in New York. (The preservation of California’s Yosemite Valley in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln was an early example of land being set aside for public use, instead of homesteads.)

Early in the twentieth century, social reform advocates initiated the playground movement in parks to promote health and happiness, public safety on crowded streets, and reduce crime. The first municipal playground was installed in New York City. Child and family welfare advocates, including my grandmother, saw the immense benefits offered by this innovative, largely government-funded concept. People of all income levels and abilities could find community, new skills, and solace in nature. Public parks became a firmly established government responsibility nationwide. 

Public green spaces are also essential to democracy. They function as social “infrastructure,” providing shared, accessible places in nature that can foster a sense of community. The question of whether public parks should be free or require an entrance fee involves balancing social equity (fairness to all) and public health benefits against the need for maintenance funding.

Today, most of us are living with high levels of uncertainty in our personal lives and in our country. Affordability is a serious concern. A recent poll found that a majority of Americans say they’re spending more on groceries and utility bills than a year ago. At such a time—with a budget and reserve surplus of more than $14 billion—why did the state of Georgia decide to double the cost for its citizens to find exercise and some respite in a public park?  

Entrance Fees

Georgia has nearly 50 state parks and 15 historic sites that attract millions of visitors every year. Maintenance of these sites costs about $109 million annually—half of which is offset by various user fees, including $5 for a daily parking pass, or $50 for an annual pass. The remainder is supported by state and some federal appropriations. At least four southern states do not charge any fee for visitors to their public parks.

It’s no surprise that park maintenance and repair costs are rising—just like everything else. The Georgia Board of Natural Resources (Board), which oversees state park management, commissioned a performance audit that recently recommended dozens of ways in which Georgia’s parks can generate additional revenue from their millions of annual visitors. 

Unanimously, the Board voted in favor of one recommendation: to increase parking pass fees. Daily passes will be doubled to $10 and annual passes increased to $70 beginning in January. A variety of other services, from golf fees to cottage and campsite rentals, were also suggested as possible revenue generators; the state says it has “no timetable” for implementing those increases now. 

Tone-Deaf and Callous

It’s true that people often value an opportunity more if they pay some amount for it. That said, I believe it’s completely tone-deaf and downright callous for the Board of wealthy political appointees to make it more expensive for families—and veterans and senior citizens—to enjoy Georgia’s public parks, especially as personal and family expenses are dramatically increasing. 

The auditors found that the $10 daily pass could increase annual revenue by $3.7 million and that, hypothetically, $15.8 million might be raised if 10 percent of Georgia’s registered vehicles paid for the discounted park pass. 

At the hearing before the Board vote, Mark Woodall, legislative chair for the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter, summarized the concerns of those opposed to the fee increase: “The state parks of Georgia should be for all the people of Georgia, regardless of income. With over $14 billion in reserve, it would be outrageous for the state parks to increase fees. In these difficult times, we ought to be encouraging people to get outdoors, not making it harder.” 

Members of the Georgia Board of Natural Resources are appointed by the governor. All 19 existing members were appointed by Republican governors over the past two decades. Not a single one has experience or training as an environmental scientist, engineer, biologist, environmental educator, natural resource manager, or conservationist. The 2026 gubernatorial election will take place in less than a year. Voting matters! 

The post Above the Waterline: Fees double at state parks, despite budget surplus  appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Here’s what you’ll find in the way of produce at the farmers market this week: Bok/ pak choi, carrots, radishes, turnips, apples, winter squashes, kale, sweet potatoes, mandarins/satsuma oranges, beets, arugula, eggplant, tomatoes, garlic,  khlorabi, lettuce/mixed greens, potatoes, microgreens, okra, peppers, gourmet mushrooms (oyster, chanterelles, lion’s mane, shiitake, chanterelles), persimmons, herbs (parsley, chives, green onions, rosemary), and chestnuts.

Look for these specialty items: Pecans, smoked salmon and trout, flowers (marigolds, sunflowers, cosmos, mixed flower bouquets), pastured pork, wild caught shrimp, eggs, goat + sheep cheese, milk, jam, chocolate, honey, oils, tea blends, cold pressed juices, hot sauce, vinegars, nut butters, spice blends, ghee, pickles, pasta, tortillas, and apple cider.

Atlanta non-profit Community Farmers Markets (CFM) has been building community through farmers markets since 2011. Operating weekly outdoor farmers markets as well as rotating farm stands are strategies by which the organization addresses food access in Atlanta. CFM also offers educational programming in the community, financial incentives to make local food more affordable, and professional development for small businesses.

See y’all at the farmers market!

Miso Mushroom Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Cabbage 
• Garlic 
• Onion 
• Oyster & shiitake mushrooms 
• Miso 
• Roasted sesame oil 
• Sesame seeds
• Coconut aminos 
• Red chili flake 

Directions:

1. Start a miso stock with quartered onions, smashed garlic, a few heavy spices (use just a few whole cloves and some smoked cardamom pods), and a healthy scoop of the richest miso you can find. Leave on all the skins. 
2. Let your stock simmer on very low heat – we want to avoid a boil to keep the probiotics alive – for several hours. Strain the solids. 
3. Now use this stock as a base for soups with shredded cabbage, fresh garlic, and mushrooms from market.
4. Garnish with a little sesame oil. Season to taste. You’re all set! Stay warm.

Loaded Sweet Potatoes Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Sweet potato
• Quinoa⁣
• Greek yogurt⁣
• Crunchy chickpeas⁣
• Feta
• Green onions
• Parsley⁣
• Olive oil⁣

Directions:

1. Bake⁣ a sweet potato at 400* for 45 minutes.
2. Cook your quinoa in the rice cooker.
3. Top your sweet potato with the quinoa and other toppings listed, or toppings of your own choice. 

You can also find the recipes for Miso Mushroom Soup and Loaded Sweet Potato at Community Farmers Markets’ Instagram.

The post This week at the Farmers Market appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Clean air advocates say unchecked growth in Georgia’s data center industry could harm public health. Especially for people in metro Atlanta where air quality has worsened. 

More than 4% of all electricity used nationwide powers data centers, according to the Pew Research Center, and AI-optimized hyperscale data centers use servers equipped with powerful computer chips that can perform trillions of mathematical calculations per second and require two to four times as many watts to run than their traditional counterparts.

Five data center projects are ongoing, and more are proposed — all in the city of South Fulton. They are being built in anticipation of growth in artificial intelligence, 

“There’s also a 1-million-square-foot one that’s being proposed in South DeKalb,” said Kiya Stanford with the advocacy group Moms Clean Air Force in Georgia. “If you look at the demographics of these regions, they have in common that they’re primarily communities of color. And that’s intentional.”

While the projects may bring jobs and money into a community while under construction, data centers won’t sustain economic growth, Stanford said.

“We need to connect the dots between industrial development, environmental pollution, and our right to breathe clean air,” she said, adding that residents should attend local government meetings to share their concerns. 

Pollutants that come from the power sources of these data centers can have an adverse effect on human health, she said. 

In metro Atlanta specifically, the number of unhealthy ozone days rose from 1.8 days in 2023 to 5.5 days in 2024, she said.

“So, there are immediate correlations happening in terms of extreme heat and unhealthy ozone,” she said. “That’s happening within metro Atlanta specifically.”

The post Influx of data centers threatens air quality, public health in Atlanta, environmental activists say appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

“This investment will help further secure our status as a national leader in innovation and infrastructure for years to come,” Gov. Brian Kemp said of the money from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Act, which took effect in 2021 during the administration of President Joe Biden, allocated $5 billion nationwide over five years to foster a network of electric vehicle charging stations.

Georgia’s share was $135 million.

The money is awarded in public-private partnerships and covers up to 80% of project costs.

Six winning bidders were announced last week by the Georgia Department of Transportation. This was the second round of contracts, with the first issued last year.

The chargers — four at each site — must be installed and maintained for around the clock operation for at least five years. They must be equipped with Direct Current Fast Charging ports, which can fully recharge a vehicle battery in as few as 20 minutes. 

See a map with locations at https://arcg.is/zCya9.

The post Electric car drivers to get more charging stations in Georgia appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

For Atlanta painter Elizabeth Lang, winter is more than a season. It is a reset button. That idea shapes “Evergreen,” her landscape for this year’s Trees Atlanta holiday card program. The program plants a shade tree for every $25 donation. Lang’s artwork shows a snowy skyline framed by southeastern evergreens. The image invites viewers to see Atlanta as she does: a city held close by trees.

“I wanted the artwork…to convey the idea of Atlanta as a ‘City in a Forest,’” Lang says. “The scene is meant to feel like a view from a wooded pathway, looking out toward the city blanketed in snow.”

The image feels small and quiet. A path winds forward. Snow falls gently. Blue buildings sit in the distance. Yet Lang built the work around a larger feeling. She wanted to capture the emotional shift that happens when someone steps into nature, even inside a busy city.

“I hope this card serves as a reminder of Atlanta’s remarkable forest and how much it means to our community—and also that it needs our care.

Painter Elizabeth lang

Finding peace on the trail

Lang often turns to the outdoors for clarity. That theme runs through her painting practice. Time in the woods invites stillness. Winter makes that stillness stronger.

“For me, nature is a reminder to slow down,” Lang says. “Winter—when so many things are dormant—amplifies that feeling.”

“Evergreen” reflects that pause. The trees rise like sentinels on both sides of the trail. Snow drifts toward the viewer. Atlanta sits quietly in the near distance.

“I wanted Evergreen to capture a sense of peace by showing the viewer surrounded by towering trees and gentle snow flurries,” she says. “The city [is] resting quietly in the near distance.”

Atlanta’s parks as muse

Lang hikes often in North Georgia and the Smoky Mountains. But Atlanta’s urban canopy also shapes her work. Parks like Grant Park, Candler Park, and Piedmont Park have grounded her for years. Each one offers the same lift she finds on mountain trails.

“Each of those places…has the ability to make me feel far away from whatever is stressful, even while being in the middle of the city,” Lang says.

That mix of escape and proximity sits at the center of Evergreen. The scene suggests a short walk from noise to calm. It captures the hush that follows snowfall.

A longtime connection with Trees Atlanta

Lang is no stranger to collaborating with Trees Atlanta. She’s a regular volunteers with the non-profit, leading workshops designed to help Atlantans notice the trees around them.

Through that work, she’s seen the range of ways people connect with the canopy.

“Some are eager to learn about native species… Others simply appreciate trees for their beauty or for the shade and comfort they bring,” Lang says. “Regardless of the type of appreciation someone has, people can come together around a shared desire to protect the trees we love.”

That inclusive spirit shaped how she approached this year’s card design, aiming for a work that resonates equally with donors who can identify every white oak and loblolly pine and those who simply love the calm of a tree-lined path.

Read More:
• Brookhaven continues free tree planting partnership with Trees Atlanta
• Trees Atlanta to wrap 40th anniversary events with panel discussion

What she hopes people feel

Every Trees Atlanta card includes a note that a tree will be planted in the recipient’s honor. Lang hopes her artwork deepens that gesture.

“I hope this card serves as a reminder of Atlanta’s remarkable forest and how much it means to our community—and also that it needs our care,” she says. “Trees Atlanta works tirelessly to protect and restore the tree canopy, and I hope this image inspires others to support and participate in that work.”

For Lang, “Evergreen” offers a gentle reminder to slow down. It invites viewers to notice the forest that supports the city, season after season.

How to send the Trees Atlanta holiday card

Trees Atlanta’s holiday card program lets donors plant a shade tree in honor of someone with a $25 contribution. Each card includes a printed message explaining that a tree will be planted as part of forest restoration work. The work supports projects across metro Atlanta. Donors can order single cards or sets through Trees Atlanta’s online portal.

The post Trees Atlanta holiday card program features Elizabeth Lang’s ‘Evergreen’ design appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.