How
You Can Help
The hemlocks are a valuable natural resource, and they desperately need your help. Whether you're young or not so young, own property in the mountains or just enjoy them, every effort by every individual is important. There are many interesting and rewarding ways to get involved – a lot or a little – whatever works best for you.
Become a volunteer. Here are some of the opportunities for volunteers. Please e-mail us or call the Hemlock Help Line 706-429-8010 to let us know of your interest.
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■ Teaching or giving presentations ■ Being a neighborhood volunteer ■ Helping on charitable service projects ■ Planting or transplanting hemlocks ■ Treating hemlock trees ■ Fundraising and/or grant writing ■ Leading a hike in the forest ■ Hosting a special event ■ Helping to organize and/or lead a meeting |
■ Marketing and communications ■ Researching and doing citizen science ■ Writing articles or educational materials ■ Taking photos ■ Using the computer, Internet, Facebook, e-mail, etc. ■ Sharing the hemlock story with friends ■ Building relationships with other nonprofit groups ■ Composing a letter to the media or community leaders ■ Staffing an information booth at a festival or public event |
Join us as a member. The participation and support of members all across the state are vitally important to our organization as we work to identify the hemlock-related needs in the counties of north Georgia, find more creative ways to share the hemlock message, develop effective programs to help property owners and their trees, and expand our network of individuals and groups that share similar environmental, conservation, and recreational interests. If you'd like to take a stand, have a say, and be part of the action, click here to download a membership form you can print and mail. You can also make your membership contribution via PayPal.
Take care of your own hemlocks. Be alert
for the first signs of the woolly adelgid. If even one of the hemlocks
on your property is infested or if a neighbor's trees are infested, go ahead and
plan to take care of all your hemlocks that you want to save as soon as
possible. Visit the HWA
Controls page to learn about your options or call the Hemlock Help Line
706-429-8010 for advice.
Please take action early!
Spread the word. Be an ambassador for the hemlocks, using e-mail lists, newsletters, web sites, and word of mouth to share the message with friends, business associates, neighborhood associations, conservation and recreation organizations, schools, churches, and other community groups. These are the three key messages:
■ The hemlocks are in trouble and will die unless effective action is taken soon.
■ Property owners can save as many of their hemlocks as they want, and it's easy and inexpensive.
■ Save Georgia's Hemlocks can provide a great deal of free, practical help.
Also
invite your friends to visit us on Facebook and
join the hemlock
cause!
Sponsor a Hemlock Help Clinic. Help us
identify local groups that would be interested in having a hemlock help
presentation
in your community and provide
contact information so we can offer to make the necessary arrangements.
For anyone interested in sponsoring a Clinic (which just means helping us
publicize the meeting and maybe providing light refreshments), we'll be happy to give public recognition
to your organization.
Develop a neighborhood plan. Work with your friends and neighbors to develop a neighborhood hemlock help plan to suppress the woolly adelgid over the widest possible area. We can meet with your property owners association or its board to provide guidance on scoping the project, determining the best treatment option, estimating the effort and cost, anticipating the challenges, and building community support. For an overview of the process, please see the Neighborhood Hemlock Help Planning Guide.
Become a Facilitator in your community. You can provide a valuable service to the citizens of your county by taking a short training course (4 hours) to learn more about the HWA problem and solutions and then being available as a consultant to help your neighbors understand the issues and take appropriate actions. To see what's involved, please visit the Volunteer Facilitators page and review the Volunteer Facilitator Job Description.
Help
on our public lands. There are two key ways you can help save the hemlocks on
our public lands. One is to donate money directly to any of the
university-based research labs that are raising predatory beetles for
release on public lands. The other is to become a volunteer with the
public land
managers for the U. S. Forest Service, Georgia Forestry Commission, or
Georgia State Parks and Historical Sites. Click on the links for names and
contact information.
Support SGH's efforts. Save Georgia's Hemlocks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and we need your financial support. We don't engage in any extraordinary fund-raising activities and depend entirely on the generosity of individuals' and groups' donations. We promise to use the resources you provide carefully and completely within our stated mission, and our books are open for inspection.
You can make your tax-deductible contribution by check payable to Save Georgia's Hemlocks and mail it to the address below or make a secure on-line donation through PayPal. You'll receive a thank-you letter that can be used for tax purposes along with the offer of a free baby hemlock.
Save Georgia's Hemlocks
37 Woody Bend
Dahlonega, GA 30533