Ashford Forest Preserve added to the Old Growth Forest Network

Dr. Sarah Horsley presents the OGFN plaque to Parks and Recreation Director Brian Borden, and Ken Yates, head of the North DeKalb Greenspace Alliance.

Brookhaven, GA, Feb. 19, 2021 – Brookhaven’s Ashford Forest Preserve has been formally inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network (OGFN).

Founded in 2012, OGFN has over 115 forests in 24 states currently in the network. Ashford Forest Preserve will join other DeKalb and Fulton County forests historically linked to Atlanta’s original forest cover in the “Original Forest of Atlanta”.

“This recognition of the significance of Ashford Forest Preserve underscores the larger issue, which is Brookhaven’s commitment to responsible tree preservation and the curation of Brookhaven’s tree canopy and urban forests,” said District 2 Councilmember John Park. 

Brookhaven purchased the 33 acres of land from DeKalb County for greenspace preservation in April 2017. The tract of land was originally designated as a “crash zone” for a now-decommissioned runway for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, originally part of the World War I military training facility Camp Gordon.  As part of the agreement, the City must preserve the land for greenspace and cannot sell it for development.

Ashford Forest Preserve is maintained by the North DeKalb Greenspace Alliance, and contains 30-acres of native Piedmont forest, a small meadow, wetland area, and several natural springs.

“These patches of native Piedmont forest are essential not only to the well-being of our communities, but also to our city’s ecological health and reputation as the city in the forest,” said Dr. Sarah Horsley, Network Manager of the Old-Growth Forest Network. “Glimpses into old-growth forest are treasured experiences and the Old-Growth Forest Network recognizes those areas where these experiences can be had by all ages. Our network grows with every protected forest and communities of forest caretakers.”

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About the OGFN: 

The mission of the OGFN is to connect people with nature by creating a national network of protected, mature, publicly accessible, native forests. The goal is to preserve at least one forest in every county in the United States that can sustain a forest, estimated to be 2,370 out of a total of 3,140 counties. OGFN’s program works to identify forests for the network, ensure their protection from logging, and inform people of the forest locations. OGFN also educates about the extraordinary ecological and human wellness benefits of old-growth forests, and speaks out regarding immediate threats to specific ancient forests. OGFN forests in states across the country can be viewed at www.oldgrowthforest.net.