On November 14^th, Greening Youth Foundation AmeriCorps youth crew leaders engaged in a day of volunteer service at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, a National Park Service site north of Atlanta.

Under the direction of David A. Thomas, Jr., National Park Service VIP Coordinator, six members worked to prep an old road bed for a re-vegetation project. Those that do not want to dig in the dirt participated in trash pickup along the river. Crew leaders also worked with gas-powered two-man earth augers and pick axes to prepare the soil for the school children scheduled to plant trees and flowers in the upcoming weeks.

The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) consists of a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River and 14 land units along its corridor. It begins at Lake Lanier’s Buford Dam, near Buford, Georgia, and continues downstream through four counties to Peachtree Creek near downtown Atlanta. CRNRA provides outdoor recreation for more than 3 million visitors a year.

Typically, rivers meander and change course over time. However, the Chattahoochee River is one of the oldest and most stable river channels within the United States.

Today, the river is combating several types of pollution. Above Atlanta, the most serious environmental threat to health of the river is caused by agricultural land use. The rainwater washes animal waste, pesticides and fertilizers into the rivers’ tributaries.