Stories in the Woods

Join Woodlands Garden and DeKalb County Public Library for outdoor storytime from 10am-11:30am. Come to Woodlands Garden for stories, crafts and a walk in the woods. This event takes place in the Pavilion at Woodlands Gardens, 932 Scott Blvd., Decatur, GA.

September 12: Building a Weeple Fence and Fun Stories

October 10: Fairies in the Woods. Fairy houses will be on display in the Garden during the storytime.

Family fun that is free for all!

Special thanks to Ms. Mia from the DeKalb County Public Library for helping to coordinate these events with Garden volunteers and the Education Sub-Committee.

Cirque De Catur tickets on sale now!

Come one come all (if you’re 21+ of course!) to

Cirque De Catur

October 24 from 5 to 8 p.m.!

Woodlands Garden is hosting this fabulous affair to benefit everyone’s favorite Decatur garden. Under the treetop canopy for one night only, Cirque De Catur will feature performances from the incredible Imperial OPA Circus troupe, tarot card readings, live music and dancing, games, and fantastic raffle prizes.

Gourmet bites will be served by local favorite Kevin Clark, chef and owner of Home grown Ga., along with sweet treats from Ashley Sue’s Baked Goods. Craft beer from Creature Comforts Brewing and Three Taverns Brewery will be flowing, and a tempting wine selection will be served. Leon’s Full Service will also whip up a signature cocktail, The Vanishing Act, so get your tickets here now!

General admission ticket ($60)includes food, drinks, performances, and shuttle ride from First Baptist Church in Decatur.

VIP tickets ($125) feature the above and more Cirque Perks, such as exclusive hors d’oeuvres, a free garden tour, private bathrooms and complimentary raffle tickets!

Click here to purchase your tickets today.

Special thanks to our supporting sponsors: Natalie Gregory, Private Bank of Decatur, Emory Alliance Credit Union, Revolution Mercedes-Benz, Pure Station Decatur.

See you at the circus under the treetop canopy of Woodlands Garden…..

Equinox Concert this Saturday

Music and Poetry to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox

Saturday, Sept. 26th

4pm

Come join the celebration of a new season with solo cello works performed byJean Gay and poetry reading by Megan Sexton during this free live performance.

Jean Gay

Jean Gay is an active chamber musician, solo artist, and cello instructor currently based in Atlanta, GA. With a core interest in and passion for performing classical music, she is also a member of numerous ensembles which explore non-traditional and new compositions. These include Chamber Cartel, Terminus Ensemble, and Sino-American Music Ensemble. In 2015 she is presenting a solo cello series with concerts and events around each of the solstice and equinox dates. These are musical and poetic explorations of the change in seasons and involve collaboration with others in the Atlanta community, including composerStephen Wood and John Meredith at onlYoga.

Megan Sexton

Megan Sexton lives in Decatur, Georgia and teaches at Georgia State University. She is co-editor of Five Points: A Journal of Literature & Art. Her collection of poems Swift Hour (Mercer University Press, 2014) received the Adrienne Bond Award for Poetry, and her chapbook Insects & Mystics was awarded the Redbone Press Prize. Her work has been published in Poetry, Ploughshares, The Iowa Review, The Southern Review and elsewhere.

Keep it Green Indie-Catur

Spring 2016

You Kept It Green!

Woodlands Garden’s Campaign Chairs, Genia Cayce, Betty Blondeau and Bill Floyd, are happy to report the success of the Woodlands Garden’s capital campaign Keep It Green Indie-Catur. The Garden received over $1 million from 17 foundations and more than 250 individuals. Half of these individual gifts received were in amounts less than $100, including the purchase of over 275 Green Ribbons, demonstrating that this was truly a grassroots effort involving the entire community.

A primary goal of the campaign, the purchase of the one-acre property at 915 Clairemont Avenue, was completed on December 15, 2015, in partnership with the City of Decatur. This purchase will give Woodlands a highly visible and safe entryway, provide additional parking space, and preserve the land from future development. The community can be justly proud of our united effort in preserving this additional property as dedicated green space. This fundraising success is depictive of the support for Woodlands Garden’s mission to educate and engage the community in the natural world.

TSW, a landscape architecture firm, is working with us on the design and master planning of the Garden. The groundbreaking will take place in the fall.

Woodlands will also:

Complete the visitor center and add public restrooms
Improve parking and create a safe school bus drop-off zone
Enhance the site of the former Morse home, including added amenities for hosting community events

Additional fundraising will take place over the next year to secure sufficient funds for a children’s natural play area and pollinator gardens.

Cirque De Catur: Thank you!

We had made a promise to bring the circus to Decatur, and we did!

Our inaugural fundraiser ‘Cirque De Catur’ held on Saturday, October 24 was a grand success. Breathtaking acts by Imperial OPA Circus Troupe included fire eaters, aerialists and contortionists, along with tarot card readers came together as an enchanting backdrop for this magical event. Live music was provided by Tom Godfrey Jazz Band. Tickets were sold out before the week leading up to the event, and the garden saw over 250 guests register to be part of the festivities.

The food from local favorite Homegrown GA, chipwiches from Ashley Sue’s Baked Goods, awesome cotton candy (the flavors!) from Cult Cart Co, specialty beer from Creature Comforts and Three Taverns, and signature cocktails from Leon’s were all a hit.