Funded Projects
Turning Generosity into Tangible Conservation
As the non-profit partner to the Nature Center, Sandy Creek Nature Center, Inc. transforms community financial support into structural realities. Since 2010 alone, our members and donors have contributed $546,394.38 directly to land management, accessibility, and education spaces. Funding for these vital community programs comes entirely from membership fees, private donations, corporate sponsors, and gift shop proceeds.
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Below are the major community-funded initiatives made possible by people like you.
The Nature Playscape
Completed in 2021, this expansive backyard installation turned a standard garden space into an immersive natural play area. Built completely from sustainable, natural materials, it gives children a safe yet challenging environment to explore native ecosystems, test their agility, and connect directly with the earth.
Trailhead Improvement Project
Completed in the spring of 2023, this project honors the legacy of passionate conservationist and past board president Will Chamberlin. Fueled by a successful Giving Tuesday campaign alongside gifts from Will's family and friends, we partnered with local landscape designers to create a welcoming, accessible gateway to the main trail systems.
Managed Forest Project
This 25-acre ecological restoration zone is designed to improve habitat diversity and early successional ecosystem health. Visitors can walk a specialized system of trails to view sustainable forestry management decisions in action, witness rising biodiversity, and enjoy an enhanced outdoor classroom environment.
ADA Trail Loop
Completion
Accessibility is central to our mission. In early 2016, the Friends organization donated $45,000 to extend the original 1997 linear boardwalk, transforming it into a full trail loop. This critical addition ensures that mobility-impaired visitors and families with strollers can comfortably navigate the wetlands and upland woods.
Active & Upcoming Priorities
SPLOST Exhibit Hall Upgrades
Underwriting modern, interactive, and sustainable learning tools for the aging Coast and Wetlands Interactive Learning Centers to bring them up to modern multigenerational education standards.
The Brick Factory Project
An archaeological and interpretive initiative uncovering the historic, early 1900s ruins of the Georgia Brick Company located right on the property, connecting local industry history with our natural landscape.
Restroom & Infrastructure Renovations
Upgrading high-traffic public facilities along the North Oconee Rivers Greenway with eco-friendly fixtures, water bottle fillers, and cold-weather protections.
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