ADVISORY: Controlled burn at Sandy Creek Nature Center

Don’t be alarmed if you see smoke coming from the area of the Sandy Creek Nature Center today. It’s a controlled burn which is making future exhibits possible.

From Athens-Clarke County:

A controlled burn of approximately 20 acres at Sandy Creek Nature Center will take place on Friday, April 13 beginning in late morning for 4-5 hours. Some areas will be inaccessible during this time and smoke may be present in the area as a result.

On Friday, April 13 from approximately 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., the Georgia Wildland Burn Team – a group consisting of trained volunteers and members from several state and federal agencies – is tentatively planning to administer a controlled burn of approximately 20 acres at Sandy Creek Nature Center as part of the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department's Managed Forest Project at the center. 

The burn is coordinated with Sandy Creek Nature Center, the Georgia Forestry Commission, the Georgia Department of Transportation, the ACC Transportation and Public Works Department, the ACC Police Department, the ACC Fire Department, and the ACC Emergency Management Office.

The burn is expected to last approximately four to five hours if wind and other environmental factors are favorable to a controlled burn. These factors should also help dissipate smoke, but some smoke may be present in areas near Sandy Creek Nature Center off of Commerce Road / U.S. 441. The ACC Fire Department and other staff will monitor the burn and smoke throughout the event.

Due to the burn, some of Sandy Creek Nature Center's facilities and trails will have limited access or be inaccessible throughout Friday for safety purposes. For more information, follow Athens-Clarke County's main, Leisure Services, and Sandy Creek Nature Center social media accounts listed at www.accgov.com/socialmedia. 

The Managed Forest Project is an outdoor component of the woodland exhibit in the Sandy Creek Nature Center's Education & Visitor Center. The project will eventually result in five forest demonstration plots that will showcase the natural living forest firsthand from an early stage forest to a mature forest and the diversity of wildlife that inhabit each stage.