I have lived adjacent to the Dunwoody Nature Center for 25 years and go into the park practically every day.
The addition of the play grounds, boardwalk, hammocks and interior picnic tables (too many) were a welcome improvement and they maintained the “natural” setting. However, the space adjacent to the building and by the stream was not an enhancement as it removed the natural setting. It looks like every other outdoor space I have seen that caters to weddings and other events. Which I guess was its intention. (It also includes an old piano).
I think making the pretense of a new pavilion for education, etc., is disingenuous. They want the park to be an event facility to make money to maintain the park. Fair enough, but just say so.
Perhaps prior to that, some money could be spent to get rid of the severe invasion of English ivy that has smothered the undergrowth in vast areas around the park. Get a good arborist in to cull dead trees and limbs that are a danger to walkers. Plant native hardwoods that have been replaced by hundreds of nasty pines that are unattractive, litter the park and fall at the first breeze.
All this is basic maintenance that has been ignored at the park.
Rich Reynell
Dunwoody
Years ago, it took me two years to get the ivy off the trees at the Dunwoody Nature Center. English Ivy has been with us since 1795, can reach strands of up to 100 feet in length, and can literally weigh a ton!! Once it starts to climb up trees it becomes fertile, and continues to compete with water resources. It eventually kills every tree it covers. Goats can remove the leaves, pigs can eat the branches. Please let me know if I can help again!!