Newspaper Page Text
4A
THE COVINGTON NEWS — TUESDAY. JUNE «. 1976
Songbirds in spotlight
The Chattahoochee National
Forest is going to the birds —
songbirds that is. They are suing
several modified timber cuts to
improve the habitat for songbirds
in the Lake Conasauga Songbird
Area in Murray County.
The songbird area is several
hundred acres around Lake
Conasauga in the Cohutta Ranger
District of the Chattahoochee
National Forest and has been
designated for songbird manage
ment due to the large diversity of
songbird species present. It is
within the Cohutta Mountains at
the end of the Blue Kidge Chain
near Chatsworth and reaches
3682 feet at Grassy Mountain so
as to foster a mixture of both
northern and southern bird
species.
Lake Conasauga is also on the
migration route for many forms
of birdlife. Members of the
Georgia Ornithological Society
have identified 36 breeding
species of birds including ruffed
grouse, yellow and black-billed
cuckoos, yellow shafted flicker,
pileated, down and hairy wood
peckers, ruby throated humming
bird, Carolina chickadee, tufted
titmouse, brown thrasher, scarlet
tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak,
black-throated green warbler and
golden winged warblers. Over 100
different species have been
sighted in the Lake Conasauga
Graduation
(From front page)
Cheek, Bettina Crowe, Beverly
Forrester, Patricia Shields and
Terri Malcom.
“The Class of 1976 has been a
very special class during this
200th year of our nation. Their
activities and their leadership
have been significant, and we
hope that their activities and
their leadership will make a
significant difference in the next
100 years,” said Principal Jerry
Rochelle of NCCHS.
Rochelle introduced Newton
County Superintendent Frank
Cloer who presented diplomas to
the graduates. Cloer was assisted
by Richard Schneider, vocational
coordinator for Newton County
schools.
RE-ELECT
James L.
"Gabby”
HAYES fIfJH
District 2 Member
Os The
NEWTON COUNTY
Board of Commissioners
Democratic Primary,
August 10, 1976
Your Vote And Influence
Will Be Appreciated
vicinity.
Most of this area which includes
the Lake Conasauga Recreation
site is geared toward recreation
use so vegetative manipulation is
severely limited, but the
remaining 150 acres lends itself
to habitat improvement by
modified timber management. The
small irregularly shaped timber
cuts will provide the varied
habitat required by different
species of songbirds.
For instance, the yellow breasted
chat thrives almost entirely in
open fields or in stands yf young
seedlings or saplings, while other
species may require mature trees.
Many songbirds prefer the transi
tion zones or edges between forest
and openings. Nesting require
ments also vary greatly. Most
songbirds nest in shrub-type vege
tation generally less than 15 feet
above the ground. Some prefer
holes in steep banks or cavities in
trees.
Studies conducted recently con
cluded that logging can produce a
diversity of habitats which favors
a greater abundance of songbird
sjweies without the complete loss
of any abundant birds.
Through the modified clearcuts
in the Lake Conasauga Songbird
Management Area, a diversity of
habitats will be enhanced to
provide subsistence to a greater
number of songbird species. The
cuts will range from 9 to 16
acreas in size and all cavity trees
and trees capable of producing
cavities in the near future will be
retained. Also left standing in the
clearcuts will be snags and soft
mast producing trees such as
dogwood and serviceberry. The
openings left after the timber
harvest will provide areas rich' in
insect and other small animal life
which are eaten by most
songbirds.
No logging or related work will
be allowed during nesting season
and, following the harvest, clumps
of autumn olive and other dense
growing fruiting shrubs will be
planted in the openings by the
Forest Service for cover and late
winter food.
The Cherokee Audubon Society,
located in Dalton, is coop'rating
in this project and has made a
bird count prior to the logging
operation to determine what
effects the environmental change
will have on the variety and
number of species. A temporary
logging road will be converted
into the Songbird Trail after the
harvest is completed to aid bird
watcher access into the Songbird
area.
This is just one example of how
the U. S. Forest Service is
adapting timber management
techniques to provide diversified
wildlife habitat for both game
and non-game animals.
Bicentennial
exhibition
at Canaveral
Visitors to Florida this summer
can ad one of the nation’s major
Bicentennial events to their
itinerary and get a glimpse of the
role science and technology are
playing in improving the quality
of life in America.
“Third Century America,” the
only Federal government
sponsored exposition scheduled for
the Bicentennial Year will take
place at Cape Canaveral from
May 30 through Labor Day.
Sixteen Federal agencies and
approximately a dozen industries
are combining their resources to
provide visitors a look at
technology promising “a better
life in 1976 and for the next 100
years thereafter.”
When he annouced the
Exposition, President Ford en
visioned it as an opportunity for
Americans "to see the best in
America." not only form the past
but from what is to come in the
future.
The National Aeronautics and
Space Administration is coor
dinating the Exposition at the
Space Center and will offer a
wide variety of exhibits on the
Nation's space program.
The Exposition will be housed
in 15 geodesic domes near the
Vehicle Assembly Building where
Apollo space vehicles were
prepared for journeys to the
photographers’ gallerg
. ■ ....
’ -
if ■ m
r j*
■k
by George Hawk
Foster kids treated
The Newton County Department
of Family and Children Services
recently sponsored two trips for
foster children and other children
under the supervision of the
agency.
Approximately 40 children were
guests at the Shrine Circus in
Atlanta. Volunteers furnished
transportation and several parents
and caseworkers accompanied the
groups.
“This was a very exciting exper
ience and there were many happy
smiles as clowns gave special
attention to our group, which was
honored with front row seats,”
according to Mrs. Faye Ewing,
foster home caseworker for the
Department of Family and Chil
dren Services.
: PHOENIX
CRRPET
: ^B-.
" with the • • •
* g
M CONYERS . K
M ATLANTA 120 EAST «
M ACCESS [ROAD « Is
H PHOENIX CARPET SALES
m deep, deep 483-6480
; body and the
low, low price.
On a more recent trip 33
children accompanied by their
parents, foster parents and Mrs.
Ewing enjoyed a tour of Atlanta.
The group visited the Cyclorama,
the zoo and the capitol.
Jim Bohannon, visiting teacher,
helped with arrangements for a
bus to be provided for this ex
perience, and State Sen. Don
Ballard of Oxford and Steve
Polk, director of the Building and
Grounds Authority for the State
of Georgia, arranged a lunch for
the group in the part across from
the capitol.
Volunteer bus driver for the tour
was Jim McCart and the volun
teer coordinator for the Depart
ment of Family and Children
Services, Robert Smith, made ar-
rangements for the Cyclorama
and zoo tickets. Donations from
the Retired Teachers Assn, pro
vided a carousel ride.
“It is encouraging to see these
children respond in positive ways
to these experiences which help
broaden their horizons and bring
a bit of added happiness to their
lives,” said Mrs. Ewing.
“Also it builds good relation
ships as children, workers,
parents and foster parents have
an opportunity for fellowship.
The agency hopes to offer a
variety of experiences in the
future for these children under
supervision and to provide whole
some entertainment for them,”
she added.
Those interested in assisting in
any way in the county’s foster
care program may contact Mrs.
Ewing at 786-8161.
Summer
plants need
watering
During the summer months,
when temperatures are high and
the ground dry, plants can suffer
from improper watering.
Gerald Smith, horticulturist with
the Cooperative Extension Service,
said most people, when watering
their shrubs, do not allow enough
water to soak down to the roots.
The specialist said only about
one inch of soil is usually soaked,
and added, "This is not sufficient
for the plant’s root system to get
the benefit of watering."
Plants most affected by poor
watering are those that have been
transplanted in the last six
months. Their root system hasn't
had time to move into
surrounding soil where they can
get sufficient moisture.
Also affected are shallow rooted
plants, such as azaleas, and
plants that are under or near
trees. Shurbs near trees have a
tough time because the larger
trees get most of the water.
The horticulturist has a few tips
to help home gardening maintain
the beauty of their shrubbery.
One way to make your watering
chores go faster, while still
providing sufficient moisture, is to
build a circular mound or dike
around each plant. This allows
water to collect near the plant
and drain straight down to the
roots.
