Georgia Power employees were out in the community for Earth Month making an impact on greenspaces and helping to create a cleaner environment. From restoring quail habitats to removing hundreds of pounds of trash to supporting pollinators and more, employees took action in living out the company’s 100-year old motto of being “A Citizen Wherever We Serve.”
In many cases, Citizens of Georgia Power chapters worked with external groups on educational or improvement projects. Citizens chapters are the company’s employee volunteer service organizations located throughout the state.
“We appreciate our employees and community partners that came together again over the last few weeks helping to create a cleaner and more sustainable environment for years to come,” said Lea Clanton, Georgia Power Director of Community Engagement.
In one case, a collaboration between West Georgia Quail Forever, Georgia Power and Georgia Department of Natural Resources was held in Troup County near LaGrange, to restore native hedges into a landscape that would benefit pollinators and wildlife, especially Bobwhite Quail.
Volunteers created a 125’ long native hedge by planting Chickasaw Plums, which in turn will provide safety cover for small animals, food for wildlife and blooms for pollinators in the spring. Georgia Power provided the tools and transportation of equipment and plants.
In metro Atlanta, teams of employee volunteers worked on a clean-up on South Cobb Drive that collected over 300 pounds of trash. This was a collaborative effort made possible by Plant McDonough employees, the McDonough Citizens of Georgia Power chapter along with the Metro West Chapter.
In Macon, the Heart of Georgia Citizens Chapter partnered with Keep Macon Bibb Beautiful and held an Earth Day Volunteer Event at The Academy for Classical Education-Macon. There, volunteers conducted simple lessons on energy and sustainability with 1st and 2nd graders and helped them plant seeds in a pot to take home.
In another west Georgia project, a Pollinator Habitat Area was created at Georgia Power’s LaGrange Solar Project with a dual purpose to create beautiful scenery and provide research information on the use of certain groundcover solutions around solar arrays, all while supporting pollinators like bees and butterflies.
“Our 39 Citizens chapters are active year-round, but Earth Month provides the perfect time to focus on projects that support and enhance the environment and the natural beauty of our state,” Clanton added.