The South Fork Conservancy commemorated its 10^th anniversary last Thursday, April 26, at the group’s annual Creek Rising fundraiser, celebrating its efforts to preserve Atlanta’s greenspaces.

With over 200 supporters in attendance, the fundraiser was held at Zonolite Park, a reclaimed brownfield near Emory University, and raised $74,000 for the non-profit organization, which works to develop walking trails along Atlanta’s Peachtree Creek and conserve the waterway.

“Creek Rising set the stage for another decade of successful creekbank conservation,” Kimberly Estep, executive director of the South Fork Conservancy, said. “We shared our concept designs for the Confluence Bridge and highlighted improvements for the Three Creeks Trail at Mason Mill Park and Zonolite Park, and the designs of the brand-new Armand Park.”

The organization has restored over 38 acres of land to the public and led over 4,000 volunteer hours, creating five miles of waterway-adjacent trails near Peachtree Creek, close to Cheshire Bridge.

The event also featured trail tours, live music, dinner and cocktails followed by the annual South Fork Conservancy Trailblazer Award. This year’s recipient was Ryan Gravel, the visionary behind the Atlanta BeltLine and one of the architects behind the original watershed vision for the conservancy.

“I’m so proud of our organization, and I can’t think of a better way to mark our first decade than a party at Zonolite with everyone who helped make it happen,” Sally Sears, a founding board member of the group, said. “I’m already looking forward to our 20^th anniversary.”