Bush Mountain

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The 162-year-old Grandfather Beech Tree.

Atlanta Outdoor Activity Center

Atlanta Outdoor Activity Center

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Established in 1975 as the Bush Mountain Outdoor Activity Center, the initial purpose of the Outdoor Activity Center was to involve children and adults in environmental issues through education about conservation, ecology, and the natural environment.

The West Atlanta Watershed Alliance Outdoor Activity Center (OAC) is a public environmental education, nature preserve, and outdoor activity facility in Atlanta, Georgia. The center is 26 acres and focuses on educational outreach and outdoor activities in an urban setting.

Located approximately five miles from downtown Atlanta, this 26-acre urban nature preserve includes about 2.0 miles of trails and a children's nature-themed playground. Among the learning facilities are a tree house classroom, a 650-gallon freshwater aquarium, and a multi-purpose building. Adjacent to the facility is a community-run vegetable garden and a practice lot for the Atlanta Black Crackers, a former Negro League baseball team, and a unique sustainable urban farming system, Bioponica.

OAC's environmental education programs engage local youth, ranging from elementary to college-age in service-learning activities field trips, and interpretive hikes throughout the 26-acre old-growth forest, seeking to impact the visitor’s attitudes and behaviors about nature.

​The programs complement classroom learning in math, science, social studies, history, and language arts through interactive, interdisciplinary activities, independent observation, exploration, and free play. Programs are correlated to Georgia Performance Standards. Participants learn about the importance of their role as stewards of a healthy and sustainable environment.

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• Certified as an NRT
  Jun 22, 1979