Volunteers from Master Gardeners, Clayton Rotary Club, and Chattooga Conservancy joined to plant six native trees (Redbud, Dogwood, and Sugar Maple) along an area of the park’s upper embankments bordering Hwy. 441. We look forward to enjoying the spring flowering and fall colors that these new native hardwoods will lend to the park’s canopy! The Master Gardeners continue to lead the ongoing work of cleaning up the park’s understory; volunteers helped in this effort by picking up litter and removing invasives. Thank you to everyone who participated in the February 14th event!
Scouts and scout leaders helped shape several new trail steps from rot-resistant locust wood previously felled at the park. After some instruction from Buzz Williams, the Scouts hewed and processed the locust wood steps themselves using traditional hand tools such as foot and bowl adzes and brace-and-bit hand drills. Troop 45 then installed the new steps and helped root out invasive species along the trail. Thank you, Troop 45, for your hard work!
Image header: Scouts and leaders from Walhalla Troop 45 on their newly installed locust-wood steps at Stekoa Creek Park. Credit: Isabel Blue
Image: New dogwood tree planted during the Stekoa Creek Park volunteer day on February 14th, 2026. Credit: Isabel Blue