Field Trip: Downtown Springs and Trees with Ranger Hannah Palmer and Chris Hrubesh
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Tuesday, Sep 8, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location
Walter's Clothing
66 Decatur St SE
Details
Join Ranger Hannah Palmer of the Department of Urban Springs and Trees Atlanta’s Chris Hrubesh for a one-of-a-kind ramble through downtown in search of the waters that shaped the city—and the trees helping to restore it. We’ll begin on Decatur Street, across the street from Walter’s, and make our way across the sub-continental divide. We’ll look for water at the urban headwaters of Intrenchment Creek, Proctor Creek, Clear Creek, and Tanyard Creek—many now buried, but still flowing beneath our feet.
As we follow these invisible waterways, we’ll also explore how trees are returning to downtown as essential partners in this story. Through Trees Atlanta’s Downtown Tree Planting Program, one of the city’s most paved and heat-impacted areas is being reimagined with shade, soil, and living infrastructure. These new plantings aren’t just beautification—they help absorb stormwater, cool the streets, and reconnect the city to its natural hydrology.
The Department of Urban Springs—a (fictional) state-level agency established in 2024—exists to protect and promote the lifegiving “waters of the state,” as defined by Georgia’s constitution. Atlanta’s abundant mineral springs anchored health resorts and gathering places. Though many were piped underground in the 20th century, they remain vital today—for recreation, culture, ecology, and environmental justice.
This 2-hour guided walk invites you to see downtown differently: as a living landscape shaped by water, rooted by trees, and full of stories waiting to surface.