Greenway Commission backs nature‑guide pilot, authorizes funds and student support

Athens’ Greenway Commission voted Sept. 16 to move forward with a pilot “nature guide” that will install interpretive posts with QR codes along roughly a one‑mile stretch of trail and to make commission resources available to support implementation, including hiring student help or a similar temporary assistant.

Commissioners said the pilot is intended to create a portable template the parks department can scale across the Greenway. Commissioners authorized staff to return with a scope and cost estimate before specific funding is allocated.

The pilot will test 4–6 interpretive points to start, placed roughly within the first mile beginning at the Nature Center. Each wooden post would include a small interpretive sign with a QR code linking to a short description of the feature and, potentially, additional multimedia such as an audio narration or screen‑reader accessible text. The presenters described four proposed content categories — plants and animals,…