Autry Mill Nature Preserve highlights history, trails and new programs at Johns Creek meeting

Liza Hayes, introduced as executive director of the Autry Mill Nature Preserve Association, told the committee that the preserve was founded to save 46 acres of historic land and has repurposed historic buildings into a heritage village and museum. "We've been around since 1989...the preserve is currently on which is 46 acres," Hayes said, recounting the organization's origins and preservation efforts.

Hayes described the preserve's programs and partnerships: summer camp remains the largest single revenue source; the preserve hosts animal ambassadors and education programs; new trails (about a 1.3-mile loop) and a butterfly garden expansion are underway. She outlined arts partnerships that bring live music and theater to the preserve and noted a recent partnership with Kaiser Permanente to launch senior-citizen healthy-living programming tied to the preserve's History Comes Alive tour days.

On fundraising and grants, Hayes said the preserve won a Fulton County arts grant but that it covered only a portion of costs: "Unfortunately, a lot of their monies were not evaporated. So we only got, like, 0.333 of what we asked for," she said, urging members to consider sponsorships for upcoming concerts. Hayes also described an archival project digitizing more than 600 personal letters discovered in the Green Country Store recovery project and invited committee members to visit and consider sponsorship and volunteer support.

Committee members thanked Hayes and asked logistical questions about governance and staffing; Hayes said the organization is a 501(c)(3) run by a volunteer board with two full-time paid staff and several part-timers. The presentation closed with staff offering to circulate digital sponsorship materials and the committee encouraging visits to Autry Mill.