Georgia Beloved Naturalist (GBN) is a 9-month program that facilitates a unique and exciting nature-based learning experience for people representing diverse ages, cultures, and racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The Georgia Beloved Naturalist program is committed to nurturing deep connections between naturalists and ecological systems within Georgia while exploring issues regarding environmental justice. GBN introduces sound scientific information in a hands-on, fun, and interactive manner that increases awareness of the disproportionate environmental risks faced by certain segments of society.
GBN engages a diverse team of educators and encourages participants of all abilities to learn strategies and resources for effective natural resources advocacy and stewardship. The programs also provide resources that support the dreams of those who seek lifetime opportunities as naturalists.
Our partners include Birds Georgia, our fiscal sponsor; as well as the Amphibian Foundation, Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance, Awali Agricultural Center, Chattahoochee Nature Center, DeKalb County Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs, South Fork Conservancy, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, and public and private universities.
In 2020, a conversation between Revonda Cosby, Executive Director of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance, and Sally Sears of the South Fork Conservancy, sparked an idea for a fresh model of ecological education in Georgia.
A team of founding leaders and community partners came together to launch a pilot cohort, the Dekalb Beloved Naturalists, in 2022. The inaugural program's success resulted in fiscal sponsorship by Birds Georgia beginning in 2023, and the second cohort became known as the Georgia Beloved Naturalist program.
The fourth cohort is now underway in 2025, with interest increasing each year.
Our participants and alumni are engaged all over metro Atlanta in professional and volunteer roles, demonstrating the power of intersectional nature education that equips us for leadership, teaching, community building, and advocacy.
Visiting a pine-oak-hickory forest