Join us for the premiere of City in a Forest, a powerful documentary that explores the significance of Atlanta's urban forest and the intricate balance required to preserve it within a bustling metropolis. Follow the stories of key stakeholders whose work shines a light on the importance of protecting this hidden treasure.
After the screening, engage in a dynamic panel and Q&A with the director and experts featured in the film. Sip on botanical-inspired beverages crafted by The Caffeinated Rose and immerse yourself in stunning urban forest photography, created by the documentary's director.
This event invites Atlanta residents and landowners to discover the city's rich natural landscape and encourages everyone to become thoughtful stewards of the trees in their own backyard. Don’t miss this inspiring evening that will deepen your connection to Atlanta's green spaces and spark action to protect them for future generations.
Meet the Panel:
Krystle Chanel - Director
Atlanta based creator, Krystle Chanel, has been working at the intersection of art and science since 2013. Originally a public health researcher, Krystle has been honing her creative voice through photography and filmmaking to create multi-layered works that examine the natural and built environment, representational justice, and health equity.
Adam Betuel - Conservation Director, Birds Georgia
Adam Betuel has a B.S. in zoology from Ohio State University and studied the White-throated Sparrow while a graduate student at Indiana State University. He has conducted avian field research across the eastern United States and South America. In 2015, Adam became the first conservation director for Birds Georgia, then the Atlanta Audubon Society. In this role, he manages multiple programs and oversees Birds Georgia conservation team who are focused on making Georgia more bird-friendly. He and his team primarily work on reducing threats like bird-building collisions, restoring habitat, educating people on the value of native plants, and growing community science programs. Adam also leads regional, domestic, and international trips for Georgia Audubon. He is a craft beer nerd, enjoys cooking, watches too much prestige T.V., and adores spending time with his nature-loving daughter, Cora, and his non-birding spouse, Melissa.
Eli Dickerson - Director of Education, Park Pride
Eli has been a fixture in the environmental world in Atlanta, GA, since 2005. He has a passion for native plants, champion trees, and habitat restoration. His background includes volunteer management, ecological restoration, fundraising, environmental education, and mentoring budding young environmentalists. He loves leveraging his skills to address intersectional environmental issues while working to educate park goers, and also preserve and activate local parks. Known by many as the "Atlanta Tree Guy", his official job is the Director of Education with Park Pride. In this role, Eli leads organization-wide curriculum development that increases understanding and awareness of the importance of parks and enhances community park improvement efforts. In his spare time, however, he volunteers with Trees Atlanta to manage the 20 year old Atlanta Champion Tree Program. Eli also nominates champion trees for Georgia's state list and the national registry. In total he's measured well over 1,000 trees and has discovered hundreds of champion trees in Atlanta in addition to discovering the only 4 (known) trees over 160 feet tall in Atlanta...all tuliptrees, which happen to be his favorite species!
Jacqueline Echols - President, South River Watershed Alliance
In 2011, Dr. Echols became Board President of South River Watershed Alliance (SRWA) a “frontline” environmental and social justice organization focused on restoration and protection of the South River and surrounding communities. The struggles of the South River and its environmental justice communities are inextricably linked to who lives there, states, Dr. Echols Improved water quality is the heartbeat of the river’s restoration and community revitalization. SRWA’s core programs are designed to connect people to the river and promote recreational use, both essential for improving water quality. Launched in 2011, the organization’s Beyond the Bridge kayak and canoe paddles and South River Water Trail have connected thousands of people to the river through recreation. In 2019, SRWA launched a water quality sampling and testing program in partnership with the Geosciences Department at Georgia State University. This program provides vital support for ensuring the river is safe for recreational use.
Heather Bird Harris - Artist
Heather Bird Harris is an artist and educator based in Atlanta. She is sometimes a curator and writer, former middle school principal, and curriculum consultant focused on anti-racist history education in public schools throughout the South. Her practice explores the throughlines between history and ecological crises, engaging with communities, scientists, and site-specific materials to investigate possibilities for emergence.
Hannah Palmer - Author / Urban Designer
Hannah S. Palmer is a writer and artist from the Southside of Atlanta. Through essays, memoir, and public art projects, she explores how hidden histories and wildness shape our lives in the urban landscape. Her memoir Flight Path: A Search for Roots beneath the World's Busiest Airport (2017) was included on Atlanta Magazine’s list of “essential books that explain today’s Atlanta.” Palmer’s new book, The Pool Is Closed: Segregation, Summertime, and the Search for a Place to Swim will be published by LSU Press in 2024.
Desmond Johnson - Architect
Once the youngest architect in the state of Georgia, Desmond Johnson uses his voice as an Atlanta-based designer to leave a lasting footprint on built environment. He is a 2013 alum of Florida A&M University; and a 2015 alum of Georgia Tech, where he received his Master of Architecture degree. Desmond currently serves as Director of Design for Middle Street Partners where he brings his passion and expertise of architecture and urban planning to the real estate development space. Desmond’s commitment to community enrichment efforts and his passion for great design led to his appointment by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council to the Atlanta Urban Design Commission in 2018, where he was later elevated to Chair. His efforts within the field have led to his recognition by AIA Georgia as the recipient of the 2017 Emerging Professional of the Year Award, by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the metropolitan area’s “People on the Move,” and by AIA National as one of 20 awardees of the 2021 Young Architect Award.
Kathryn Kolb - Executive Director, EcoAddendum
Master Naturalist Kathryn Kolb shares over 40 years of field experience in forests and wildlands of the Southeast. She designs and leads educational walks, outings and programs in natural areas throughout metro Atlanta, Georgia and adjacent states. In our region, she has partnered with Emory University (her alma mater), The Wilderness Society, Georgia Forestwatch, Georgia Conservancy, Cascade Springs Nature Conservancy, Brookhaven Tree Conservancy, Botanical Society of Georgia, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Georgia Native Plant Society, South River Watershed Alliance, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Elachee Nature Center, Dunwoody Nature Center, Blue Heron Nature Center, Park Pride, City of Atlanta, City of Brookhaven, City of Sandy Springs, and many others. She has also worked extensively on regional tree ordinances, and is also known for her distinctive, award-winning fine art photographs of natural forms and landscapes. Her artwork is found in prominent regional collections and public venues throughout the US.