Keep Haralson Beautiful

06/23/2026

06/21/2026

Today, June 21st, is the Summer solstice! That means it's officially the first real day of summer, and it'll only get hotter and hotter from here. Summer is an important time for many creatures - it's when a lot of insects fully reach their adult stage, and when a lot of mammals enter their mating season! During a vulnerable transitional period for the ecosystem, it's extra important to keep up our environmental work. Want to join us? Check us out at keepharalsonbeautiful.org!

06/20/2026

Today is World Horseshoe Crab day! A vulnerable species that calls Georgia's coasts home, the American Horseshoe Crab is an incredibly unique animal. While most discussion of them surrounds research into their blue blood's incredible antimicrobial properties, we feel it more appropriate to discuss them on their own terms today.

06/17/2026

This World Croc Day, we're taking a chance to spotlight the incredible recovery of Georgia's native crocodlilian, the American Alligator! Through conservation efforts and work to reduce the impact of environmental pollution, we managed to bring it from federally endangered to being a species of least concern, though it is still a protected species. Success stories like this - even for megafauna like the American alligator - are possible. If you want to join our mission to conserve the wildlife of Haralson county, join us at keepharalsonbeautiful.org.

06/15/2026

Raccoons are fascinating creatures, and often misunderstood. More closely related to weasels and badgers than to cats or dogs, raccoons are natural-born scavengers. For this reason, they, more than many other animals, thrive in man-made settlements. In particular, they have dextrous hands and great pattern recognition, meaning they are prone to getting into trash for a snack. They're one of few animals noted to use makeshift tools, and are remarkably intelligent - often scoring similarly to monkeys in testing environments. Though resilient, they depend greatly on us for their health, as they more than many other animals have made cities their home. For that reason, we hope you join us at keepharalsonbeautiful.org to keep this county perfect for everyone and everything that calls it home.

06/15/2026

Don't toss batteries in the trash or with recyclables. Improperly disposing of batteries can lead to fires.

Learn more about what types of batteries are recyclable, how to manage batteries (like bagging batteries in sealed plastic bags before transport), and where to take your batteries at The Battery Network at batterynetwork.org/

06/12/2026

Truly a mixed group of flowers, thistles are the thorny-yet-beautiful wildflowers and weeds that occasionally creep into your garden. Though certain species (most notably the nodding thistle) are quite invasive, Georgia has a number of native thistle species, including the Virginia thistle pictured here. The Virginia thistle in particular is an ecologically threatened species, in no small part due to the rise of lawn culture, and even native thistles often being considered weeds due to their spiny leaves and high heights. Thistles are interesting in that they thrive in areas with fires or other great disturbances, making them great at replenishing drained soil into something far more nutrient rich.

06/11/2026

Today is World Lynx Day! Today is a day to celebrate one of Georgia's most charismatic native species, the bobcat! Bobcats are prolific hunters, though members of genus Lynx are generally less bloodthirsty than their domesticated cousins in Felis. Though bobcats are known to prey on domesticated chickens, and generally anything else smaller than themselves, they greatly prefer rabbits and hares. In comparison to other small cats, members of Lynx are far more asocial, behaving more like panthers; they have large territories with relatively small areas of overlap, rather than the colonies one might be used to with feral housecats.
Though bobcats are not considered at risk, many of their populations are on decline due to urbanization. If you want to help fight habitat loss and maintain the home of these cute little near-apex predators, consider joining our cause at keepharalsonbeautiful.org.

06/08/2026

We're putting on a 4th of July parade! More information coming soon!
Want to sign up with a float or to walk? Click the link below!
https://f.mtr.cool/ixgyzvlkiw