The Land Connection
March/April 2020
The Georgia Piedmont Land Trust (GPLT) protects land where you live, work and play.
We protect land that supports healthy habitats where wildlife thrives and people can connect with nature.
The Kistner Center

Mary, an artist, gardener and conservationist, was passionate about ensuring that her property not be subdivided for development and that it remain in a relatively undeveloped state with tree cover of 60 percent or greater. To that end Mary arranged to leave, after her death, her house and 50 acres of woodland gardens, forest and pasture to the Georgia Piedmont Land Trust (known as the Gwinnett Open Land Trust at the time) to be known as The Kistner Center. Mary wanted to ensure that it would provide a place where children and adults alike could learn about the importance of proper stewardship of our environment and how nature inspires art.
 
GPLT has worked to ensure a sustainable future for the Center in accordance with Mary’s vision and values.  Volunteers now work to maintain the beautiful woodland gardens at the Center to reflect her artistic insight and respect for nature.
About Mary Kistner

Mary Kistner was an artist specializing in collages. She would take a smattering of found objects -- stamps, feathers, old photos, leaves, pieces of textiles -- then turn them into something beautiful and meaningful. Most of her pieces were inspired by people she knew, so she would use personal objects given to her which tended to make her collages intensely personal. Her philosophy of collage was the reflection of individuals lives. She used to say "Collage is a form of herding. It is herding bits and pieces of scraps of people's lives that may brightly light an unforgettable moment in time." Mary was active in the local Gwinnett arts community. The Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth hosted Mary's first exhibit of her internationally appreciated collages.
The Kistner Gardens

Mary had a passion for gardening, creating captivating landscapes on her property which inspired her collage and woven artwork.. Each of the various garden spaces at the Kistner Center was designed by Mary around the 1990s to catch the eye – to provide a view from some vantage point around or in the building that was her home.

She created a variety of gardens around her home, some of which emphasized color. Others include an herb garden, grass garden, secret woodland garden and flower and pollinator gardens.
GPLT Garden Work Days

In 2012 GPLT began restoration of the original Kistner Center gardens with the help of the Gwinnett County Master Gardener Association (GCMGA) and the Georgia Master Gardener Association (GMGA) through grants and volunteer master gardeners.

The GPLT garden projects were designed to restore the gardens Mary artistically established and to promote key concepts emphasized by GPLT: 1) highlight the use of native plants for a beautiful garden effect and habitat value; and 2) emphasize the importance of removing exotic invasives – including species used for ornamental purposes. Mary, while an avid gardener and nature lover, gardened in a day when the concept of invasiveness may not have been well understood.

GPLT has a monthly Garden Work Day where volunteer gardeners have helped refurbish and then maintain the gardens to continue Mary's legacy.
Helping Our Communities

It is like they say, "We're all in this together." The GPLT board would like to thank all those first responders, medical personnel and supply chain workers who have been helping the rest of us as we navigate through this pandemic. We know that there are others of you who have been sharing your skills, time and financial resources to help out as well and we thank you.

Our board has been active in helping the communities we are a part of. As many of you, our board members have made donations to local food banks, supported local farmers in buying food grown locally and supported restaurants and business by ordering takeout or having deliveries made to our homes.

As the City Engineer for the City of Lawrenceville, board member Dennis Billew has been working to help keep the city services operating.

Our avid outdoors man, board member Dale Higdon, has actively continued his volunteer work at the Mill Creek Nature Center with maintenance and trash removal. There has been an increase in visitors to the nature area and a corresponding increase in trash left at the cans along the trail. He has also been removing some of the trees that recent storms toppled in areas that would be a problem for visitors.

Board member, Elmer Nash, is supporting his fellow worshipers by teaching an adult Bible study class online.

GPLT's newest board member, Terry Dempsey, has been involved with fund-raising efforts for two national charities - one healthcare and the other for wounded veterans & widowed families. He has also been working to piece together his depleted team for his local voting precinct.

GPLT Executive Director, Carol Hassell, and Board President, Rebecca Spitler, are using their sewing skills to make masks.

As the coronavirus pandemic exploded, Carol eagerly responded to a call from a local hospital for help in sewing masks to protect some of its healthcare workers. Just three weeks beforehand, an ER nurse there had saved her husband’s life, performing chest compression during a cardiac crisis. Since then Carol has continued sewing masks for other hospitals, doctors’ offices and friends and community members, particularly those in high risk categories.
Rebecca started sewing her masks as a response to a request from her sister-in-law, an Air Force Lt. Col., for her medical team of 300. The request was for 50 but 2 weeks later Rebecca surprised her sister-in-law with 250. As the child of a retired Air Force officer and the spouse of a retired Army officer Rebecca felt compelled to support her military family. Rebecca has moved on to creating masks for family, friends and community members, particularly those in high risk categories.
250 Masks ready to ship.
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Pictures taken at GPLT protected properties.
Top: Merganser duck with 4 of her ducklings.
Bottom: Anole Lizard.
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Photos Courtesy of Hank Ohme, Carol Hassell & Dale Higdon