Every autumn in the peaceful hills outside Dahlonega, good folks gather for 3 days of amazing music, inspiring educational programs, primitive camping, arts and crafts, canoeing, companionship and fun.
HemlockFest is an all-ages, eco-friendly event with 100% of the proceeds aiding efforts to save our hemlock trees by minimizing the impact of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), which is an introduced parasitic insect killing the hemlocks of North Georgia at an alarming rate.
Hemlocks contribute to the health of the entire ecosystem here. They are slow-growing and long-lived; more shade-tolerant than any other tree; and can grow in
moist, acidic, high-elevation areas where few other trees can survive. They provide dense shade, buffering the temperature of streams and providing shelter and habitat for many wildlife and bird species, and their mighty roots prevent land erosion.
Within the next 15 years, if we can’t slow HWA down, our hemlocks may be gone and our forests changed forever. But through the efforts of the Lumpkin Coalition, other non-profit organizations, government agencies, universities, private citizens and YOU, the tide can be turned. Help save our native forests and preserve our quality-of-life!’
Hemlock Fest is a production of the Lumpkin Coalition. The Lumpkin Coalition is a 100%
volunteer non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization formed to facilitate projects that benefit North Georgia, Lumpkin County, its residents and visitors. We are dedicated to preserving quality of life for all those who share it. To this end, we support the preservation of a clean and healthy environment, responsible living, and responsible growth.
“I want to thank you and the rest of the Lumpkin Coalition, and all of the folks who participated in
Hemlockfest this year. Without your help, our lab would soon run out of funds to operate. Hopefully we will make a difference in the survival of the Hemlocks in the southern Appalachians. I am in your debt.”
Paul T. Arnold
Director, Predatory Beetle Lab
Young Harris College