This event takes place in person at Charis and on Crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event. 

Charis welcomes authors Jonah McDonald & Zana Pouncey for a discussion of Hiking Metro Atlanta's Hidden Forests: An Hour or Less from Downtown, a guide to wildlife areas, nature preserves, and historic sites within an hour drive of downtown.

As hikers explore the woodland coves, creek-side trails, wooded hilltops, and rocky mountains contained in this guidebook, it's easy to forget that every trail in this book is in a suburban neighborhood. While each of the more than sixty hikes described by Jonah McDonald and Zana Pouncey is within an hour drive of downtown, these hidden suburban forests transport hikers so much farther away.

Each route includes maps, complete hiking directions, trailhead location, and even public transit access information. There's no need to drive to the mountains to get out on the trail. Hiking Metro Atlanta's Hidden Forests lets you visit wildlife areas, nature preserves, and historic sites without venturing far beyond the perimeter.

About the Authors

Jonah McDonald arrived in Atlanta on foot over two decades ago. After completing his 2,172-mile southbound thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, he put down roots in Atlanta. Today he serves as the DeKalb County Park Naturalist at Mason Mill Park. He published the first edition of Hiking Atlanta’s Hidden Forests: Intown and Out in 2014. His second book is titled Secret Atlanta: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. McDonald is also a storyteller, television host, and tour guide. He loves exploring his city via bicycle, canoe, or foot, and believes that there is a new story to learn and tell around every bend. When he’s not already on an adventure, he loves finding a new one.

Zana Pouncey is a native southerner and has lived in Atlanta for over ten years. She loves city life with all her heart but is a passionate environmentalist at her core. Connecting people to nature is her calling. After graduating from Emory University with a degree in Environmental Science, Pouncey spent several years working in environmental advocacy and education for nonprofit organizations including Trees Atlanta, Zoo Atlanta, and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. She’s been awarded a Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship by the National Geographic Society, is on the board of the Atlanta Green Theater Alliance, has presented at environmental conferences and teacher workshops, and has written for National Geographic’s Education blog.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate on Crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event.

Charis Books is a fully wheelchair accessible space with on site van accessible parking, two ramps, and additional overflow accessible parking nearby. Additional accessibility information can be found on the Accessibility page of our website. 

In-person event guidelines:

All attendees must wear a face mask during the event.

We will begin seating people at 2:30 PM ET.

This event will be live-streamed via Crowdcast. 

As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304.

Please contact us at info@chariscircle.org or 404-524-0304 if you would like ASL interpretation at this event. If you would like to watch the event with live AI captions, you may do so by watching it in Google Chrome and enabling captions: Instructions here. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org.

By attending our event, whether in person or virtually, you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to Charis staff immediately or email info@chariscircle.org.

Hiking Metro Atlanta's Hidden Forests: An Hour or Less from Downtown -- Jonah McDonald & Zana Pouncey in conversation