Just like humans, wildlife is adapting to the new post-Helene normal.
Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, not to mention the cold winter, have been trying for all of us. Spring, however, finally may bring some much-needed relief to creatures great and small.
We also can laud the resiliency of our feathered and four-legged friends.
“Animals are extremely adaptable,” says I.B. Parnell, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division regional supervisor. “If they don’t adapt, they’ll die.”
He says downed trees from the storm affected them in two ways – loss of habitat and loss of food sources such as insects, larvae and acorns.
To adapt, a songbird now may make its home in vegetation that’s lower to the ground like a box shrub instead of an oak tree.
John McPherson, a Georgia Forestry Commission ranger, also says that while prey animals including birds, squirrels and rabbits will nest in debris piles out of convenience, they’ll find new homes as the piles are removed.
However, he adds, “With spring and warmer weather coming, people need to be careful around debris piles because they are prime habitat for snakes.”
Parnell also says animals likely are shifting in the area rather than leaving altogether. Tripp Williams, Columbia County Extension coordinator and agriculture and natural resources agent, agrees.
“From small birds to white-tailed deer, there has been a shift in their travel patterns,” he says. “Plants and trees will start to regrow, though, and wildlife will potentially come back.”
To encourage wildlife to return, McPherson recommends that people put birdfeeders as well as native flowering plants and trees in their yards. Native tree species include ash, beech, birch, black walnut, cedar, cherry, elm, flowering dogwood, hickory, magnolia, maples, oaks, pines, sassafras and sycamore.
“People shouldn’t plant Bradford pear trees,” adds McPherson. “I know people like them, but they’re an invasive species. They’re brittle, and their limbs break off in windstorms.”
While fall is the best time to plant, Williams says, people can plant any time if they have the proper irrigation.
McPherson also says the hurricane allowed sunlight to reach the forest floor.
“That sunlight allows seeds that have been germinating for years to start their regrowth process. That’s good for deer and turkeys. It will open up feeding areas for wildlife,” he says. “It’s possible that we’ll see more wildlife in the area because of the increase in their food sources. You have to look for the silver lining in everything.”
Williams sees another silver lining on the horizon as well.
“With the amount of regrowth that will be happening in the area,” he says, “the spring should be pretty green.”
Family Fun
“When you come to Macon, you will see a lot of pink,” Theus says. “We call ourselves ‘The Pinkest Party on Earth.’”
The Wiener Dog Race features 50 dachshunds, clad in pink outfits as they dash to the finish line. Afterward, visitors can watch the Ultimate Air Dog Dock Diving Competition or Musical Chairs, which is played by local dignitaries wearing inflatable animal costumes.
During the week, festival-goers gather at Third Street Park to listen to music and enjoy free ice cream and Coca-Cola products.
Midway rides, concerts and food in Carolyn Crayton Park, which is named in honor of the festival founder, span the event’s full 10 days. Admission is $10, but children under 10 are admitted for free. Hours vary, and a clear bag policy is enforced.
Growing in Numbers
The inaugural Columbia County Cultural Festival is coming to Evans Towne Center Park. 
From the hills of Nashville, Birdtalker swirls out a beautiful sonic breeze to usher in springtime. Listening to the band’s newest release, All Means, No End, is like stumbling into a hidden garden party on a perfect spring Sunday. The sound feels both intimate and expansive, and the lyrics invite listeners to embrace the idea that there’s meaning in both the quiet moments and the messy ones.
Augusta Symphony will entertain audiences this month with two concerts – Sounds of the Classics on Saturday, March 8 and Sounds From the East on Saturday, March 29.
Inspired by the real life of a 16-century heroine, Isola, by Allegra Goodman, is a gripping saga of survival and faith, named one of Time’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025. 
The Columbia County Historical Society will award a $2,000 scholarship to a Columbia County resident who is graduating from high school in the Class of 2025 and planning to pursue a college education in the fall.