Georgia Magazine - October 2022 - 4

MailBOX Comments from our readers * Compiled by Jennifer J. Hewett
Georgia
Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle
®
MAGAZINE
Georgia
Georgia
Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle
®
MAGAZINE
Hands-on
learning
Children's museums
in Georgia
page 34
Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle
®
MAGAZINE
Snakes alive!
page 20
Protecting our
state's waterways
page 32
www.georgiamagazine.org
Pollinator census
page 16
Tracking earthquakes
page 28
SEPTEMBER 2021
Science students dive into magazine
In May we wrapped up our 2021-22 school year at Pike
County Elementary in Zebulon, and I wanted to share our
fabulous experiences reading and researching, using the
science-themed September 2021 issue of Georgia Magazine.
[See bit.ly/gmg0921.]
Coordinating with several grants and project-based
01_Cover_D_0921.indd 1
8/9/21 3:42 PM
learning objectives we worked on, " Pollinator patrol " [on
page 16] was the perfect article for my third and fourth
graders. We participated in the Great Georgia Pollinator
Census, incorporated native flowers into our garden and
released several butterflies, too!
Our fifth graders studied earth sciences, and the
" What's shakin'? " article [page 28] enhanced our knowledge of seismology and plate
tectonics. The map of Georgia [in the layout] created much discussion about North
Georgia earthquakes.
Every kid read and loved the " Snakes alive! " story [page 20] and " Nature's
vampires " [page 26] article on ticks. We compared classifications, habitats and food
chains. Also, [we discussed] safety practices around these critters.
The " Monitoring the wetlands " story [page 32] was my favorite, as I am an
Adopt-A-Stream-certified water-quality tester. Thirty-four fifth graders took a field trip
to the Flint River and found the macroinvertebrate material very exciting! They also
used this research for their capstone (end-of-grade) projects dealing with pollutants.
And they used the " A new, eco-friendly way for solar energy to shine " Cooperative
Concerns article [page 41] as an example of a creative problem-solving solution for
alternative-energy sources. The kids even named the sheep [in the photo]!
Thanks again for supplying my students with worthy and applicable reading
material!
-Mandi Wood, science and ag lab teacher, Pike County Elementary School, Zebulon
All under one
Aging in place
With interest, I eagerly read Laura Berrios' " All
under one roof " story. [See August 2022, page 20;
bit.ly/ageplace.] It's a timely piece but not a new concept.
For most generations, households were-and are-
multigenerational. Don't you recall that there was always
grandma, grandpa and an elderly aunt or uncle present in
your or your neighbors' or friends' or relatives' home?
Personally, I did not experience a multigenerational
household as a child. However, I can readily recall other
homes that were multigenerational.
On the other hand, I was ever so privileged to
Multigenerational homes are increasing as
the desire to " age in place " grows. Especially
in the early days of the pandemic, more
families were looking for ways to bring two
or three generations together to live.
M
ROOF
Careful planning for
multigenerational households
can ease transition
By Laura Berrios
From THE EDITOR
Most of us seldom give much thought
to what lies beneath our feet, so many
people may be surprised to learn that
Georgia is home to more than 500
discovered caves.
The majority of these underground
caverns are located in Northwest Georgia
where they were formed by acidic groundwater
dissolving limestone deposits, but
they can be found in other parts of the
state as well, making the Peach State a
great place in which to go caving.
Ready to start spelunking? Turn to
" Underground adventures, " starting on
page 28, to learn more about Georgia's
caves and how you can safely explore
them.
Georgia's caves also are home to
many of the state's 16 species of bats.
Though often feared and misunderstood,
bats are actually beneficial, since they
reduce populations of mosquitoes and
other insects that cause agricultural
damage.
Unfortunately, about half of Georgia's
bat species are listed as threatened or
endangered due to habitat loss, pesticide
use and the impact of a disease known as
white-nose syndrome. To learn more
about the threats they're facing-and what
you can do to help-see " There's something
about bats, " starting on page 34.
Women who are interested in
Debra Stokes, executive director of the
Georgia Council on Aging, educates
Georgians about available resources to
help ensure that older people will be safe
and happy when they move into their
children's homes.
ultigenerational housing is on the rise as more and more families are
making room for Grandma.
Today's aging-in-place model is no longer just a spare bedroom and a
seat at the dining table. Instead, it can include extensive home renovations, a separate
dwelling for the in-laws on the same property or parents and grandparents pooling
their money to purchase a house together.
" It's one of the biggest trends we see, " says Kurt Clason, remodelers chairman
of the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Though Clason builds homes in Ossipee, N.H., his position with the NAHB gives him
perspective on homebuilding activity throughout the nation, including Georgia.
" People are renovating bathrooms, getting better lighting, better access-and it all
goes back to the multigenerational capability. Whether there's an immediate need or
an intended future need, that's what we're seeing, " Clason says.
The desire for family togetherness is one positive outcome of the global
pandemic. According to the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors, the
number of homes purchased for multiple generations of residents began rising in 2019
and accelerated during the pandemic.
While data also account for adult children moving back home, the top reason for
these multigenerational purchases was to allow aging parents to move into the house.
The NAHB puts the aging-in-place remodeling market at $24 billion.
20 Georgia Magazine August 2022
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7/13/22 10:52 AM
learning more about nature and outdoor
activities can benefit from participating
in the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
(BOW) program offered by the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources.
BOW provides a practical introducinclude
my mother in my home for many years. She had " memory loss "
(dementia) and also required the use of a walker.
This caregiving experience prepared my husband and me to not only adjust
our lifestyle but also adjust certain physical aspects of our home to accommodate
Mother's needs.
As a result, when we built our next home, it was [equipped] with an exterior ramp
for easy access, 3-foot-wide interior doors and a " roll-in " (no step-over) shower.
If I had the power, I would change the building code to mandate that all homes
include the above-mentioned items. After all, one does not have to be elderly to
appreciate and use these wonderful features.
-Donna Blackburn, Darien
Share your thoughts. Email us at magazine@georgiaemc.com. Please include your name, address
and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.
4 Georgia Magazine October 2022
Laurel George
Editor
tion to skills such as hunting, fishing
and archery, while also giving attendees
insight into the management and
preservation of Georgia's natural
resources. Through these hands-on
workshops, women of all ages and abilities
can learn in a safe and supportive environment.
To find out more about the program
and how you can participate, see
" Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, "
starting on page 20.
Enjoy!
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COURTESY DEBRA STOKES

http://www.bit.ly/gmg0921 http://www.georgiamagazine.org http://www.bit.ly/ageplace http://www.ISTOCK.COM

Georgia Magazine - October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2022