The document is an essay about the native flora and fauna of Georgia. It discusses several types of plants, including the fire pink flower that provides habitat and food for birds and insects, and the birdfoot violet that is a host plant for fritillary butterflies. It also mentions the red maple tree that is used for landscaping and maple syrup production. Several types of Georgia wildlife are outlined as well, such as the white-tailed deer that is a popular game species, and the southeastern five-lined skink. The brown thrasher is identified as Georgia's state bird. Coal and the Chattahoochee River are also summarized as important natural resources in the state.

1. Flora and Fauna Photo
Essay
Native Flora and Fauna of
Georgia
By Destiny Pitre

2. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Plants
Fire Pink
Silene virginica
(sy-LEE-nee vir-JIN-ih-kuh)
 The Fire Pink serves as a
habitat and food source for
some of Georgia’s birds and
insects. The flowers of the
plant attract hummingbirds and
butterflies. The plant’s seeds
attract juncos, pine siskins,
sparrows, water pipits, and
horned larks.

3. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Flowers
Birdfoot Violet
Viola pedata
 The flowers of the Birdfoot
Violet are showy. The plant will
grow in areas where not much
else will grow. It serves as a
host plant (as are other violets)
for species of the Fritillary
butterfly. Seeds are eaten by
birds, including Mourning
Dove, Northern Bobwhite, Wild
Turkey, and Dark-eyed Junco.
White-footed Mice also eat the
seeds, and the leaves and
stems are eaten by rabbits,
helping to keep Georgia’s
wildlife fed.

4. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Trees
Red Maple
 Red Maple trees are a
deciduous tree featuring medium
texture, medium growth rate and
an oblong to oval form. It is
commonly used in landscaping,
since it has good site tolerance.
It is also used on a small
commercial scale in maple syrup
production. The bark is smooth
and light gray in color. Clusters
of small, red flowers develop in
February and are followed by
winged fruit in March. Autumn
color varies from yellow to red.

5. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Animals
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
 This species is one of the
most sought-after of all
game species in North
America, placing it on
Georgia’s wildlife
conservation list. The
White-tailed Deer is one of
the most heavily managed
by state and federal wildlife
agencies, with strictly
controlled hunting seasons
for both archery and
firearms. The hunting
season runs from late
September to early
January.

6. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Reptiles
Southeastern Five-lined Skink
(Eumeces [Plestiodon]
inexpectatus)
 Southeastern five-lined skinks
range throughout South
Carolina and all but extreme
northern Georgia. The blue-
tailed young of southeastern
five-lined and broadhead skinks
are widely referred to as
"scorpions" and are believed to
have a venomous sting. While
this belief is completely false,
some scientists speculate that
these skinks are bad-tasting to
many predators.

7. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Birds
Brown Thrasher
 The Brown Thrasher
(Toxostoma rufum) is a bird in
the family Mimidae, which
also includes the New World
catbirds and mockingbirds.
The dispersal of the brown
thrasher is abundant
throughout the eastern and
central United States,
southern and central Canada,
and is the only thrasher to live
primarily east of
the Rockies and
central Texas. The Brown
Thrasher is Georgia’s state
bird.

8. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Sea Life
Loggerhead Sea
Turtle
 The loggerhead sea
turtle, or loggerhead,
is an oceanic turtle
distributed
throughout the world.
It is a marine reptile,
belonging to the
family Cheloniidae.
The loggerhead sea
turtle is on the
conservation list in
Georgia.

9. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Natural Resources
Coal
 Coal is a combustible black or
brownish-black sedimentary
rock usually occurring in rock
strata in layers or veins
called coal beds or coal
seams. Coal is composed
primarily of carbon along with
variable quantities of other
elements,
chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxyg
en, and nitrogen. Coal
accounted for 33% of
Georgia’s net electricity
generation in 2013.

10. Flora and Fauna of Georgia:
Waterways
Chattahoochee River
 The Chattahoochee River forms
the southern half of
the Alabama and Georgia
border, as well as a portion of
the Florida border. The
Chattahoochee River is about
430 miles (690 km) long. The
enormous growth of
metropolitan Atlanta has
increased its water withdrawals
from the river.