Mission
TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE PHILADELPHIA-BORN NATURALIST, WILLIAM BARTRAM, WHO TRAVELED THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST BETWEEN THE YEARS 1773 AND 1777, WRITING EXACT AND VIVED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS HE SAW AND THE NATIVE TRIBES HE ENCOUNTERED, AND WHO PUBLISHED THESE WRITINGS IN 1791 AS "TRAVELS OF WILLIAM BARTRAM". TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A 110 MILE MEMORIAL TRAIL, FOLLOWING A ROUTE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO BARTRAM'S ORIGINAL ROUTE THROUGH NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. TO PROMOTE FURTHER INQUIRY AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS, AS WELL AS THE TRADITIONS AND CULTURE OF THE NATIVE CHEROKEE PEOPLE, WHICH BARTRAM ENCOUNTERED ON THIS TRAVEL HERE IN 1775.