Renowned Georgia author Janisse Ray will highlight the 2011 Georgia ForestWatch Wild & Woolly Forest Festival & Native Plant Sale on Saturday at the Sautee Nacoochee Center.

GAFW's mission is to promote management that leads to naturally self-sustaining forests and watersheds within the more than 850,000 acres of national forest lands in Georgia and to educate the public.

Ray, known as the author of "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood," which won the New York Times Notable Book Award, will focus her talk on "Inspiration to Protect Things We Love — How to Return to Wholeness."

Ray has also authored two other books of prose and a book of poetry, "A House of Branches," released in 2010.

This annual ForestWatch benefit will feature a fabulous array of native plants for sale.

As always, there will be plenty of food, wine tastings, music and a special raffle of an exciting biplane ride. The public is invited.

Festivities start at 11 a.m., with the plant sale, food and wine tasting. The plant sale wraps up around 3:15 p.m., and authors' talks start soon thereafter. Ray will be available for book signings from 5:30 to 6 p.m.

A fee potluck supper is set for 6 p.m. and contra dance from 7-10:30 p.m.

Tickets for the plant sale, food, wine tasting and authors' talks are $20 on sale online, $25 at the door. Children younger than 12 are free.

Admission for the contra dance on sale at the door are $8 for adults, $7 for Sautee Nacoochee Center members and $4 for kids.

The Sautee Nacoochee Center is located at 283 Ga. 255 N, just north of the Old Sautee Store at the intersection of highways 17 and 255, 4.5 miles south of Helen, and 11 miles west of Clarkesville.

For more information on Janisse Ray, visit her Facebook page.