McFarlane Nature Park was established in 1992 through a land donation to The Cobb Land Trust Inc. Since then, volunteers have managed the park with support from community donations. From the beginning, the Trust chose to add only plants and trees native to Georgia’s Piedmont region. The Cobb County Master Gardeners created native plant gardens, and trees were selected that naturally belong in this area.

By 2025, tree inventories showed that the park included at least one specimen of every tree species native to the Piedmont, except for two that grow only in the mountains. Whenever possible, these trees were planted in locations that reflect their natural habitat.

To support the Park’s sustainability goals, they emphasized Quercus species as keystone trees that support the largest diversity of other life and now have fourteen distinct species in the park.