Chattanooga Gets Ready For The Weed Wrangle; Volunteers Needed To Stop The Spread Of Invasive Plants

  • Monday, February 26, 2018

In a city-wide effort to rescue public parks and green spaces from invasive plants, concerned citizens and non-profits throughout Chattanooga are recruiting volunteers to participate in the nationally recognized Weed Wrangle. Volunteer days vary, depending on site, beginning this Saturday and ending Saturday, April 7.

Supervised by experts in invasive weed management,Weed Wrangle volunteers will remove invasives from affected sites, and will learn best practices for follow-up, including re-planting with natives in removal areas. 

“Invasive exotic plants are one of the top five drivers of global biodiversity loss,” said John Evans, lead botanist of Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center. “They can dominate an ecosystem, displacing scores of native plant species. While we may never be able to completely eradicate them from the landscape, we can restore and maintain habitat for native species by managing invasives effectively. The annual Weed Wrangle is a great way to contribute to the effort, and learn how to do it for your own property as well.”

Chattanooga areas affected by invasive plant growth are calling for volunteers to spread awareness about the Weed Wrangle’s mission and to sign up for a volunteer shift at one of the following sites:

March 3 - Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, Chattanooga Audubon, Chattanooga City and Park Stewards at Renaissance Park and South Chickamauga Creek Greenway, and Tennessee State Parks
March 17: TVA Big Ridge Small Wild Area
April 7: Lookout Mountain Garden Club, Lookout Mountain Conservancy, and The Land Trust for Tennessee

To register for the March 3 volunteer opportunities, individuals and groups can go to www.ihelpchattanooga.org/need. For more information, visit www.weedwrangle.org.

Outdoors
Woman, 57, Dies At Center Hill Lake
  • 7/4/2025

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officers responded to a call on Center Hill Lake at 6 p.m. (CDT) on Wednesday. Mary Beth Foran, 57, of Brentwood, jumped into the water from a Monterey ... more

Garden Club Meets July 14
  • 7/1/2025

The Green Thumb Garden Club of Collegedale/Ooltewah will meet Monday, July 14 at 7 p.m. (door opens at 6:45 p.m.) at Chestnut Hall (in the Commons), 4950 Swinyar Drive, Collegedale, Tn. The presenter ... more

TWRA News: Operation Dry Water Set For July 4-6
  • 6/30/2025

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is once again participating in Operation Dry Water (ODW), a year-round boating under the influence (BUI) and enforcement campaign. ODW’s heightened ... more