Local volunteers will take part in “Plant a Tree for Tennessee” next Saturday.
Tina Harvey Crawford said a group of volunteers will be Enterprise South Nature Park from 9 a.m. to noon distributing trees to those who have pre-ordered trees.
She said they expect at least 1,000 trees - all natives.
Ms. Crawford has started a non-profit - Partners of the Park - focused on supplementing Hamilton County Parks and Recreation.
So far the group has created a Level 1 Arboretum with lots of help from Gene Hyde, Tom Stebbins and a couple Master Gardeners at ESNP and built and maintained mountain bike trails there.
She said, "Eventually, we hope to get projects going at Chester Frost Park and the Tennessee Riverpark.
Green Interchange is offering Tennesseans an opportunity to plant tree seedlings in their yard and community during the “Plant a Tree for Tennessee” event. Participants who would like to plant trees may reserve them by April 18, then pick up their tree seedlings next Saturday at one of 13 designated sites operated by volunteers.
Other pickup locations include Ashland City, Clarksville, Cookeville, Cunningham, Dandridge, Gallatin, Gatlinburg, La Grange, La Vergne, Lebanon, and two sites in Nashville.
Trees must be reserved in advance, the sites will not receive extra trees.The goal is to plant nearly 10,000 trees across the state.
“Planting a tree is one of the best things Tennesseans can do for the community. Trees provide benefits for our economy, health, and quality of life,” said John McFadden, CEO of Green Interchange.
“Donations from participants will help Green Interchange with our mission of planting trees in highway interchanges and other public spaces to offset carbon dioxide and beautify Tennessee,” he said.
“The program is a partnership with the Tennessee Environmental Council and is helping to advance a goal of planting one million trees across the state.”
All tree species are native to Tennessee and include Redbud, Tulip Poplar, Sycamore, Red Mulberry, Native Sweet Pecan, and many others. Tree seedlings are 1-3 feet tall depending on the species. The seedlings are bare-root, which means they do not come in a container, and Green Interchange is asking participants to bring a bag with them to cover the roots when they pick them up. This will reduce waste.
Participants will plant their trees next weekend, if possible, which is right after Earth Day on April 22. The participants will be sharing pictures on social media tagging Green Interchange and using the hashtag #PlantATreeTN.
Tree planting instructions can be found on the Green Interchange website.
COVID safety protocols will be observed during the event on April 24th and prior. Masks and social distancing are required for all participants including Pickup Location volunteers. All participants are asked to adhere to government guidelines and best practices. The pickup locations are all outdoors and additional guidelines are in place to ensure a safe experience.