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Plant a Tree for Tennessee is a statewide, community-driven effort to make native tree planting accessible for everyone. Each spring, thousands of bare-root native seedlings are offered for just $2.99, giving Tennessee residents an easy, affordable way to plant trees in their yards and strengthen their local environment.
This campaign is powered by grassroots leadership — local organizations, small businesses, churches, schools, and volunteers who host Tree Pickup Sites and help distribute seedlings in their communities. By partnering with neighborhood leaders, the program reaches areas where tree canopy has historically been limited and promotes long-term environmental justice across the state. The goal is simple: empower Tennesseans to plant more native trees, restore local canopy, improve air and water quality, and build healthier, more resilient communities — one seedling at a time. We’re currently looking for volunteers and new distribution sites to help make this year’s campaign a success. If you’re interested in getting involved, sign up below!  The Nolichucky River has long been a lifeline for East Tennessee’s people and wildlife — but years of erosion and storm damage, including impacts from Tropical Storm Helene, have left parts of its banks in need of restoration.
Join us on Sunday, November 16th, 2025, from 12:00–4:30 PM at 1839 Brown’s Bridge Road, Greeneville, TN, for a hands-on live staking training workshop. Together, we’ll plant 1,500–2,000 native live stakes and, if water levels allow, harvest 250–500 Sycamore stakes from the gravel bar. This is your chance to learn how to harvest, prepare, and install live stakes — key skills in riverbank restoration and habitat recovery. We’ll be working with native species like Sycamore, Eastern Cottonwood, American Elderberry, Arrowwood Viburnum, Box Elder, Buttonbush, and Silky Dogwood — all vital to strengthening riverbanks and protecting clean water. Please wear closed-toed shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, and bring gloves if you have them.  2,400 Trees Planted Along the Nolichucky River — Thanks to You! 🌳💧 Big Thanks to our Partners!
 Event Postponed
Volunteer Opportunities – Help Us Green Cannon Street! 🌱 We’re excited to invite volunteers to join us this Friday the 22nd, at Claiborne Family Church in Nashville! We will focus on building and installing raised garden beds along Cannon Street and filling them with soil. These new community gardens will provide fresh food opportunities, green space, and a gathering spot for neighbors. This is just the beginning — more volunteer opportunities are coming soon! From planting trees and ornamental shrubs to maintaining green spaces and creating new garden beds, there are many ways to get involved and make a tangible impact in Napier. All volunteers should bring a water bottle, wear comfortable clothing, and closed-toe shoes. Tools and supplies will be provided. Whether you can join for a few hours or the whole day, your help will make a difference. Come help us green Cannon Street and be part of building a healthier, stronger Napier community! Date: Friday, the 22nd Time: 9am to 12pm Location: 81 Claiborne Street, Nashville, TN 37210 Point of Contact: Charles White - 615-878-1327 We hope to see you there!  Our Plant a Bigger Tree for Tennessee campaign officially launches this August!
Now is the perfect time to subscribe to our emails and follow us on social media so you don’t miss a thing. We’ll be announcing volunteer opportunities and are currently looking for distribution sites to help us get native trees into the hands of Middle Tennessee residents. When our online tree store opens, customers will be able to choose from a variety of native trees and shrubs to help green their yards—and green Tennessee. Every tree planted supports cleaner air, cooler streets, and healthier communities. At checkout, customers will select a nearby pick-up site from our soon-to-be-published list. If you or your organization would like to host one, now’s the time to sign up and help make this campaign a success! Let’s grow a greener Tennessee—together!
Green Interchange is leading two major efforts to build healthier, more resilient communities in Tennessee. In Napier, we’re transforming hot, unsafe streets into green, shaded corridors—improving safety for students walking to school, protecting pedestrians and bikers, and restoring pride in public spaces. Meanwhile, in Spring Creek, we’re restoring damaged streambanks to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and support local farmers by creating healthier conditions for livestock and crops. Together, these projects are making Tennessee cleaner, cooler, and stronger. Thurgood Marshall 🌱 A Green Milestone in Napier! We’re thrilled to announce a nearly complete outdoor classroom at Thurgood Marshall Middle School — featuring a thriving food forest and herb garden designed for the school’s culinary program. This green oasis manages stormwater, improves air and soil quality, and teaches students how to grow food while caring for the land. With apple trees bearing fruit and herbs flourishing, this space is a powerful step toward resilience, clean water, and hands-on learning in the heart of Napier. 🌿🍎  Claiborne Street Church Cleanup!Thank you for helping us launch the Napier Green Oasis transformation during last week’s Claiborne Street Church cleanup!
With your support, we planted a native oak tree and mulched and cared for over 30 existing trees—including heat-fighting Sweet Bay Magnolias. These trees aren’t just beautiful—they’re powerful. Each mature tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, intercept thousands of gallons of stormwater, and cool nearby pavement by as much as 9°F. That’s essential in Napier, where streets can run 15 degrees hotter than neighborhoods like Belle Meade or Green Hills. These plantings are a frontline defense against extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution—issues that hit historically underserved communities hardest. We’re deeply grateful to One Mississippi, the Mississippi River Network’s River Days of Action, and the Water Walkers for being part of this first step toward a greener, cooler, and more resilient Napier. This is just the beginning. Let’s keep growing together.  Green Interchange has partnered with the Nashville Department of Transportation, the Civic Design Center, and Walk Bike Nashville to create a green and safe space along Cannon Street for multi-modal transportation. The federal funds that were secured for this project are now in jeopardy and are expected to be rescinded.
This project is important to us because this neighborhood has been identified as having low tree canopy, meaning there is less shade. On hot summer days, the surface temperature in this area is about 10 degrees hotter than in places with abundant tree cover. Napier Elementary students, who walk and bike to school along Cannon St., regularly experience the effects of this heat. Consider giving to help us keep this project going. You donation will support this project by funding the installation of native trees and pollinator plants at each intersection along Cannon Street, ensuring the long-term care of the plants, providing supplies to Napier students for community art installations along the street, as well as materials for other community engagement and educational activities. Be a part of creating a green, beautiful and safe space for this Nashville community, consider donating today. |
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