If you reserved a tree/trees for Plant a Tree for Tennessee. Here's some important information for the event:   

 Choose your pickup location at checkout, a confirmation will be emailed to you.

 Pickup is Saturday 4/26 from 9am-12pm.

​If you planted a tree with us, here is more information about your tree. 

 

We will be hosting two volunteer events at our Old Hartsville Pike project site on Monday March 17th and Wednesday March 19th from 1:30 PM - 4 PM.  Green Interchange volunteers will stabilize sections of the UNT to Spring Creek using soil bioengineering methods, including coir wrapped cedar revetments and gabion baskets. The project targets erosive areas and tree threats, covering exposed areas with erosion control matting and seeding for stability. Click the links below to register. Volunteering is always free. If you choose to donate you are supporting important work like this. The event will take place rain or shine. 

When: Monday March 17th and Wednesday March 19th from 1:30 PM - 4 PM
Where: Volunteers will be emailed location prior to the event.
Bring: Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy work boots/shoes. We advise that you bring water, gloves, and any tools you'd like to use for tree planting. We will have plenty of shovels and other necessary tools so if you don't have any, bring yourself!

Please register and sign the waiver using the link below.

Friends,

As the year ends, I can’t help but be thankful for all of YOUR Support! You have allowed Green Interchange to accomplish much for our economy, communities and quality of life.

In 2024:

• You planted over 5000 trees in yards, along roadways, waterways and community parks across TN.
• You spent hundreds of hours planting those trees 
• You along with Bridgestone's Lebanon Distribution Center continue to maintain and replant a portion of the I-840 and Central Pike Interstate Interchange.
• You continued working with Thurgood Marshall Middle School, installing food/herb gardens, planting trees for food and shade and building an outdoor classroom.  

Of course, our work is not done! Plans for 2025 include:

• Working to restore and reforest the streamside of Spring Creek, Black Branch and Garrison Creek. All three feed the Cumberland River and provide drinking water in our community.
• In late Spring and early fall, we plan to distribute up to 5000 trees throughout our community for yards and neighborhoods.
• We continue to pursue planting interstate interchanges, with our work now focused on the I-65 corridor. 

We have much to do in 2025, so your investment of $50, $100, $250 or more will go a long way to make 2025 a success! Thanks for your continued support! Happy Holidays!


Sincerely,


John McFadden, CEO
[email protected]
615-330-5364

Our fall plant sale is here! As the weather turns a bit cooler, it's the perfect time to work in the yard and garden. We have an exciting list of native trees and shrubs for you to choose from, including our fan favorite, the Eastern Redbud.  We have large trees like the Tulip Poplar and Honey Locust, as well as a variety of smaller trees and shrubs.  Browse the selection and place your order today.

https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MjIwNjI5



Thank you to our partners for providing space for us to host plant pick-ups!
Friends of Shelby Park, Shelby Park Nature Center, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and the First United Methodist Church in Lebanon.

Are you someone who enjoys working outside, doesn't mind getting dirty, is passionate about native plants, and is a team player? Consider joining our team! We're looking for a seasonal contractor who will lead our fieldwork initiatives, including invasive plant removal and native species installation.​

Green Interchange, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that plants trees and uses natural solutions to improve Tennessee’s air, land, water, and communities. Come be a member of our small but mighty and passionate team. We’re looking for a seasonal field assistant to help with various activities during our planting season, Spring and Fall. This is a great opportunity to learn more about native plants and their proper care and maintenance while expanding the green space in Tennessee. Potential for a full-time role.


Responsibilities

• Transport and install plant material.
• Identification and removal of invasive species.
• Follow written and verbal planting instructions.
• Travel to planting locations in and around Davidson County.
• Collaborate closely with a partner in teams of two, ensuring effective communication and cooperation.
• Coordinate and implement tree planting, native grasses/pollinator initiatives, and waterways restoration projects. Activities require lifting, digging, and other manual labor.
• Provide support including watering and other maintenance projects, marking tree planting/no mow areas, supplies management, site evaluations, and more.

Requirements

• Willing to use your personal vehicle (truck is preferred) for field work. Travel compensation will be provided.
• Interest or experience in environmental science, biology, ecology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with field work.
• Able to dig holes and lift up to 50lbs.
• Ability to work outdoors for extended periods in various weather conditions (e.g., heat, cold, rain). We work rain or shine!
• Willingness to travel to project sites. Limited to Davidson County but may require further travel as needed.
• Flexibility to adapt to a changing schedule and different field sites/conditions.
• Strong interpersonal skills to maintain effective communication.
• Basic understanding of GPS and mapping tools for site navigation and plant placement.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to follow written protocols and verbal instructions.

Position Details

• Seasonal contractor beginning in mid-August to late August 2024.
• All planting tools and planting equipment will be provided by Green Interchange.
• Training on planting methods will be provided in the field.

Compensation

• Hourly rate based on experience
• Transportation reimbursement
• Hours will vary depending on workload, expect an average of 15 hours a week

​If interested, please email us at [email protected]

There is a lot of talk about the Bradford (Calgary) Pears these days and someone asked what all the hoopla is about.  So I decided to try and answer that question, “What is all the hoopla around this tree species about?”
Before I get into the “hoopla” I’d like to provide a bit of background.  Being a tree lover of sorts, I often wondered why we had so many in the first place.  Well, as you might imagine, the government was trying to help! First off, the French priest, Joseph Marie Calgary, sent samples of the Bradford Pear tree from Asia (China and/or Korea) to European botanists. It was then imported to the U.S. by the USDA, in search of disease-resistant fruit trees. The Bradford pear was released to the public around 1963.  It’s a shame we were looking abroad when everything we needed was in our native forests! Other than the fact that I hate these trees, one of the great detractors of Bradford Pears is they overtake native habitats and beat the dickens out of our native forests.  
Bradford pears are invasive and provide minimal value to our communities and environment. They are thorny and as they grow they split and splinter, especially the larger ones. This is because the branches are heavy, but the tree’s thin limbs are unable to support the weight of the branches, especially if there is a snow load or little puff of wind. 
The other reason to eliminate Bradford Pears is they are inhibiting our native forest’s ability to grow on fields and farms.  There’s a two to three-acre plot of ground across from my tree farm in Lebanon/Mount Juliet. Historically, once a landowner stopped bush-hogging the fields, around here it would have regenerated in our native Eastern Red Cedar. The Cedars would have been packed in there, but the stronger trees would have overtaken the weaker trees and the landowner would one day have had a valuable forest.  Today that field is packed full of Bradford Pears, the only value there is for the dozer operator who may be lucky enough to take them down! Let’s take those Bradford Pears down, I’m all for that! 
Once they split, you might as well cut them down. If you do cut one down, you’d better treat the stump, or you could use the hack and squirt method used by foresters to take out trees without cutting them down.  One of our reforestation/restoration projects was overtaken by Bradford Pears! I had estimated around 30% of some areas of the tree canopy were Bradford Pears. Green Interchange hired a contractor and they hacked and squirted the Bradford Pears. It was a beautiful thing! Within weeks we saw the trees begin to die back and now six months later, they’ve been eradicated and the natives we’ve been planting have been released (aka more sunlight, nutrients, and water) with much less competition.  
I like to refer to Bradford Pears as a “noxious tree” because what these trees are doing to our native forests makes me sick!  I hope you help me rid our great state of TN of these trees and plant natives to restore our urban and rural forests.

Learn more about our organization: GreenInterchange.org


About: John McFadden (PhD) is CEO of Green Interchange a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization whose mission is to plant trees and establish and sustain natural systems for healthier communities, economies, and quality of life. He can be reached at [email protected].  


Reference:
Calgary Pear, MO Department of Conservation. ​