TEC Launches Urban Community Forest Initiative

          Why Trees?

Trees are important to our way of life in the US and Tennessee. Unfortunately, in many of Tennessee’s urban areas we have “deforested” much of our landscape and that has led to real threats to our environment and public health.  The threat becomes more real as we begin to see the myriad of benefits of trees and forest canopy.  To mention a few of the ecological benefits of trees: they stabilize and fertilize the soil, they provide habitat for everything from small insects to some of Tennessee’s largest mammals like the black bear. 

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly trees and forests provide direct benefits to humans. For example, a recent study found that communities with more trees had less crime, that’s right more trees, less crime! As if that’s not enough studies have shown that as much as 60 % of particulate matter (aka air pollution) around roadways can be removed from the air by trees. In addition, studies have shown trees promote spiritual and emotional health, as trees make us feel calmer, more at peace and for many remind us of spiritual values.  Finally, trees have incredible economic value, not just from wood products. Trees have been shown to increase property values from 5 – 15%, and they produce food such as nuts.  The bottom line is that trees have environmental, public health and economic value, which is why TEC decided to initiate a Tennessee Tree Project. 
 

What we plan to do

The primary goal of the Tennessee Tree Project is to begin the process of reforesting urban areas across the state. We began in the fall working with a homeowners association (HOA) in Spring Hill, to replace native trees removed by the developer during construction of the subdivision. It is our intent to develop a model whereby we can work with HOAs across Tennessee to begin restoring urban forests one yard at a time. Our second (albeit no less important) goal is to help communities develop and implement tree protection programs designed to maintain existing trees.

TEC’s objectives this year are two fold.

1)                          Identify 1 volunteer coordinator in ½ of Tennessee’s counties to coordinate the planting of 20 seedlings within their home county. TEC has purchased 2000 seedling that must be in the ground by mid April. We will be taking delivery of the trees in mid March.  Native species include Green Ash, Sweetgum, Black Walnut and Persimmon.  

2)                          Develop the model referenced above and begin planning for 2007 / 2008 with HOAs and county coordinators.

 

Are you interested in helping coordinate and reforesting Tennessee? Please contact our office to let us know.   Thanks!