Tennessee Tree Day 2021 is March 20, and students can register to participate until March 7.
A donation is required to participate in the event, but the recommended donation is only $1.99 per tree. Those facing financial hardship can still participate and receive a tree at a discounted rate or for free by emailing tec@tectn.org.
Those who register to participate must pick up their trees from their chosen pickup site on March 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The local pick up site for Carter County is at First Presbyterian Church, 119 West F Street, Elizabethton, Tenn.
The Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC) organizes the event each year to reach their goal of planting one million native trees throughout all 95 counties in Tenn. The effort began in 2012 with 5,000 trees in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Since then, the number of trees has increased, with 190,000 planted in 2019 according to Cynthia Hernandez, the Tennessee tree program manager. More than 50,000 tree seedlings will be planted this year according to a post on the TEC facebook page.
TEC partners with the Tennessee State Nursery to provide most of the trees for Tennessee Tree Day. Bare root seedlings range from one to three feet tall, and up to 12 different types of trees are distributed. The native species available for East Tenn. are bald cypress, eastern redbud, northern red oak, white oak, shortleaf pine, red mulberry, sweetgum, tulip-poplar, wild plum and buttonbush. A habitat guide is available here to help volunteers determine the best location and care required for their tree. Trees are meant to be planted on your own property, otherwise volunteers will need to seek permission from the correct parties to plant elsewhere.
The TEC Tennessee Tree program is hosting a webinar with the Tennessee Division of Forestry on March 12 to discuss the details of the event and how it operates. The webinar can be found on the TEC facebook page.
If you have questions, please contact TEC at (615)248-6500, tec@tectn.otg or through their facebook page.
Headline Photo from Pexels.
