Tennessee Tree Day

Trees Are the Answer

The Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC) is hosting Tennessee Tree Day on March 20, 2021. Since 2007, the Tennessee Tree Project has mobilized over 60,000 Tennessee residents in planting 637,100 native trees in Tennessee and beyond. Tennessee Tree Day 2021 will involve hundreds of stakeholder groups and thousands of volunteers in replacing trees lost to development, repairing degraded streams, improving water quality, restoring health to terrestrial and aquatic riparian habitats, increasing habitat and forage for wildlife and pollinators, reducing air pollution, improving community aesthetics and enhancing Tennessee's magnificent tree canopy.

According to data from Urban Forestry Network, US Forest Service, and other reputable sources, TEC has calculated the following benefits of the 750,000 trees we will have planted at the conclusion of Tree Day 2021. These benefits assume an 80% survival rate and 50 year life-span of trees planted.

• Clean air value estimated at $32 Billion in air pollution control ($62,000 per tree in 50 years).
• Clean water value estimated at 32.5 billion gallons of rainfall intercepted and filtered in the tree canopy and root systems, reducing stormwater runoff and downstream flooding (1,000 gallons annually per tree).
• Global warming mitigation value is estimated to be 450,000 tons of sequestered carbon dioxide (13 lbs CO2 per year per tree for first 10 years + 40 lbs per year for next 40 years).
• 3,000 additional acres of tree canopy, wildlife and pollinator habitat and forage (estimated 250 sq.ft. per tree)

A variety of trees will be available, including White Oak, Shortleaf Pine, Sweet Gum, Tulip Poplar, Buttonbush, Red Mulberry, Wild Plum, Eastern Redbud, Northern Red Oak, Bald Cypress, and Silky Dogwood. You can find information about the proper location/habitat to plant each tree at the TEC website. You can also order your trees there, designating which section of Tennessee where you prefer to pick up your trees. https://www.tectn.org/tennesseetreeday2021.html Trees need to be ordered before March 7, 2021.

The purpose of Tree Day is to instill public awareness of the value of trees, improve the health of our environment and communities through the multitude of benefits that trees offer, and to nurture a culture of sustainability in our region.