Tennessee Environmental Council

06/04/2026

MEMPHIS!!!!!
Our friends and partners at Memphis Community Against Pollution are keeping xAI accountable and leading the charge!!! Details for Public Meeting today below!

06/03/2026

Did you know there are 55 distinct watershed systems across the state of Tennessee that currently provide 60,000 miles of waterways for agriculture, wildlife habitat, recreation, and drinking water?

Tennessee Environmental Council is working with local communities to educate and restore the health of our waterways through litter cleanups, rain garden plantings, and riparian buffer restoration.

What you can do:
Knowing which watershed you live in is the first actionable step you can take—
The next step is to take part in and organize local community cleanups and outreach!

Remember, we all live in a watershed and are connected, so it’s important we do our part for collective change!

TDEC's Watershed Stewardship: https://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/wr-water-resources/watershed-stewardship/tennessee-watersheds.html

Learn more about TEC's Watershed Initiative: https://www.tectn.org/watershedsupport.html

06/02/2026

Mosquito season is here! Instead of spraying pesticides onto our entire yards—and onto fireflies, ladybugs, bumblebees, and butterflies—why not kill *only* mosquitoes?

But first: let’s PREVENT mosquitoes from breeding in our yards. Get rid of all standing water at least once a week: in plant saucers, trash cans, toys, and gutters.

Then, let’s CREATE a Mosquito Bucket of Doom! It’s a safe, cheap, easy way to control mosquitoes and is more effective than sprays and foggers.

Check out Jo Brichetto on Volunteer Gardeners to know how:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCxrSG1btVQ

And on Sidewalk Nature:
https://sidewalknature.com/2022/05/08/mosquito-bucket-of-doom/

06/01/2026

🌳 2026 Tree Day Stories 🌳

Keeping the celebration going! This next batch of photos perfectly captures the community spirit, smiles, and hard work that define Tree Day across the state. We love seeing our communities come alive through planting.

Tree Day is our annual, statewide event and a pillar of our Tree Initiative (one of our 5 core initiatives). Our mission is simple: engage and inspire Tennesseans to plant native trees in their communities!

📅 Look Ahead: Join Us for Tree Day 2027!
Putting on an event this large takes a village, and planning for next year is already underway. We need your help to make 2027 our biggest year yet!

💫 Become a Tree Pickup Site: Help distribute trees directly to your local community.
💫 Become a Sponsor: Partner with us to fund a greener, healthier Tennessee.
💫 Plant trees on Tree Day! (Stay tuned!)

📩 Interested? Send an email to [email protected] to get involved today!

06/01/2026

TEC Lytle Creek Phase II Complete! Stay tuned for Phase 3 and how you can get involved!

06/01/2026

🌳 Big news for Davidson County! Metro Nashville Planning just launched the Ecological Conservation Strategy (ECS)—the city’s first countywide environmental plan since 2011.

From the forested ridges of the Highland Rim to the Cumberland River waterfront downtown, our city is growing incredibly fast. This 18-month initiative is all about finding real, actionable ways to protect our waterways, forests, tree canopy, and green spaces while keeping Nashville thriving.

There are also two major pilot studies baked into this project:
1️⃣ The Highland Rim Forest (the most ecologically significant area in the county)
2️⃣ The Cumberland River waterfront downtown

Your voice matters! Over the next 18 months, there will be tons of ways to get involved through public launch events, online surveys, and community pop-ups.

👇 Head over to the engagement hub to subscribe for updates, or jump right into the active community survey below to help shape the future of our local environment!

🔗 Take the Project Survey: https://engage.nashville.gov/YQ5142 -76904
🔗 Explore the Full Project Hub: https://engage.nashville.gov/YQ5142

Metro Planning has launched the Ecological Conservation Strategy (ECS) to shape a future where Nashville continues to grow and thrive while preserving the landscapes ecosystems and sense of place that makes it unique. This is Nashville s first countywide plan for understanding the effects of recent....

05/31/2026

Ever look at a perfectly manicured green lawn and realize... nothing is happening out there? No buzzing, no butterflies, no life.

While a manicured turf lawn might look neat, it's essentially an ecological desert. 🏜️
Most lawn grasses aren't native, and keeping them short means they never flower or provide food. For our local wildlife, a massive lawn is like driving through a city with no grocery stores or restaurants.

But swap even a fraction of that grass for a native pollinator garden, and everything changes! 🌸🐝

Learn more about TEC's Pollinator Initiative "Generate Some Buzz" here: https://www.tectn.org/generatesomebuzz.html

05/30/2026

♻️ Ever wonder what happens after you recycle?

Check out the new materials added to our collection list for the Bordeaux Recycling Roundup on June 13th, and learn how everyday items can be transformed into new products that support a circular economy!

🎾 Tennis Balls: Recycled tennis balls can be used as horse arena footing, helping create softer and safer riding surfaces.

♻️ Styrofoam: Recycled Styrofoam can be transformed into picture frames, insulation, molding, and new packaging materials.

🧴 Plastic Bottle Lids: Recycled bottle caps can become benches, decking, playground equipment, and other durable construction materials.

🌱 Compost: Composting turns food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil that helps gardens, farms, and landscapes thrive.

For the complete list of materials collected, visit www.tectn.org/bordeauxrecycles

05/29/2026

🌳 2026 Tree Day Stories 🌳

Welcome to the next round of our Tree Day Stories—featuring more of the fantastic Tennesseans who helped green up our state this year.

Tree Day is our annual, statewide event and a pillar of our Tree Initiative (one of our 5 core initiatives). Our mission is simple: engage and inspire Tennesseans to plant native trees in their communities!

📅 Look Ahead: Join Us for Tree Day 2027!
Putting on an event this large takes a village, and planning for next year is already underway. We need your help to make 2027 our biggest year yet!

💫 Become a Tree Pickup Site: Help distribute trees directly to your local community.
💫 Become a Sponsor: Partner with us to fund a greener, healthier Tennessee.
💫 Plant trees on Tree Day! (Stay tuned!)

📩 Interested? Send an email to [email protected] to get involved today!

05/28/2026

💧 Help Your Pollinators Beat the Heat! 🐝🦋

During dry spells, our favorite garden helpers—like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds—can struggle to find enough water. Providing a safe, shallow water source is an easy way to keep your local habitat thriving!

Here is how you can create the perfect "pollinator hydration station" in your backyard:

🛠️ How to Build a Safe Oasis
Insects need a safe place to land so they don't drown. Deep dishes are a no-go! Instead, try this:

The Shallow Dish Method: Fill a shallow dish with pebbles or large rocks, then add water. Ensure the water just surrounds the stones without fully submerging them so insects have a dry place to land and sip.

The Bird Bath Method: Use a bird bath with a gentle, shallow slope.

🧽 Maintenance Tips
Keep it Fresh: Regularly clean and refill the water source to keep it fresh and prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Hummingbird Feeders: If you have sugar-water feeders out, be sure to clean and refill them daily during hot, dry weather.

💬 What does your backyard wildlife setup look like? Drop a photo in the comments or tell us what pollinators you've spotted this week! 👇