Join Trees Knoxville in partnership with the City of Knoxville, and help plant 50 trees along Burwell Avenue. We hope to recruit 25 to 30 volunteers to help with this planting from 9 AM until noon—or until the last tree is planted.

The trees have been purchased with funds from the 2018 Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program (TAEP) grant and with support from City funds provided by Councilmember Finbarr Saunders. This planting targets an area identified by the City’s urban forester as lacking sufficient tree canopy. The original canopy of this area was lost overtime, possibly from neglect, pests, or urban encroachment. These trees will be a key component in giving these areas the canopy and tree infrastructure important for pollution abatement, energy savings, urban heat island abatement, improved water quality, and increased climate resiliency, as well as enhancing neighborhood aesthetics and property values.

Volunteers should wear appropriate shoes for planting and dress accordingly. Refreshments will be provided.

The event is open to the public and all ages are welcome. We hope that you’ll join us.

Trees Knoxville announces its first Tree Give-away of 2019! The give-away is open to residents and businesses of Knoxville and Knox County, who can get up to five free trees of different species for their private property.  A variety of native trees species are available:  Black Gum, Redbud, Red Maple, Bald Cypress, Swamp White Oak, and Tulip Poplar. All are one-gallon.

Tree Give Away will be held inside and is thus rain or shine.

First come, first served as long as supplies last.

Trees Knoxville also thanks the Knoxville Botanical Garden for sharing its grounds for this event.

Special Note regarding the Location: Tree Give Away will be held at the Botanical Garden’s Mule Barn. Please use the Boyd's Bridge Pike entrance to the Knoxville Botanical Garden--not the Wimpole Ave entrance/parking lot.

Kasey Krouse, the City of Knoxville’s Urban Forester, will lead an evening tree walk under the holiday lights in downtown Knoxville. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about City of Knoxville Urban Forestry Practices in downtown and how trees are managed in this harsh urban environment.

Tree Walk will be followed by a visit to a to-be-decided upon downtown establishment for warm or frosty beverages and food.

This event is free but donations for Trees Knoxville are welcomed. We hope you’ll join us!

Join the Knoxville Volunteer Foresters for a Pint Night for Trees Knoxville at Hexagon Brewery. Funds generated will go to Trees Knoxville to continue its programs to protect, maintain and plant our urban forest.

Come join other tree huggers and talk about trees or just drink beer while supporting the urban canopy.

Trees Knoxville announces its 2018 3rd Annual Tree Give-way! The give-away is open to residents and businesses of Knoxville and Knox County, who can get up to three free trees for their private property.  A variety of native trees species are available:  Black Gum, Redbud, Red Maple, Bald Cypress, Swamp White Oak, and Tulip Poplar.

Tree Give Away will be held inside and is thus rain or shine.

First come, first served as long as supplies last.

Trees Knoxville also thanks the Knoxville Botanical Garden for sharing its grounds for this event.

Special Note regarding the Location: Tree Give Away will be held at the Botanical Garden’s Mule Barn. Please use the Boyd's Bridge Pike entrance to the Knoxville Botanical Garden--not the Wimpole Ave entrance/parking lot.

Certified Arborist and General Manager of Cortese Tree Specialists Sam Adams will lead a native, exotic, and invasive tree walk. Following the walk, participants will gather at a to-be-decided upon location for beverages and a tree talk.

PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE FROM AUG. 18 TO AUG. 25 DUE TO WEATHER FORECAST FOR RAIN. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE AND HOPE YOU CAN STILL PARTICIPATE. Volunteers needed to plant 70 shrubs and small trees along Meadow Creek at the Alliance Soccer Park. No experience needed and family-friendly. Tools will be provided. Wear closed-toed shoes and bring water. For more info, contact stormwater@knoxcounty.org and 865-215-5540. Hosted by Knox County Stormwater Management.

Urban Forester and Trees Knoxville Board Member Kasey Krouse will lead a native, exotic, and invasive tree walk. We will then head to Alliance Brewery afterwards for drinks and a tree talk.

Meet in the parking lot of Island Home Park (not at Ijams Nature Center).

(Rain Date: July 30)

Join Trees Knoxville for a four-session Volunteer Forester Certification Program:

Session 4: Tree Health and Invasive Species
Location TBA

TBA (1.5 Hours)- Outdoors
TBA (1.5 Hours)- Outdoors

Students will:
1. Understand and recognize the difference between stressed and healthy trees. 
2. Understand basic diagnostic procedures. 
3. Define primary and secondary problems. 
4. Become familiar with common pests and diseases, their identification, and control. 
5. Understand basic soil properties and how urban trees react to different conditions. 
6. Know when to fertilize and amend sites
7. Understand basic invasive species terminology and know why plants are native, exotic, 
invasive, and naturalized. 
8. Know the environmental, social, and economic consequences to invasive plant invasions. 
9. Be introduced to invasive plant and restoration ecology principals and the characteristics that make invasive plants successful and hard to control. 
10. Learn about invasive plant solutions at the local level and how to manage invasive species in an urban setting
11. Recognize invasive plants impacting Knoxville’s urban forest.
12. Understand Different Methods (Chemical, Mechanical, Cultural, and Biological) for
controlling invasive species

Trees Knoxville's goal in making this opportunity available is to develop the tree management skill level of our volunteers.

Continuing Education Units from ISA will be available.

Follow this link for dates, places, course description, and list of instructors for the sessions.

All attendees must register. $50 fee payable at the first session (checks or cash only.)

Questions?  Call 865-356-0470 or treesknoxville@gmail.com

Join Trees Knoxville for a four-session Volunteer Forester Certification Program:

Session 3: The Science and Art of Pruning

TBA Speaker (30 Minutes)
Kasey Krouse, Knoxville Urban Forester (30 Minutes)
Outdoor Pruning Activity- (2 Hours)

Students will:

1. Understand the fundamentals of pruning and recognize trees that are in need pruning.

2. Determine when it is best to prune for health, flowers, and structure.

3. Demonstrate proper tool choice and methods for safe & effective pruning.

   • What to prune: dead stuff, stubs, suckers, low branches, branches with narrow crotch angles, rubs, crowded branches, hazardous branches

   • Learning the correct way to remove branches & different methods (cuts, what to prune first, the 30% rule, etc.)

   • Select Tools and PPE

4. Recognize different tree forms and how to prune trees of different sizes and shapes

5. Be able to express the need for tree pruning and the associated activities to the public.

6. Understand structural pruning for young trees (Outdoor pruning activity)

Trees Knoxville's goal in making this opportunity available is to develop the tree management skill level of our volunteers.

Continuing Education Units from ISA will be available.

Follow this link for dates, places, course description, and list of instructors for the sessions.

All attendees must register. $50 fee payable at the first session (checks or cash only.)

Questions?  Call 865-356-0470 or treesknoxville@gmail.com

Join Trees Knoxville for a four-session Volunteer Forester Certification Program:

Session 2: Tree Selection and Proper Tree Planting
Location TBA

Kasey Krouse, City of Knoxville Urban Forester (1 hour)
TBA (2 hours)-Outdoors

Students will:

1. Recognize the characteristics of a favorable and unfavorable tree selection.

2. Comparison of Bare Root, Containerized, and B&B Trees

3. Understand tree planting & care techniques

4. When is it best to plant and why

5. Select tools and equipment

6. Proper planting and staking technique

7. Proper mulching and re-establishing mulch rings

8. Caring for trees after planting

9. Planting demonstrations

10. Recognize soil characteristics and how they affect tree growth

11. Assess overhead utilities and recognize how to avoid future conflicts with trees and utilities

12. Site Assessment and how to avoid conflicts with pedestrians, vehicles, and other structures

Trees Knoxville's goal in making this opportunity available is to develop the tree management skill level of our volunteers.

Continuing Education Units from ISA will be available.

Follow this link for dates, places, course description, and list of instructors for the sessions.

All attendees must register. $50 fee payable at the first session (checks or cash only.)

Questions?  Call 865-356-0470 or treesknoxville@gmail.com

Join Trees Knoxville for a four-session Volunteer Forester Certification Program:

Session 1: Introduction to Trees Knoxville & Knoxville’s Urban Forest

Tom Welborn, Trees Knoxville (45 Minutes)
TBA Speaker (45 Minutes)
Kasey Krouse, City of Knoxville Urban Forester (1.5 hours)- outdoors

Students will:
1.  Ice Breaker and Introductions (15 minutes)
2.  Become familiar with Trees Knoxville’s mission and programs (30 minutes)
3. Comprehend the ecological/geographical elements of East Tennessee and what makes it unique. 
4. Understand climatic patterns and variations to better plant and care for trees. 
5. Recognize the trees, soils, land features and wildlife of East Tennessee. 
6. Better associate and identify Knoxville’s natural communities and dominant trees. 
7. Define native species and know the value and importance of biological diversity. 
8. Understand the diverse values (goods & services) of trees and the urban forest including the
environmental, social, and economic values. 
9. Understand Knoxville’s Canopy Cover at the County, City, and Neighborhood level
10. Understand the major threats of Knoxville’s and Knox County urban forest. 

Trees Knoxville's goal in making this opportunity available is to develop the tree management skill level of our volunteers.

Continuing Education Units from ISA will be available.

Follow this link for dates, places, course description, and list of instructors for the sessions.

All attendees must register. $50 fee payable at the first session (checks or cash only.)

Questions?  Call 865-356-0470 or treesknoxville@gmail.com

PLEASE NOTE: The location of this event HAS BEEN MOVED and will now take place at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum.

On February 24, 2018, 50,000 volunteers across the state of Tennessee will collect 250K trees to plant.  This single day event emphasizes the Tennessee Environmental Council's vision of "A Tennessee that embraces natural resources as the backbone of our communities, economy, and quality of life for all present and future generations."

Trees Knoxville will serve as one of several distributors of the saplings in Knoxville. Dogwoods or hawthorns, red oaks, redbuds, and yellow poplar white pines will be available. To reserve your free saplings, we encourage you to register ahead of time on this website. When checking out, choose Trees Knoxville or any of the other seven Knoxville pickup locations. Pick up your sapling/s on 2/24 between 9AM and noon, plant your tree that day, and be a part of this statewide movement to green Tennessee!

A big thank you to the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum for hosting Trees Knoxville for this event.

Join Trees Knoxville for our next tree planting! Up to 50 volunteers are needed to plant trees in Parkridge and Lonsdale. Click here to Register. 

Our Canopies for Schools program is coming to Sequoyah Elementary School. Join us and up to 15-20 other volunteers as we green the campus!

Register here to volunteer for January 27 Tree Planting

Trees Knoxville announces its 2017 2nd Annual Tree Give-way! The give-away is open to residents and businesses of Knoxville and Knox County, who can get up to five free trees for their private property.  A variety of native trees species are available:  Overcup Oak, Sweetgum, Redbud, Sugar Maple and Persimmon.

The opportunity for Trees Knoxville to give away trees is made possible through its membership in the Alliance for Community Trees and partnership with CSX Transportation.  Trees Knoxville also thanks the Knoxville Botanical Garden for sharing its grounds for this event.

Special Note regarding the Location: Use the Boyd's Bridge Pike entrance to the Knoxville Botanical Garden--not the Wimpole Ave entrance.

Session 4: Tree Health and Invasive Species

Nick St. Sevier, Cortese Tree Specialist (1.5Hours)- Outdoors
Kitty McKracken, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1.5 Hours)- Outdoors

Students will:

1. Understand and recognize the difference between stressed and healthy trees.

2. Understand basic diagnostic procedures.

3. Define primary and secondary problems.

4. Become familiar with common pests and diseases, their identification, and control.

5. Understand basic soil properties and how urban trees react to different conditions.

6. Know when to fertilize and amend sites

7. Understand basic invasive species terminology and know why plants are native, exotic, invasive, and naturalized.

8. Know the environmental, social, and economic consequences to invasive plant invasions.

9. Be introduced to invasive plant and restoration ecology principals and the characteristics that make invasive plants successful and hard to control.

10. Learn about invasive plant solutions at the local level and how to manage invasive species in an urban setting

11. Recognize invasive plants impacting Knoxville’s urban forest.

12. Understand Different Methods (Chemical, Mechanical, Cultural, and Biological) for controlling invasive species

Session 3: The Science and Art of Pruning

Sam Adams, University of Tennessee Arborist (30 Minutes)
Kasey Krouse, Knoxville Urban Forester (30 Minutes)
Outdoor Pruning Activity (2 Hours)

Students will:

1. Understand the fundamentals of pruning and recognize trees that are in need pruning.

2. Determine when it is best to prune for health, flowers, and structure.

3. Demonstrate proper tool choice and methods for safe & effective pruning.

• What to prune: dead stuff, stubs, suckers, low branches, branches with narrow crotch angles, rubs, crowded branches, hazardous branches
• Learning the correct way to remove branches & different methods (cuts, what to prune first, the 30% rule, etc.)
• Select Tools and PPE

4. Recognize different tree forms and how to prune trees of different sizes and shapes

5. Be able to express the need for tree pruning and the associated activities to the public.

6. Understand structural pruning for young trees (Outdoor pruning activity)

Session 2: Tree Selection and Proper Tree Planting

Kasey Krouse, City of Knoxville Urban Forester (1 hour)
Preston Roberts, Ironwood Tree Care (2 hours--outdoors)

Students will:

1.       Recognize the characteristics of a favorable and unfavorable tree selection.
2.       Comparison of Bare Root, Containerized, and B&B Trees
3.       Understand tree planting & care techniques:

• When is it best to plant and why
• Select tools and equipment
• Proper planting and staking technique
• Proper mulching and re-establishing mulch rings
• Caring for trees after planting

4.       Planting demonstrations
5.       Recognize soil characteristics and how they affect tree growth
6.       Assess overhead utilities and recognize how to avoid future conflicts with trees and utilities
7.       Site Assessment and how to avoid conflicts with pedestrians, vehicles, and other structures

Session 1: Introduction to Trees Knoxville & Knoxville’s Urban Forest

Tom Wellborn, Trees Knoxville (45 Minutes)
Michael McKinney, University of Tennessee (45 Minutes)
Kasey Krouse, City of Knoxville Urban Forester (1.5 hours)- outdoors

Students will:

1.       Ice Breaker and Introductions (15 minutes)

2.       Become familiar with Trees Knoxville’s mission and programs (30 minutes)

3. Comprehend the ecological/geographical elements of East Tennessee and what makes it unique.

4. Understand climatic patterns and variations to better plant and care for trees.

5. Recognize the trees, soils, land features and wildlife of East Tennessee.

6. Better associate and identify Knoxville’s natural communities and dominant trees.

7. Define native species and know the value and importance of biological diversity.

8. Understand the diverse values (goods & services) of trees and the urban forest including the environmental, social, and economic values.

9. Understand Knoxville’s Canopy Cover at the County, City, and Neighborhood level

10. Understand the major threats of Knoxville’s and Knox County urban forest.

Join City of Knoxville Urban Forester Kasey Krouse for Trees Knoxville's first Downtown Tree Walk. Improve your tree identification skills at this free event.

Meet on the Emory Place lawn, located at the corner of Emory Place and N. Gay Street. Street parking is available.

A big thanks to the Crafty Bastard Brewery for offering $1 off a brew to everyone who participates in the walk!

Session 5: Invasive Species and Volunteer Leadership

Kitty McKracken, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (45 Minutes)
Stephen Piers, Four Aims Forestry, LLC (45Minutes)
Tom Welborn, Trees Knoxville (30 Minutes)
Leadership Activity- 1 Hour

Students will:
1. Understand basic invasive species terminology and know why plants are native, exotic, invasive, and naturalized.
2. Know the environmental, social, and economic consequences to invasive plant invasions.
3. Be introduced to invasive plant and restoration ecology principals and the characteristics that make invasive plants successful and hard to control.
4. Learn about invasive plant solutions from the national, state, and local levels and who the players are.
5. Recognize invasive plants impacting Knoxville’s urban forest.
6. Understand Different Methods (Chemical, Mechanical, Cultural, and Biological) for controlling invasive species
7. Understand basic chemicals and applications that target specific species.
8. Proper PPE and Equipment for applying herbicides
9. Leading volunteers and putting it all together
10. Expectations for Volunteer Leaders (Safety and Education)

Session 4: Tree Health: Diagnostics, Disease, Insects, and Soil

David Vandergriff, University of Tennessee Extension (1 Hour)
David Dunn, Cortese Tree Specialist (1 Hour)
Campus Walk Identifying Hazards and Pest Issues (1 Hour)

Students will:
1. Understand and recognize the difference between stressed and healthy trees.
2. Understand basic diagnostic procedures.
3. Define primary and secondary problems.
4. Recognize a hazard tree.
5. Become familiar with common pests and diseases, their identification, and control.
6. Understand basic soil properties and how urban trees react to different conditions.
7. Know when to fertilize and amend sites
8. Become familiar with local resources and services that support citizen tree care.

Session 3: The Science and Art of Pruning

Sam Adams, University of Tennessee Arborist (45 Minutes)
Kasey Krouse, Knoxville Urban Forester (45 Minutes)
Outdoor Pruning Activity- (1.5 Hours)

Students will:
1. Understand the fundamentals of pruning and recognize trees that are in need pruning.
2. Determine when it is best to prune for health, flowers, and structure.
3. Demonstrate proper tool choice and methods for safe & effective pruning:

• What to prune: dead stuff, stubs, suckers, low branches, branches with narrow crotch angles, rubs, crowded branches, hazardous branches.
• Learning the correct way to remove branches & different methods (cuts, what to prune first, the 30% rule, etc.) 
• Select Tools and PPE

4. Recognize different tree forms and how to prune trees of different sizes and shapes
5. Be able to express the need for tree pruning and the associated activities to the public.
6. Understand structural pruning for young trees (Outdoor pruning activity)

Session 1: Introduction to Trees Knoxville & Knoxville’s Urban Forest

1. Tom Wellborn, Trees Knoxville (1 Hour)
2. Michael McKinney, University of Tennessee (30 Minutes)
3. Outdoor Activity (1 hour)
4. Kasey Krouse, City of Knoxville Urban Forester (30 Minutes)
5. Outdoor walk with speakers (1 Hour)

Students will:

1. Become familiar with Trees Knoxville’s mission and programs (Ice Breaker)
2. Comprehend the ecological/geographical elements of East Tennessee and what makes it unique.
3. Understand climatic patterns and variations to better plant and care for trees.
4. Recognize the trees, soils, land features and wildlife of East Tennessee.
5. Better associate and identify Knoxville’s natural communities and dominant trees.
6. Define native species and know the value and importance of biological diversity.
7. Understand the diverse values (goods & services) of trees and the urban forest including the environmental, social, and economic values.
8. Understand Knoxville’s Canopy Cover at the County, City, and Neighborhood level
9. Understand the major threats of Knoxville’s and Knox County urban forest.

Trees Knoxville, in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation, CVX Transportation, and the Alliance for Community Trees, is giving away trees to the citizens of Knoxville and Knox County. Redbuds, Sugar Maples, Shumard Oaks, and Tulip Poplars will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Plant yours and help green our community.

Seeking volunteers for Trees Knoxville's first tree planting event! Join us at the Silver Leaf Community on Anniversary Lane, Knoxville to help green this corner of our community. Let us know you are coming by RSVPing to treesknoxville@gmail.com or by signing up here. Wear sturdy shoes and clothes that can get dirty. We hope to see you there!

Sponsored by Trees Knoxville, Knoxville Habitat for Humanity, and the Knoxville Urban Forestry Program.