Neighborhood Education: What are important tree issues for folks in your neighborhood? Invite the Urban Forester to your next neighborhood meeting to present on topics or current issues that are important and specific to your neighborhood.

Attend a Tree Board Meeting: The Knoxville Tree Board meets the first Friday of every month. This is a great opportunity to bring up suggestions for future projects and upcoming events. Volunteer with one of our committees on upcoming education events.

Mulch Mitigation: Get a group of volunteers together and work with the Urban Forester on breaking down mulch piles in your neighborhood, or local city park. Please contact the urban forester for more details.

Develop a Community Planting Plan: Do you have a busy street where you would like to calm traffic? Do you want to increase the property values of homes within your community? Maybe you should consider proposing a community planting plan. It is important to have community involvement when determining goals and objectives for planting trees within a neighborhood. It builds a sense of community for those individuals that live within the neighborhood. Communities that get involved with tree planting also tend to help maintain those trees. If you would like to explore ideas for planting trees within your neighborhood, please contact the urban forester.

Invasive Species Removal: Knoxville has several hundred acres of park and natural areas throughout the City. One of the most detrimental issues that impact our City's forested land is invasive species. Invasive species prevent desirable plants from establishing within natural areas by out competing native plants for light and other resources. There are many opportunities to help control invasive species in your local park. Contact the urban forester or the Parks and Recreation Department on ways that you or your organization can help.

Structural Tree Pruning: Many long term structural defects associated with trees can be minimized if the tree is structurally pruned at a young age. Get a group of volunteers together and learn how to properly prune trees after they have been planted, while contributing to maintain the health of Knoxville trees.

Develop an Arboretum: Did you know that the State of Tennessee has a certification program that allows your community or organizations green space to become certified as an arboretum? Visit the Tennessee Urban Forest Council website for more details.

Volunteer with a Local Organization:  Join us in making a positive impact on our community by volunteering with one of the many local organizations we proudly support.  These partnerships align with our mission to enhance public spaces, protect the environment, and foster a more connected and vibrant city.  Whether you are passionate about urban forestry, invasive species removal, or helping out at events, there's a volunteer opportunity for you.  Together, we can create a stronger, more resilient community for all.

• Trees Knoxville   -   Click here for more info
• Ijams Nature Center   -   Click here for more info
• Keep Knoxville Beautiful   -   Click here for more info
• Knoxville Botanical Gardens   -   Click here for more info