11 Sustainable Cities and Communities (162)
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Ijams hails bats — lots of bats — with new habitat house
Written by JJ Stambaugh
University of Tennessee professor emeritus Gary McCracken is seen this summer near the new massive bat house built at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville. McCracken, who will help with research at the site, spent his life studying bats; he attributes their northward migration to climate change and warns of critical pest-control gaps if bats continue their decline. J.J. Stambaugh/Hellbender Press
New exhibit will host research into critical pest-control species; could attract 200,000 bats to urban wildlife refuge
Bat, bat,
Come under my hat,
And I'll give you a slice
of bacon;
And when I bake
I'll give you a cake,
If I am not mistaken.
— Traditional nursery rhyme
KNOXVILLE — Of all the critters that share this Earth with Homo sapiens, bats might have the most schizophrenic reputation of all.
Depending on who you ask, bats — of which there are at least a dozen species in East Tennessee alone — are seen as creepy, adorable, weird, useful or diseased. Opinions may vary, but the one thing that most folks might agree upon is that bats are, well, fascinating.
And that’s a good thing for local nature lovers, because up to 200,000 of them should soon be living at South Knoxville’s own nonprofit wildlife sanctuary, Ijams Nature Center.
Under the direction of University of Tennessee professor emeritus Gary McCracken and Ijam’s conservation director, Ben Nanny, a bat house has been constructed near Meads Quarry that’s expected to attract a large colony of Mexican free-tailed bats that will prove to be a delight for Ijams visitors.
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Swap seeds and stories and sample local pawpaws at first Pawpaw Festival
KNOXVILLE — Multiple wildcrafters, seed collectors and general treehuggers — and wild critters — here and throughout the Southern Appalachians are really getting into wild pawpaw trees and their fruit.
Asimina triloba, the American papaw, is native to hardwood forest understories of the eastern United States, including the rich oak, hickory and maple forests of the Appalachians. It can be cultivated on private land or urban food plots, and of course grows richly in area forests. Its fruit is widely described as custard-like in texture.
There is a growing critical mass of pawpaw fans to meet occasionally and swap seed and its Knoxville’s turn to recognize the humble yet mighty local fruit. The first of what is planned to be an annual event is set 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Trailhead Beer Market, 1317 Island Home Ave.
Incredible Farm Dinner Downtown
Last year’s Annual Incredible Farm Dinner Downtown had to be cancelled because of Hurricane Helene.
The already legendary Greeneville tradition celebrates local farms and community. It’s hosted by the Rural Resources Farm & Food Education Center. Many local sponsors, businesses, farms, churches and the Town of Greeneville make this event possible. Get your tickets early! The dinner sells out every year, a testament to its success and the value of the Rural Resources programming it supports.
Maryville honors East Tennessee conservation giant with fields and forests
Written by Allison Lester
A public park planned along U.S. 321 in Maryville will honor East Tennessee conservation legend Billy Minser. Linda Albert via social media
The park will host hiking trails and natural areas for the public to enjoy
MARYVILLE — The city and Foothills Land Conservancy (FLC) have partnered on the creation of Billy Minser Park, a new 23-acre public green space set to open in 2025 off U.S. 321 in Blount County.
The property for the park was donated by the late Catherine Gilreath to FLC and the City of Maryville with the shared goal of creating a space for public enjoyment and environmental education. The park is under a conservation easement — meaning it will be protected from development forever.
When complete, Billy Minser Park will feature hiking and walking trails along a scenic creek corridor through forests and open fields. It will serve as a place for the community to connect with nature while preserving local habitat.
The park honors William “Billy” Minser — a beloved conservationist, educator and long-time FLC board member whose career has spanned decades in forestry, wildlife management and land preservation.
Network alert: Tennessee Sustainability Conference set for Gatlinburg
Written by Cindy Dupree Holloway
The towering Space Needle in Gatlinburg offers views of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The city is host to the Tennessee Sustainability Conference set to begin Aug. 20. Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce
Conservation education event is hosted in part by Tennessee Chamber to address sustainability challenges
GATLINBURG — The annual Tennessee Sustainability Conference is scheduled to take place Aug. 20-22 at the Park Vista Hotel. The conference is a partnership among Tennessee Recycling Coalition, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Tennessee Environmental Conference. It brings together environmental professionals from across the region.
Nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an internationally known treasure trove of biodiversity and accompanying sustainability research.
“The three-day event will provide attendees an accelerated learning opportunity featuring the latest trends and best practices in environmental sustainability,” said Tennessee Recycling Coalition Executive Director Amber Greene. “Staying on the cutting-edge of our ever-growing industry is essential to improving the lives of all Tennesseans. I encourage environmental leaders across the state to join us.”
According to organizers, the event will bring environmental professionals, decision-makers, government officials, business and industry leaders, attorneys, consultants, engineers, developers, architects, agribusiness leaders, energy experts, water planning districts, universities, public health officials, and solid waste and recycling experts, from across the region to learn about the latest trends and best practices in environmental sustainability.
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Editorial: As summer sizzles and pops, EPA makes a bad energy move
Written by Stephen Smith
The Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. in the William J. Clinton Federal Building. The EPA is considering changes to pollution regulations intended to at least forestall some risks of global climate change. EPA
With a backdrop of record heat and floods, EPA moves to deregulate greenhouse gases that are heating the planet
Stephen Smith is the executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
KNOXVILLE — July was brutal: As the Southeast sizzled under a stagnant heat dome, families still struggled to recover from hurricanes Helene and Milton, and communities reeled from catastrophic flash flooding in Texas. Yet in the face of this mounting climate crisis, the government has launched an unprecedented assault on the environmental protections that keep Americans safe.
This week, the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump Administration moved to repeal the 16-year-old scientific finding that greenhouse gas pollution and emissions from power plants, the oil, gas and coal industries, and vehicle emissions endanger public health and welfare. Without this endangerment finding, the EPA will be forced to abandon its responsibility to set limits on the pollution that’s driving more frequent and severe heat waves, floods and storms.
The EPA has one job: to protect the people and places we love — our families, our communities, our children’s future. It defies logic and common sense to remove the foundational pillars of our pollution rules precisely when climate impacts are accelerating and we need protections and proactive solutions the most. Simultaneously, the Administration is also recklessly slashing funding and staffing at NOAA, the agency responsible for helping us prepare for disasters, and FEMA, the agency responsible for helping us recover from disasters.
The administration is gaslighting Americans by telling us that climate disruption isn’t a threat when we can see with our own eyes the parade of horribles of repeating record-breaking climate disasters. 2024 was the hottest year on record by a wide margin, flash flood warnings in 2025 have already exceeded previous records and American families — from Texas flood victims to Southeast hurricane survivors — are paying the price with their lives, homes and livelihoods.
Help tally bumblebees for a regional atlas at Harris Farm
ROCKFORD — Join Foothills Land Conservancy staff the morning of Friday, July 25, 2025, at the Harris Farm as we work on our 2nd survey for the SE Atlas Bumble Bee Survey efforts this summer.
This free event (with a suggested donation $10) is a great opportunity to explore the Harris Farm, visit our native pollinator meadows, and assist our team for a great cause!
Be sure to save-the-date for our August survey, which will be held the morning of Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at the Harris Farm.
What is the Bumble Bee Atlas?
The Atlas is a community (aka citizen or participatory) science project aimed at gathering the data needed to track and conserving bumble bees. The current data suggests that many species of bumble bees face an uncertain future, and there is a lack of data needed to implement effective conservation measures, especially at the regional scale. “Community science” means anyone is welcome to participate and help contribute to a better understanding of bumble bee needs.
John Skinner will be assisting the FLC staff with this survey. John is a retired Professor and Extension Apiculture Specialist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee. John’s knowledge and instruction is super helpful and we are excited that he can join us this year too.
Sweet nectar of spring flows at annual UT pollinator festival
Written by Lauren Tolley
Pollinators play a vital role in maintaining our ecosystems, economies and agriculture. Here’s a bee in flight at the UT Gardens in Knoxville. R. Lazarian/UTIA
Get your buzz on in Knoxville or two other locations in the state during Pollinator Week June 16-25
Lauren Tolley is a University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture marketing and communications associate.
KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee Bee Campus Committee, a group comprised of UT faculty, staff and students, in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority and UT Gardens, invites communities across the state to celebrate national Pollinator Week at a series of “Garden Buzz” pollinator events on June 17.
Pollinator Week is an annual celebration in support of pollinator health, initiated and managed by the Pollinator Partnership. This year’s theme is “Pollinators Weave Connections” — highlighting the essential roles pollinators play in creating and expression of human culture, the food we enjoy and the beauty that surrounds us. Pollinator Week is June 16-25.
Similar to UT and TVA’s collaborative Garden Buzz celebrations in previous years, the 2025 Garden Buzz celebrations will offer participants opportunities to learn more about pollinators in Tennessee through educational activities. Attendees can also learn how to start their own pollinator gardens with locally grown plants that help support a thriving ecosystem.
On Endangered Species Day, a timely honor for saving a rare Cumberland Plateau fish
Written by Hellbender PressUSFWS names Laurel Dace Team a 2024 Recovery Champion
From left to right, top to bottom: Sarah Kate Bailey, Geoff Call, Stephanie Chance, Makenzie Foster, Anna George, Helaina Gomez, Abbey Holsopple, Bernie Kuhajda, Tigris Nevans and Warren Stiles. Image Details
Congratulations to the honorees of the US Fish & Wildlife Service award for the Southeast
“During the summer and fall of 2024, a prolonged drought emerged as a preeminent threat to the Laurel dace, a freshwater minnow native to Tennessee. During this pivotal time, the Laurel Dace Rescue Team provided for the ongoing conservation and survival of the endangered fish by developing a water level monitoring protocol and planning for individuals to be collected and brought into captivity to maintain representation from the last two wild populations. In a short period, the team collaborated to rescue, transport, and house more than 200 fish while maintaining separation of individuals from each population. The Aquarium led the ‘Race for the Laurel Dace’ fundraising campaign, which helped significantly raise public awareness of the species’ plight and secure funding to help ensure the availability of the specialized emergency care needed for the rescued individuals. The Service’s diligent work to sample, collect, transport, and care for individual laurel dace were invaluable to this effort.”
Sarah Kate Bailey - Tennessee Aquarium
Geoff Call - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Stephanie Chance - Tennessee Aquarium
Makenzie Foster - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Anna George - Tennessee Aquarium
Helaina Gomez - Tennessee Aquarium
Abbey Holsopple - Tennessee Aquarium
Bernie Kuhajda - Tennessee Aquarium
Tigris Nevans - Tennessee Aquarium
Warren Stiles - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Recovery Champions are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff and their partners whose work is advancing the recovery of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals.
Hellbender Press previously reported on emergency efforts to rescue the fish from drought conditions on Walden Ridge.
Nokian Tyres makes rubber hit the road for conservation of endangered fish in Southeast Tennessee
Written by Wes BolingA laurel dace (Chrosomus saylori) collected by Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute scientists at Bumbee Creek in Rhea County, Tenn. Tennessee Aquarium
Spring City set to celebrate a rare denizen of Walden Ridge almost decimated by drought
Wes Boling is marketing communications manager for Nokian Tyres Dayton Factory.
SPRING CITY — Nokian Tyres will serve as presenting sponsor of Laurel Dace Day, a community celebration of an endangered fish, set for Saturday, May 17, in Spring City.
The inaugural event led by the Tennessee Aquarium raises awareness of the laurel dace, a critically endangered fish found only in the Walden Ridge area 20 miles from Nokian Tyres’ North American factory in Dayton.
Laurel Dace Day features a 5K race and half-mile family fun run, followed by a festival at the Spring City Nature Park with live music, a farmers’ market, local vendors and conservation education. The event is free to attend, other than registration fees for participation in the races.
Community members can learn more about the event and register for races at TNAqua.org
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Roles and history of riparian forests in Tennessee
Wednesday, May 14, 5:30 p.m.
South Side Garage
1014 Sevier Ave, Knoxville
For more information and RSVP go to “Green Drinks Knoxville” on Facebook
Join us on our NEW date, the second Wednesdays of the month
KNOXVILLE — Tennessee has a natural abundance of water resources and biodiverse ecosystems. Unfortunately, 60% of Tennessee’s waterways are not meeting federal standards.
Stream habitat has been consistently declining in the last several decades. Restoring and conserving high value riparian areas will be an essential part of combating the negative impacts of urban development.
Barriers to resources prevent communities from effectively tackling these projects on their own, severely limiting cohesive statewide efforts for water quality improvement.
Maddy Johnson will introduce practical methods of restoring a riparian area in various settings at no to low cost.
Green Drinks Knoxville is a social and professional organization that convenes open-minded folks to encourage education and conversation about the environment, green technologies, sustainable lifestyles, and more. Our events are free and open to the public. We welcome all and support racial diversity, gender equality and LGBTQ inclusivity.
UPDATED 6/25: More details emerge after Trump cuts bleed UT Agriculture Institute of $31 million
Written by Cassandra Stephenson and Ben Pounds
The University of Tennessee burial mound on the agriculture campus in Knoxville dates to 644. The mound was constructed by native tribes of the Woodland Period and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wikipedia Commons
DOGE bites off $37.7 million in science and other funding from University of Tennessee system; cuts include climate initiatives and pesticide safety education
This story was originally published by Tennessee Lookout. Highlighting added by Hellbender Press. The original story continues below. This story will be updated.
KNOXVILLE — The Trump administration has paused or defunded many programs at American universities, including some notable cuts in agriculture grants at the University of Tennessee.
Systemwide, a total of 42 grants to UT valued at $37.65 million ended, Melissa Tindell, UT’s assistant vice president of communication said, consistent with statistics she’s given other outlets. Eight of these terminated grants were going to the UT Institute of Agriculture and totaled $31.19 million.
Also, across the system, she said, the college had received a total of nine partial stop work orders, meaning students and staff cannot complete portions of those projects, though the total award amount hasn’t been impacted at this time.
“The most immediate impact has been the need to transition students and staff supported by these affected projects to alternative funding sources,” Tindell told Hellbender Press, reiterating a statement for Tennessee Lookout. “Essential work such as reporting, compliance and other research operations continue with adjusted support.”
Among the various research programs with terminated funding are several environmental projects.
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Wetlands protections built an industry. Rollbacks could erode it.
Written by Cassandra Stephenson and Delany Dryfoos
Paul Stoddard, a principal at environmental consulting firm EnSafe, unlocks the gate to the West Tennessee Wetlands Mitigation Bank in Shelby County. EnSafe planted more than 50,000 trees to restore portions of this 250-acre wetland, creating credits for developers to purchase to offset destruction of wetlands elsewhere. Karen Pulfer Focht for Tennessee Lookout
Interests of all stripes push to preserve state wetlands protections against pro-developer pressure
This story is part of the series Down the Drain from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting collaborative based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation.
LEWISBURG — Fourth-generation Middle Tennessee cattle farmer Cole Liggett lined up with scientists and environmental advocates in March to urge Tennessee lawmakers not to gut the state’s historically strong protections for wetlands.
Wetlands protection has been good business for Liggett. In addition to raising cattle, he’s a manager at Headwaters Reserve, a firm that developers pay to preserve and restore wetlands and streams so they can destroy them elsewhere, called mitigation banking. If lawmakers follow through on a plan to deregulate an estimated 80 percent of the state’s isolated wetlands, that will upend the industry in Tennessee and drive up prices for developers still required to pay for mitigation, Liggett testified.
Liggett works in a growing industry that operates more than 2,500 mitigation banks nationwide, earning an estimated $3.5 billion in revenue in 2019, according to a 2023 study funded by the Ecological Restoration Business Association.
The industry is built on demand spurred by the 1972 U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires developers to offset their damage to wetlands by building or restoring wetlands nearby.
But recent federal actions to shrink the scope of that law are pushing states to choose how strictly they will regulate wetlands. The consequences of those decisions not only threaten further degradation of land, water and wildlife, but also the fortunes of an industry that has made a big business out of conservation.
Hit Knoxville’s wild side and celebrate the city’s great outdoors
Written by OutlandishAF
This seemingly primeval scene is actually within the city limits of Knoxville at Ijams Nature Center. The popular park is part of the Urban Wilderness and will be home to the Outlandish Adventure Festival set for May 2-3. Thomas Fraser/Hellbender Press
Outlandish Adventure Festival’s celebrations of the outdoors include climbing competitions, SUP races, guided hikes and yoga
KNOXVILLE — The city’s great outdoors is calling — and the Outlandish Adventure Festival is answering with two days packed full of adrenaline-pumping fun, scenic exploration and unforgettable experiences. Set for May 2-3 at Ijams Nature Center, this action-packed celebration of the region’s rivers, rocks, and trails invites adventurers of all levels to get outside and play.
The Outlandish Adventure Festival is a collaborative effort by the area’s rich collection of outdoor enthusiasts and organizations, including Visit Knoxville, Ijams, Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, AMBC, Knoxville Adventure Collective, River Sports Outfitters, The Maker City, Legacy Parks and The City of Knoxville. They’ve created a weekend to inspire exploration, connection, adventure and celebration of Knoxville’s natural beauty.
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