Last week Mayor Indya Kincannon joined a press call to highlight Knoxville’s urban forestry project, which she says is enhancing the quality of life for all city residents. With her on the press call were mayors from Boise, Idaho; Chicago; Lansing, Michigan; and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Screen shot of Mayor Kincannon discussing Knoxville’s urban forestry project.

Knoxville is taking a community-wide approach with Trees Knoxville and other organizations, Kincannon said. “We conducted an urban tree canopy assessment in 2020 to gain a clear understanding of the challenges at hand.”

The findings revealed: Knoxville’s tree canopy was at just 38%, below the recommended 40%, and unevenly distributed around the city; most of the canopy loss was occurring on private property; and many trees were improperly planted or maintained, preventing them from reaching maturity.

Knoxville set a goal to achieve 40% tree coverage by 2040 – “40 by 40.” This is a significant goal, she said, because 1% equals 732 acres.

“In our first year, we have already planted 7,500 new trees, provided free educational information to 1,400 residents and organized training for 150 landscapers.” Kincannon declared war on Bradford Pear trees and urged folks to plant oaks, maples, birches.

She grabbed everyone’s attention by disclosing that Knoxville secured a $1.7 million grant to implement its tree canopy program and the University of Tennessee secured a different $2.6 million grant. “UT is looking at ways to plant trees in rocks and gravel to aid in stormwater retention.”

River Rescue

Results are in! The 36th annual Ijams River Rescue on March 8 brought together 518 volunteers to clean up 34 sites, removing an estimated 34,402 pounds (17.2 tons) of trash from the Tennessee River, creeks, streams and shorelines in Knox, Anderson, Blount and Loudon counties.

Volunteers collected 1,157 bags of trash as well as 100 tires and large items, such as a mattress and roofing material. Interesting finds included a $10 bill, a golf bag, televisions, industrial cables, a bowling ball, an unopened beer, a saw and a computer system.

The 2024 cleanup removed an estimated 10.48 tons of trash and large items from 31 sites in Knox and Blount counties. One cleanup partner, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful, collected 6,944 pounds of trash in eight coves on Fort Loudon Lake in Lenoir City.

Seeking makers

How about Jazz at Ijams Nature Center for Mother’s Day – Sunday, May 11, 4:30-8 p.m. Vendor applications now open here. This is more than just an event – it’s an experience, promises the Ijams publicist. If you create unique, handmade goods and want to share your work with an engaged, energetic crowd, sign up today.

And if you don’t have a mom to bring, be a mom. Invite a kid who is into music and watch them come to life. Expect live hot jazz, dancing, flow arts and international cuisine. Expect live performances by Cigano Swing & Swingbooty; yoga with Abbi Bentley; live art, flow artists and an electric atmosphere.

Outdoor Knoxville

It’s like guessing the number of beans in a jar, but I estimated 104 different events listed in Elle Colquitt’s Outdoor Knoxville events calendar – for the upcoming week! Check it out here.