Knox Knoxville Beautiful won the 2024 No Trash November trophy from Nobody Trashes Tennessee! KKB had 1,130 volunteers collect an outstanding 16,095 pounds of litter in November.

Lizzie Gaver

“We want to thank all of our volunteers for their hard work as well as our program coordinator, Jayda Brunkan, for organizing the clean ups,” said Lizzie Gaver, KKB executive director.

Statewide, nearly 70,000 pounds of litter was removed from communities as part of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) 4th annual No Trash November, a month-long initiative to ensure the state’s roadways and waterways are safe from the harmful effects of litter, Gaver added.

“More than an eyesore, litter on our public roads and waterways has detrimental impacts on safety, the environment and the economy. At any given time, there are 88 million pieces of litter on the state’s roadways. TDOT spends more than $23 million annually on litter pickup and prevention education, which is funded through dedicated revenue from Tennessee’s Soft Drink and Malt Beverage industries.

“If people want to learn more about how to get involved and volunteer, they can visit our website keepknoxvillebeautiful.org to see upcoming events and sign up for our volunteer newsletter!”

Skip the chocolate

Give your valentine a hike, a float or just a T-shirt from Tennessee State Parks. Gifts are here.

Summit to highlight keeping cities cool

Is it hot in here or is it just the infrastructure? How we develop a city can either keep it cool or create intense heat pockets. Join KKB to learn from experts about the necessity of building a heat resilient city where we continue to live, work and play.

The sixth annual KKB Sustainability Summit will take place on Friday, February 7, 2025, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the East Tennessee History Center. This event is open to the public; tickets can be found on Keep Knoxville Beautiful’s website. Attendees will receive lunch from Brown Bag. Register here.

The KKB Sustainability Summit brings speakers from all over the country to Knoxville with the goal of educating and inspiring the audience about what is happening in sustainability and urban design in other municipalities. Speakers this year are:

  • Kendon Jung, city of Tempe, Arizona, vice chair of the Sustainability and Resilience Commission
  • Susy Torriente, global principal for city resilience at Jacobs; and
  • Drew Ramsey, director of sales for StreetBond at GAF.

Presenting sponsors are: city of Knoxville Office of Sustainability, Earthadelic and TVA. Additional sponsors are Carex Design Group, US Bank, SESCO Lighting, WM, KUB, Cover Pro Roofing, Denark Construction and K Brew.

Outdoor Knoxville

Maintain those resolutions with a neighborhood run, walk or hike. Your best source for these opportunities is Legacy Parks’ Outdoor Knoxville events calendar, compiled by Elle Colquitt. Here.

Saturday, February 8

LRTC Hike: 9 a.m., Cades Cove Loop, GSMNP. Free. Info: Little River Trading Co at 865-681-4141. The 5-mile path provides excellent opportunities to see the underlying bedrock, which is Cades Sandstone. RSVP Required – email Dolphin Riggs at dolphin@littlerivertradingco.com for details on meeting location and time.

Habitat Hike: 1:30 p.m., Seven Islands State Birding Park. Cost $5. Info: Seven Islands Stathttps://ambcknox.org/joyride/e Birding Park at 715-630-6848. Learn the different habitats in the park, how they support different species, and how we manage them, including things you can do at home. Our habitats are what helps make diversity high and our park unique. Register online.

Sunday, February 9

Galentine’s Day Joy Ride: 10 a.m., Loyston Point Trails. Free. Info: AMBC Joy Ride. Galentine’s Day is about celebrating lady friends. We help women feel comfortable in the woods. Every rider is comfortable with the group’s pace, no section of trail is beyond the ability level of the group and no drop. Register online.