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To educate and advocate for conservation and enrichment of Tennessee's environment, communities and public health.

Tennessee Environmental Council
Announcements:

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The Council offices will be moving at the end of December 2008. While we will still be located in Metro Center, our suite number will change to E-250. Please update your records!

Our office will be closed for the holidays beginning Thursday, December 18. Normal office hours will resume on Monday, January 5, 2009.

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The Second Annual Summit for a Sustainable Tennessee welcomed more than 200 participants from more than 130 organizations, representing government, business, nonprofits, institutions of higher education and communities.  Thank you to all the participants, sponsors and exhibitors who made the Summit such a great success!

Be a part of the process - Please check the Sustainable Tennessee site for updates throughout the year, and pledge to help create a sustainable future for our state.

Thank you, Restoration Volunteers!
Saturday, December 6, 2008 Freezing temperatures and the promise of hard labor didn’t stop close to sixty volunteers from coming out to plant trees in Spring Hill at Saturn Parkway and Kedron Road last Saturday! At 9:00 am, braving the brisk 30 degree weather, volunteers including Spring Hill High School’s Beta Club and Pack 288 from Thompson’s Station turned out to get their hands dirty in order to make our water cleaner.  Though we had over 100 trees from Nashville Natives to put in the partially frozen ground, thanks to many hands and a little help from an auger manned by Allen Still and his sons, time flew by.  Those lucky enough to be there until the end were treated to steaming hot chocolate by Alderman Jonathan Duda of Spring Hill. With the most recent planting, a total of 215 trees have been planted along McCutcheon Creek at this site!  As always, we couldn’t have done it without the continued support of Spring Hill’s Stormwater Coordinator Beau Herring, dedicated members of the MS4 Committee like Huntley Gordon and Allen Still, the City of Spring Hill’s Aldermen and Planning Commission, GM Spring Hill, and the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association.

The December 6th planting concludes our series of 12 river restoration volunteer projects in 2008!  We would like to thank all of our volunteers for making 2008 a great year for stream bank restoration work that will continue to benefit water quality, air quality and the reestablishment of habitat... We look forward to 2009!!

Volunteers Needed!
TEC's Volunteer Restoration Corps needs your help!
Join Tennessee Environmental Council Saturday, January 24, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm as we a new phase of tree planting at Harvey Park in Spring Hill. Check back for more details as we near the date.

Volunteers Help Stabilize Banks, Restore Streams
Members of the Spring Hill Garden Club, homeowners and others have recently been working with Kyle Duvall from the Tennessee Environmental Council. In the last several months, they've donated hours to help protect creek banks from erosion and to protect the creeks and streams themselves from pollution.
Click here for the full article from the Tennessean and here to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

Together Making Nashville Green
During the month of November, Mayor Dean's Green Ribbon Committee hosted several public meetings around the city where ideas and strategies were discussed. Keep up to date with the process here and contribute your ideas to help shape a greener city!

The Mayor’s Green Ribbon Committee
Nashville residents - don't forget to tell the Mayor's Green Ribbon Committee how important open space and conservation are to you! Please click on the link below and fill out the survey that will help designate what Green initiatives the city of Nashville takes on, including more open space. http://www.nashville.gov/mayor/green_ribbon/index.htm

Buy Environmentally-Friendly Products & Benefit The Council!
Visit LetsGoGreen.biz, and shop for the environmentally-friendly products you use in your home each day or discover something new. At the checkout, choose TEC as the organization to receive 25% of your total purchase price. It's just that easy! Follow the link to learn more & to start shopping!

It's Time for us to Curb Wasteful Lifestyles
A recent Brookings Instituition report placed Tennessee's four largest cities near the top of the list of the nation's carbon emitters. The combination of Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga release a whopping 39% more carbon per capita than the 100 largest American cities. Carbon emissions, primarily in the form of carbon dioxide, have been identified as a major contributor to global warming. Click the link above to read the full article by TEC Board Member Michael Crosby, published on June 12 in the Tennessean.

Memphis Regional Opportunity Forum - September 19-20, 2008
Forging Partnerships, Creating Connections, Fostering Stewardship – was held at the Fogelman Executive Center on the University of Memphis campus. Please visit the Sustainable West TN page for speaker bios, a schedule of events and more!

Chattanooga Regional Opportunity Forum - June 12
Keynote Speaker S. David Freeman
Thank you to all of the participants who made the Chattanooga Regional Opportunity Forum such a success. TEC would like to thank our keynote speaker, S. David Freeman, for donating his time and sharing his insights.  He is a true inspiration to us all.

Green Tie Affair 2008 -Planting Seeds for a Greener Future
Thank you to everyone who made the 2008 Green Tie Affair so successful. Over 230 people enjoyed a night of dancing, eating, and bidding - helping TEC raise more than $30,000. We are grateful for the continuing support of our Title Sponsor, Tennessee Waste. Check in soon for updates and pictures from the event.

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The mission of the Tennessee Environmental Council is
to educate and advocate for conservation and enrichment of Tennessee's environment, communities and public health.

Since 1970, TEC has worked to empower the collective force of the environmental community and provide leadership in program areas of  clean water, clean air, pollution prevention, healthy forests and smart growth.