Tennessee Yard Done Right Asks “Does Your Yard Measure Up?”A “Tennessee Yard Done Right” is beautiful, earth-friendly and saves money. Through the Home Landscape Workshop, Tennessee Yards and Neighborhoods (TYN) helps homeowners create attractive and healthy yards by working with Tennessee’s environment rather than against it. TYN will host a Home Landscape Workshop in Knox County on May 8, 2009. The six-hour workshop will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at Homewood Suites by Hilton at Turkey Creek.

What’s the payoff for you, the homeowner? A yard that meets your needs, enhances your neighborhood and helps protect Tennessee’s beauty and natural resources. By conserving resources, you’ll save money on utility bills and long-term yard maintenance. The workshop will provide guidebooks and diagnostic tools like soil tests and rain gauges plus a “yard” stick to help you measure your progress toward a “Tennessee Yard Done Right.”

“The goal of this program is to help communities across the state meet their landscaping needs while also protecting their wealth of natural resources,” said Parci Gibson, Knox County Stormwater Management. Tennessee Yards and Neighborhoods is a University of Tennessee program in partnership with UT Extension, Tennessee Water Resources Research Center, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, working with Knox County Stormwater Management. Knox County is one of five in the State to pilot this new program.

At the workshop, Gibson will join David Vandergriff, UT Extension in presenting homeowners with knowledge and skills to create eco-friendly landscapes that can save money and resources. The program is based on principles that consider yard care needs of homeowners and their families while helping to protect the community’s natural surroundings. It will offer tips and advice on the following topics:

* The Land-Water Connection: The importance of water in our community landscape.
* Nine Steps to a Tennessee Yard Done Right: Principles for an earth-friendly landscape.
* Turfgrass Management: Proper care and feeding of Tennessee grass varieties.
* Soils and Mulch: How to give your plants the best chance of survival.
* Home Stormwater Strategies: Managing the quantity and quality of storm water flowing into and from your yard.
* Landscape Design Considerations: Plan before you plant; analyzing your site for sun and water.

“Taking time to consider what to plant where can save you money and help the environment,” said David Vandergriff, UT Extension. “The appropriate tree in the right place can shade your home from hot afternoon sun, saving on energy bills. Or a strategically placed rain garden can be an attractive way to use stormwater runoff to your benefit.”

The seminar offers planting and soil strategies as well as ways to properly irrigate a lawn to reduce your water bill. It is being sponsored by Hilton in Turkey Creek and Saddlebrook Homes Inc.

The workshop is limited to 25 participants and costs $35 per person or $50 per couple. For more information, contact David Vandergriff at 865-215-2341 or dgriff@tennessee.edu. To register, call 865-215-2340 and ask for Wanda.

Don’t miss the City of Knoxville Energy and Sustainability Report here.

Posted by Scott Frith

TIPS TO MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY!
From grassroots initiatives in communities across the country to global
campaigns around the world, Earth Day is a day to commemorate the
importance of our environment and identify the impact we have on our
planet. In recognizing the significance of individual responsibility, Keep
America Beautiful wants to remind everyone that every little bit
counts. Do your part this spring to preserve and protect the environment with these
simple tips, and help to keep the spirit of Earth Day alive all year long.
1. As they say, April showers bring May flowers. Capture rain water and use it to water
your garden.
2. Spring cleaning! Spring is here at last, and it is always a good time to freshen up your
house and sort through old things. Find out what can be recycled. Everything from
newspapers and cardboard to aluminum and electronics are recyclable so make sure to
recycle as much as you can. You can practice “reuse” by donating usable items to local
charities or through Freecycle.org.
3. Go organic! With spring here, you can save money and go green by cultivating your
own favorite vegetables and fruits. If you don’t have the space or means for your own
garden, buy local produce and support local farmers.
4. Beautify your home or business by planting trees and flowers. Spring is officially here
and it is the opportune time to make your garden look bright and beautiful.
5. Keep rivers, lakes and oceans clean. Do what you can to reduce litter on your favorite
beaches. With summer coming, you’ll keep your favorite places to swim safe for you,
your family and your friends.
6. Walk to work! The nice weather is here, and with the flowers blooming and the
temperature getting warmer, walk… to save money, conserve energy and be more
active!
7. Spend time outside. Take advantage of local parks and plan activities outside — from
throwing around a ball to having a picnic. Spending time outdoors is a wonderful way to
enjoy the weather and reduce energy consumption.
8. Encourage others to be more environmentally friendly. Individuals at the grassroots
level are the spirit of Earth Day and Keep America Beautiful. Help support the
environment by encouraging others to follow in your lead. Remember to practice what
you preach!
9. Teach the next generation — our children — about how important our environment
really is. Make sure they know to keep the tradition of Earth Day alive, not only on April
22, but every day.
10. Join Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup. There are cleanup events
going on everywhere, so lend a hand and make this country cleaner and more
beautiful. Get friends and family involved and don’t forget to participate in future fall
events and cleanups. Join Keep Knoxville Beautiful, or create your own Great American
Cleanup event at www.keepknoxvillebeautiful.org/gac.php

Information courtesy of Keep America Beautiful www.kab.org

Help Support Keep Knoxville Beautiful
Keep Knoxville Beautiful is a 501(c)(3) organization and would not exist without public
support.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful actively supports litter prevention by utilizing the “Broken
Windows Theory” which states that if a broken window is left unrepaired, soon many
more windows will be broken. The same is true with litter. If no one picks up the trash
that is littered, people assume that it is okay or that no one cares. A small amount
then grows to a large amount.
Keep Knoxville Beautiful promotes waste reduction through helping event organizers
to make their events “waste free.” The 2008 Earth Fest had an estimated 10,000
visitors and only 3.85 pounds of trash. If you would like help throwing a “Waste Free”
or “Litter Free” Event, please let us know.
The credit for beautification efforts belong to the citizens of Knoxville/Knox County.
People are less likely to litter in beautiful areas, so keep up the good work. Keep
Knoxville Beautiful is working towards a beautification idea that focuses on First
Impressions. What do you want the first impression of Knoxville to be? We are working
with several entities on an idea for interstate beautification. More information to be
released at a later date.
If you would like to get involved with Keep Knoxville Beautiful, financially or
otherwise, please contact the office at (865) 521-6957.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
—Margaret Mead

GE Project Plant-a-Bulb Promotes Environmental Awareness

GE Consumer & Industrial’s month-long Earth Day initiative, GE Project Plant-a-Bulb, helps consumers consider the environmental and financial benefits of energy efficient lighting, while bringing the lasting beauty and positive effects of perennial flower bulbs to selected Midwestern landscapes in cities such as Cleveland and Chicago.

For every unique visitor to the Project Plant-a-Bulb site over the next 30 days, GE will plant a corresponding number of flower bulbs, up to 100,000 in total. The plantings will be conducted with the help of environmental and civic organizations. Visitors to the site will find coupons, streaming educational videos, energy lesson plans for teachers and an energy savings calculator that shows consumers how to cut wasteful spending on energy.

“Beautifying communities by planting bulbs and other flowers can have an affect that extends well beyond the obvious,” says Matt McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “Visually appealing public spaces have been proven to create an atmosphere that attracts visitors, improves business and commerce, increases surrounding property values, and enhances the quality-of-life for all area residents.”

Don’t miss this great post on Knoxify:

Ever held a menu made up of 10 to 30% post consumer waste? If you’ve eaten at Ruby Tuesday’s lately then there’s a good chance you have.

The Maryville-based restaurant chain is putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to going green.

Posted by: Scott Frith

In case you missed it, the E.P.A. has issued a landmark ruling on CO2 Emissions, as reported by the WSJ.

The Environmental Protection Agency finding that the emissions endanger “the health and welfare of current and future generations” is “the first formal recognition by the U.S. government of the threats posed by climate change,” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson wrote in a memo to her staff.

The finding could touch every corner of Americans’ lives, from the types of cars they drive to the homes they build. Along with carbon dioxide, the EPA named methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride as deleterious to the environment. Even if the agency doesn’t use its powers under the Clean Air Act to curb greenhouse gases, Friday’s action improves the chances that Congress will move to create a more flexible mechanism to do so.

The times are a’changin…

Posted by: Scott Frith

Wanted to pass along this inspiring story from this morning’s NY Times.  A quick excerpt:

“Our horse chestnut is in full bloom,” Anne Frank told her diary on Saturday, May 13, 1944, “thickly covered with leaves and much more beautiful than last year.”

She would have been 79 this year, turning 80.

Had she survived, Miss Frank would still be able to see the horse chestnut tree by which she measured the seasons of life during her two years of hiding from the Nazis, not just behind the building in Amsterdam from which she and her family were taken by the Gestapo in 1944 but — if the plans of the Anne Frank Center USA are realized — at 10 sites around this country, including New York City.

Ten saplings that originated from that stately but seriously ailing tree are to be brought here later this year for distribution by the center, a nonprofit organization with an office on the fifth floor of 38 Crosby Street.

Wouldn’t it be great to bring a sapling from this tree to Knoxville?

Posted by: Scott Frith

Keep Knoxville Beautiful is currently exploring a partnership with the City of Knoxville to bring kudzu eatin’ goats to Knoxville!

Unless you’ve had your head buried in a kudzu vine for a generation or so, you may have noticed that we’ve got a Kudzu problem in South Knoxville.  Though once touted as a solution to erosion control problems, since 1953 Kudzu has been labeled a “pest weed” by the US Department of Agriculture.

Our goal at Keep Knoxville Beautiful is to work with the City of Knoxville on eliminating this invasive, exotic species from our public parks, thus reclaiming the land for trails and public use.  Kudzu takes over everything.  Let’s take our parks back.

We’re currently looking to raise $5,000 to get a pilot program started in Hastie Park in South Knoxville.  If you have any fundraising ideas, or any other thoughts related to this idea, be sure to give us a call!

Scott Frith

(For more information on Kudzu eating Goats, check out this great article in the NY Times!)

Welcome to our new website here at Keep Knoxville Beautiful!  Please allow me to introduce myself…  My name is Scott Frith and I’m serving as President of the Board of Directors for Keep Knoxville Beautiful this year.  I am so proud of this website and the great work done by our website committee and especially the efforts of our Executive Director, Allison Teeters.

We hope to use this website, and more specifically this blog, to keep you in the loop on “green” happenings around Knoxville — as well as other green initiatives, issues, or news from around the country.

Knoxville should settle for no less than being the cleanest, greenest, most beautiful city in America.  I’m proud of what we’re doin’ and I’m excited about where we’re headin’.  Come on along!

Best regards,

Scott Frith