Residents across Tennessee planted more than 250,000 trees Saturday morning as a statewide group continues its mission to plant 1 million statewide.
The Tennessee Environmental Council has led in the planting of more than 600,000 trees statewide since 2007.
“Tennessee’s forests cover 14 million acres [52 percent of the state] and they face significant threats from wildfires, insects and disease, improper management and urban expansion,” according to a release from the council.
Many of the trees were planted by private citizens. Locally, residents went to the Tennessee Aquarium on Friday and could take up to 25 trees.
One local group held a public event to plant 25 trees on newly obtained property. While technically just across the state line in Georgia, Lula Lake Land Trust held a public gathering on undeveloped land across from its office on Lula Lake Road.