The Poplar Post: May 2026 Edition

This page presents the May 2026 issue of the Poplar Post newsletter in an ADA accessible format. Click the button below to subscribe and receive future issues directly in your inbox.

Arbor Day 2026

Arbor Day is a community based celebration of our trees across the country! The official date for Arbor Day in 2026 is April 24 but many communities across Tennessee celebrate from March through November. The first Arbor Day was celebrated in Arkansas in 1872 with the planting of more than 1 million trees!

Tennessee celebrated its first official Arbor Day three years later in 1875. Arbor Day is a great way to bring communities together and highlight the valuable services trees provide in increased air quality, access to shade, animal habitat, and natural beauty!

Cities and towns across Tennessee typically celebrate Arbor Day along with recognizing their Tree City USA awards. These awards, through the Arbor Day Foundation, are given to cities that go above and beyond for tree care in their community. The designation of Tree City is held by 47 communities in Tennessee. Along with Tree City, utility companies and education campuses are able to achieve Tree Line and Tree Campus recognitions respectively.

For more information about Arbor Day and to view the Tennessee Arbor Day Website, please visit the links below:

This year, the Tennessee Arbor Day was celebrated in Clarksville on March 6. The celebration marked Clarksville’s 37th year as a Tree City USA as well as the 151st year for the Tennessee Arbor Day. Along with the Tree City award, Clarksville received a Growth Award for the 21st year in a row due to their exemplary efforts expanding tree programs and education across the city. In 2025, Replant Clarksville was established as a nonprofit to advocate for the expansion of Clarksville’s tree canopy.

For more information on Replant Clarksville, please click on the link below:

Tennessee Community Heat Risk and Canopy Assessment

The Tennessee Division of Forestry’s Urban & Community Forestry Program, in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, recently completed the 2025 Tennessee Community Heat Risk Assessment - a statewide effort to better understand how heat impacts our communities. Using advanced geospatial analysis, this study evaluates heat risk at the census block level by combining three key factors: summer surface temperatures, tree canopy coverage, and socioeconomic vulnerability. Together, these layers create a composite heat risk index that highlights where residents may be most at risk during extreme heat events.

Why does this assessment matter? Urban heat is not felt equally. Areas with limited tree canopy and higher vulnerability often experience hotter conditions, increasing risks to public health, infrastructure and quality of life. By identifying these areas, communities can make more informed decisions about where to prioritize tree planting, cooling strategies, and long term resilience planning.

Each participating community receives a set of maps and data layers that break down individual heat risk components, making it easier for local governments, planners, and partners to take action. Whether it’s expanding tree canopy, improving green infrastructure, or targeting outreach efforts, this assessment provides a strong, data-driven foundation. This work reflects a growing commitment across Tennessee to use science and data to build healthier, more resilient communities.

A list of completed community assessments can be found below:

To view the full UTC Heat Risk and Canopy Assessment, follow the link below:

Bedford County Jail Forestry Program

Deep in the flat farm country of Bedford County Tennessee, you will find the Bedford County Jail. This jail houses nearly 300 people, but only a select few are allowed to participate in special programs such as the forestry program. The Bedford County Jail Therapeutic Gardening and Forestry Program allows men and women to develop real world skills through therapeutic activities such as gardening, woodworking, bonsai and urban forestry practices.

Tyler Meroney shared his experience working with the program: “One of my favorite highlights on the outdoor area is the nursery where native hardwoods and fruit trees have been planted. I used this area to teach the men how to properly prune and mulch young trees. We went through the nursery to select a few trees which had reached a point where we could place them in areas along the wood line on the property to teach them how to properly plant trees. Some trees have even made their way back out into the communities around the area. Several trees have gone to Normandy, WarTrace, Bell Buckle, Shelbyville and Nashville. These plantings represent one step in the full circle management approach of urban forestry.”

Over the past year, Meroney has guided participants through tree planting, pruning, mulching, gardening and invasive species removal. He also hosted a Weed Wrangle event (pictured above) with both the men’s and women’s groups along a wooded area near the jail.

According to Program Director Dean Graber, this was one of the program’s most productive and engaging activities. Using a tool called a “Weed Wrench”, which relies on grip and leverage to remove invasive plants at the root, participants worked together to extract some of the toughest invasive species in the area.

The program has helped participants build healthier habits, practical skills and a renewed sense of purpose through hands-on outdoor work whilep roviding opportunities to give back to their community. Graber explained that the Bedford County Jail’s Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) program is an evidence based, 16 step cognitive behavioral program designed to help men and women break cycles of addiction and repeated incarceration.

The program focuses on reducing recidivism by guiding participants through steps centered on personal responsibility and decision making. As part of the program created by Lt. Chris Cook, participants also engage in therapeutic horticultural work, including growing vegetables and native trees while building discipline, teamwork and accountability. The work creates opportunities to give back to the community through food production for the jail and the cultivation of native trees that are later planted in public spaces, reinforcing the program’s emphasis on personal growth and long term change.

Right Tree, Right Place

Selecting the right location for a tree can feel overwhelming. In urban and residential environments, factors such as powerlines, sidewalks, buildings and available growing space all play an important role in determining whether a tree will simply survive or truly thrive.

Below is a checklist of common considerations for planting trees in urban areas, yards and parks. While not comprehensive, it serves as a general guide, as every site and project should be evaluated based on its uniquec onditions and requirements.

Have an event, story, or project you think should be highlighted in an upcoming issue? Reach out to us at Urban.Forestry@TN.gov