On the brisk morning of December 4th, 2024, a crowd of city officials, nonprofit workers, and tree lovers from all reaches of Nashville gathered in Whitsett Park, clutching coffees and talking excitedly amongst themselves. They were there to celebrate an exciting milestone: the planting of Root Nashville’s 50,000th tree.
Root Nashville, the urban forestry campaign led by Metro Nashville and the Cumberland River Compact, just entered its seventh year of existence this October. The campaign’s goal is to plant 500,000 trees across Davidson County by 2050, revitalizing Nashville’s urban tree canopy and contributing to a more beautiful, more resilient city.
Root Nashville’s 50,000th tree is a significant victory on the road to this enormous goal: first, because it allows us to celebrate all the trees that came before it. 50,000 trees is nearly three times the amount of trees in Central Park; that’s what Root Nashville partners have added to the city’s canopy since 2018.
Another reason this celebration matters so much is because it demonstrates Root Nashville’s exponential growth over the last six years. In year one of the campaign, partners planted a total of 5,447 trees; this year, the goal is to plant over 10,000.
The only way to reach 500,000 trees by 2050 is to continue this pattern of growth. Mekayle Houghton, the Compact’s Executive Director, understands the weight of this responsibility, but isn’t intimidated:
“Root Nashville is built on community support, whether that’s Neighborhood Planting Captains who volunteer their time, nonprofit partners who help distribute trees, or community members who organize their own planting projects and tell their friends to order trees. As long as there are more people in Nashville who are passionate about trees, there will be room for this campaign to expand.”
Every tree planted improves air and water quality, promotes climate resilience, and beautifies Nashville for current and future residents. The 50,000th tree represents a real step toward a sustainable future; in the years to come, it will thrive and grow tall in Whitsett Park as a symbol of pride and inspiration for the entire community.
Support Nashville’s Trees
Root Nashville’s planting season will continue throughout the winter of 2024-2025. Next summer, like the summers before, the Cumberland River Compact field team will water and care for thousands of one and two year-old trees to help achieve the campaign’s astonishing 90% survival rate.
You can sponsor a tree to cover the cost of its annual care. Starting at $90 to provide for one tree, your gift will help grow Nashville’s tree canopy and build a cleaner, cooler, more beautiful city.
