In Response to Nashville’s March Tornado

August 06, 2020

The GCA’s Restoration Initiative Grant

The Garden Club of America has awarded a $10,000 Restoration Initiative grant to the Garden Club of Nashville to replant trees at Clinton B. Fisk Park lost to a tornado in March 2020. Losing 120 of the existing 130 trees was especially devastating as Fisk Park is located in a neighborhood where trees are scarce. A tree planting day, scheduled for November, will help to restore Fisk Park to the green oasis it once was and provide a welcoming place for families to enjoy the outdoors. 

Thanks to the Garden Club of Nashville’s active involvement with the Nashville Tree Foundation (NTF), it was well-positioned to immediately address this devastation. NTF’s close partnership with Nashville’s Metro Parks Department will enable the three organizations to seamlessly execute this ambitious project. As a result of the GCA Restoration Initiative grant, the Garden Club of Nashville was able to apply for a matching grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The result was a $9,654.50 TAEP (TN Agricultural Enhancement Program) grant that will enable the purchase of more trees than originally planned, the employment of professional help for digging larger holes, the addition of mulch, and the ability to tag trees. “I am thrilled that the Garden Club of Nashville was able to access the GCA’s Restoration Initiative grant to restore the tree canopy in the city’s park that was hit square-on by the tornado,” said Garden Club of Nashville’s president.

Each year, The Garden Club of America awards member clubs Restoration Initiative grants for public landscape restoration and conservation projects in communities devastated by natural disasters. Replanting trees in Fisk Park is a prime example of how the grant builds on the GCA’s purpose to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.

Before the tornado. 

After the tornado.

 

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