Tiger Blue Goes Green

The Agricenter is a non-profit, self-sustaining organization that provides economic development and improved quality of life with educational programs, environmental conservation, natural area preservation, agricultural research and recreation. It is also the world’s largest urban farm and research test facility.

The Citizens to Preserve Overton Park works with community activists to defend the Old Forest for the enjoyment and education of the current and future generations.

City residents organize city-wide trash and litter clean-ups in the hopes of helping improve Memphis’ image and to promote a sense of pride in the community. Clean Memphis’ goal is to engage every Memphian in getting and keeping Memphis clean. All upcoming clean-ups are listed on both the Clean Memphis website and their Facebook page.

The Coalition of Livable Communities, also known as Livable Memphis, and is a grassroots movement to support the development and redevelopment of healthy, economically sustainable and walkable communities in Memphis & Shelby County.

This non-profit citizen group is dedicated to protecting the historical Memphis Riverfront and its potential as a green space for the public.

Lovingly known as simply “The Greenline” to its users, this non-profit organization is run by Memphians who love the outdoors. They are devoted to promoting an integrated multi-use trail system throughout Memphis and Shelby County. The current Greenline connects downtown Memphis to Shelby Farms Park and is striving for further expansion.

With the help of community leaders, the elderly and students at neighborhood schools, GrowMemphis turns vacant lots into thriving community gardens. This organization is a collaborative effort between the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and the communities of Beltline, Binghampton, Orange Mound, North Midtown, Uptown, South Memphis, Midtown, Frayser and Parkway Gardens. New gardens are added every season. Their work provides urban communities with fresh and nutritious food. New volunteers of all ages are welcome in all neighborhoods.

Home to a wide variety of plans, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, LNC is a certified arboretum and an urban nature center accessible to city dwellers. Lush gardens, native trees and more surround 65 acres of lake, meadow and forest for visitors.

Memphis Botanic Garden strives to enhance the lives of Memphians by connecting them with nature, increasing awareness and appreciation of the environment. Over 43,000 school-aged children are served annually through organized education programs offering them the opportunity to get outdoors and explore nature. 225,000 visitors come to the garden every year as well and for Mid-Southerners, the Botanic Garden is a tranquil get-away in the heart of Memphis.

Pick Tennessee is a project by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture that tracks all food, beverages, flowers, trees and more that are grown and offered for sale in Tennessee for the consumer’s convenience. Their website lists everything from farmers markets to greenhouses.

The Conservancy is a non-profit organization and one of the largest urban parks in the country at 4,500 acres. Memphians and Mid-Southerners find refuge in the park’s vast, open vistas and serene, wooded trails.

The Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club represents 1,300 members in Memphis and West Tennessee. We advocate for policies that protect the environment, offer hikes, outdoor recreation for people of all ages, support candidates for public office with environmental concerns and more.

Founded in 2007, Slow Food Memphis is one of more than 200 Slow Food chapters across the United States that aims to educate their respective communities about the importance of a clean, fair food system and protecting Southern food culture. Slow Food Memphis has an active Facebook page.

Strawberry Plains is a 2,600-acre nature sanctuary “where nature and history meet.” The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the Earth’s biological diversity.

The Tennessee Clean Water Network is a non-profit corporation celebrating 10 years of working on behalf of the environment, clean water and public health. They organize like-minded individuals from all over Tennessee to advance clean water policies for a sustainable future.

The Memphis Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society is a group for bird-watching enthusiasts of all ages. Over the past 25 years, the group has spotted Bald Eagles, Osprey, Barn Owls, Mississippi Kites and Peregrine Falcons. Members participate in hikes, special bird counting events and more.

This organization’s motto is to “protect, preserve and support parks, greenways and open space in Tennessee.” Their mission is to protect the state’s natural environment and they have so far conserved hundreds of thousands of acres of forests, mountains, creeks, rivers, dams, farms and more.

The Memphis Chapter of this state-wide, non-profit organization promotes the development of hiking trails in the southwestern part of the state. Hikes are regularly scheduled throughout the year on the many trails in this area of Tennessee. Many TTA members also volunteer their time to build and maintain trails on both public and private land. The Tennessee Trails Association was founded in 1968 and has an active Facebook page.

The V&E Greenline is a 1.7-mile rails-to-trails park that is owned by the Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood association and was purchased by the neighborhood in 1996. The trail runs from Springdale to Watkins, with intersections at Stonewall, Evergreen, McLean and Jackson. The V&E Greenline openly accepts new committee members.

The Wolf River Conservancy is a non-profit land trust based in Memphis designed to conserve and enhance the Wolf River corridor and watershed as a sustainable natural resource. The conservancy was formed in 1985 and has since protected over 18,000 acres along the Wolf River. The group also plans advocacy and educational outreach programs and emphasizes the importance of protecting the Wolf River and the Memphis Sands, the source of Memphis’ public drinking water.