Tennessee Smart Yards

Our June 2026 newsletter is out! We hope you find useful and timely information for your smart yard and your community. Check it out here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsJune2026

Check out archived newsletters here: https://tnyards.utk.edu/publications

Sign up to receive newsletters to your inbox here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsnewsletter

Happy International Day for Biodiversity! Did you know that Tennessee is a biodiversity hotspot, especially for freshwater ecosystems? Tennessee is home to over 300 fish species, the largest density of freshwater mussels in the world with over 100 species, and over 60 species of salamanders, with the Great Smoky Mountains known widely as the Salamander Capital of the World. Unfortunately, many of these species are also imperiled by threats, like habitat loss and pollution.

This year's theme, "Act Locally for Global Impact" is right up our alley. Every stewardship action we take in our Smart Yards helps keep Tennessee a special place and brings those natural wonders right into our yards.

Here are some actions that help protect freshwater ecosystems:
- build a rain garden to catch runoff and grow unique plants - https://tnyards.utk.edu/raingardens
- know your watershed - https://tiny.utk.edu/watersheds
- increase vegetation along streams to create healthy buffers -https://tnyards.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/170/2023/01/SP781-B.pdf

More on International Day for Biodiversity - https://www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day

Map source: NatureServe (https://www.natureserve.org/map-biodiversity-importance)

Join us in Dickson County!

🌱💧 Love your yard? Love your local streams?

Discover how small changes in your yard can make a big impact! Join us for this Tennessee Smart Yards Workshop and learn how to manage rainwater, use NATIVE PLANTS, and create a healthier, lower‑maintenance landscape that works with nature.

🌸 Hands‑on learning • 🌧️ Rain garden design • 🎁Free gift

The $20.00 registration fee may be paid in advance by stopping by the office or on the morning of the event.

See the flyer for details and register today! 😊

Tennessee Smart Yards

Our May 2026 newsletter is out! We hope you find useful and timely information for your smart yard and your community. Check it out here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsMay2026
Check out archived newsletters here: https://tnyards.utk.edu/publications
Sign up to receive newsletters to your inbox here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsnewsletter

Every day is Earth Day in a Tennessee Smart Yard! No matter how big or small, all the stewardship actions we take in our yards help protect our vibrant Tennessee ecosystems, water resources, and unique wildlife. This year's Earth Day theme, "Our Power, Our Planet," is a testament to how we really do have the power to protect our natural resources and enjoy natural harmony on the land we are stewarding. Keep it up today and every day!

More on Earth Day 2026 here: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2026/

Check out or progress at our Dashboard: https://tiny.utk.edu/tnsydashboard
and Photo library: https://tiny.utk.edu/tnsyphotolibrary

Our April 2026 newsletter is out! We hope you find useful and timely information for your smart yard and your community. Check it out here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsApril2026

Check out archived newsletters here: https://tnyards.utk.edu/publications

Sign up to receive newsletters to your inbox here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsnewsletter

Happy World Water Day! The theme this year is "Where water flows, equality grows." We are very fortunate to have abundant clean water in Tennessee, and we are doing our part to keep it that way!

Through the Tennessee Smart Yards program:
- 356 certifiers have created riparian buffers to protect creeks and streams
- 333 certifiers have built rain gardens to reduce runoff
- 440 certifiers are using rain barrels to save water
- 475 certifiers have adjusted their sprinklers to reduce water waste

More on World Water Day here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day

March is Extension Month! Did you know that there are efforts like Tennessee Smart Yards in other states? Check out the other southeastern Extension programs working together towards a common goal of functional yards, clean water, and healthy ecosystems - one yard and one community at a time.

Florida Friendly Landscaping: https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ffl-and-you/home-landscapes/

Alabama Watershed Stewards: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/fish-water/alabama-watershed-stewards/

Carolina Yards: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/carolinayards/

Georgia Green Landscape Stewards: https://site.extension.uga.edu/georgiagreen/

Have you certified your Tennessee Smart Yard yet? https://tnyards.utk.edu

Our March 2026 newsletter is out! We hope you find useful and timely information for your smart yard and your community. Check it out here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsMarch2026
Check out archived newsletters here: https://tnyards.utk.edu/publications
Sign up to receive newsletters to your inbox here: https://tiny.utk.edu/smartyardsnewsletter

Thermonasty, what a cool word! Thermonasty refers to the nastic (or non-directional) movement of plants in response to temperature changes. This is different than thermotropism, when plants move towards heat sources. This Rhododendron is displaying it's thermonastic mechanism, curling and drooping of the leaves when the temperature falls below freezing.

More on thermonasty here: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2026/iowa-state-university-researcher-studies-relationship-between-freezing-and-natural

And here: https://www.brandywine.org/conservancy/blog/rhododendrons-thermometers