The Chattanooga Tree Project (CTP) is dedicated to expanding Chattanooga’s tree canopy by planting trees and fostering partnerships. Through collaboration, we create job opportunities, provide education, and actively engage the community in environmental stewardship. Our goal is to promote a healthier environment and strengthen neighborhoods for future generations.
The Chattanooga Tree Project operates under funding from the U.S. Forest Service, which supports urban forestry initiatives across the country. This grant enables CTP to plant trees, create workforce development programs, and educate the community about the benefits of urban forestry. Through strategic planning and collaboration with local partners, CTP ensures that funds are used efficiently to maximize environmental and social impact. While the grant serves as the foundation for our work, we are actively exploring additional funding opportunities to sustain and expand our efforts beyond the grant’s duration, ensuring a lasting legacy of environmental stewardship in Chattanooga.
CTP is a strong partnership between the City of Chattanooga, the IGTLab at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Understory by green|spaces, and the Southeast Conservation Corps. This collaboration is essential to our success, allowing us to leverage resources, expertise, and community networks. Our partnership provides vital support through funding, education, workforce development, and volunteer engagement. By working together, we maximize our impact, ensuring that more trees are planted, more people are educated, and more communities benefit from a greener, healthier environment.
The City of Chattanooga enhances the city's urban canopy and promotes environmental sustainability. Their goal is to plant trees, remove invasive species, and conduct projects to restore riparian buffers in underserved neighborhoods and parks around the city. Through these efforts, they aim to increase Chattanooga’s tree cover and cultivate a shared sense of environmental stewardship.
Southeast Conservation Corps plays a vital role in supporting the Chattanooga Tree Project by providing skilled crews for tree-planting and habitat restoration efforts. With a focus on empowering young adults and veterans through conservation service programs, SECC helps execute large-scale projects that improve urban green spaces and protect natural ecosystems. Their expertise and dedication ensure that the tree project’s goals are met with efficiency and long-lasting impact, benefiting both the environment and the community.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga inspires environmental awareness and action among its students and faculty. Through tree-planting events, research initiatives, and volunteer programs, UTC contributes to expanding the city’s tree canopy while providing hands-on educational experiences. By integrating sustainability into its curriculum and fostering student engagement, UTC helps equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to address environmental challenges in their communities. UTC’s Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technology Lab is contributing its expertise in geospatial data science, spatial analysis, and cartography for tree planting prioritization, project tracking, canopy assessments, and public outreach.
Understory by Green|Spaces collaborates with the Chattanooga Tree Project to promote sustainable development and urban resilience. Their focus on green infrastructure and environmental design supports tree-planting initiatives that address urban heat islands and stormwater management. Through community outreach and innovative sustainability programs, Understory helps amplify the importance of trees in creating livable, thriving neighborhoods. Their efforts align with the broader mission of fostering environmental stewardship across Chattanooga.
Originally from the Atlanta area, Michael earned his BLA at the University of Georgia and has practiced landscape architecture for 15 years. He has had the privilege of learning under and working with ecologically minded professionals throughout his career.
Over the past decade living in Chattanooga, Michael explored the interaction between nature and the built environment and, more importantly, how both intersect with the human experience. Michael serves as Chair of the Chattanooga Tree Commission and believes our City’s relationship with trees is only as strong as the participation of the people in the communities we serve. Advocating for communities and trees has become Michael’s priority.
In his free time, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristen, and their dog, Diamond. He tries to visit a new National Park every year to explore natural wonders.
Chris Winters is an ISA Certified Arborist holding a BS in Natural Resource Management and a BA in Philosophy from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Among other qualifications, Chris is a Licensed Pesticide Applicator under the state of Tennessee, and an ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor. Chris obtained his ISA Master Arborist Certification in 2025. He is excited to bring his passion for conservation to Chattanooga’s urban forest.
Entranced by Chattanooga’s incredible rock climbing, Chris and his wife, Kate, moved to Chattanooga after living on the road as a traveling trail building duo. Since his reintroduction into normal society, he has been hard at work honing skills as a professional arborist. Chris has a passion for proper tree care and seeing a positive change in the industry. With specialties in large mature tree pruning and plant health care, he hopes to shift the onus of tree care from tree removal to tree preservation.
Outside of his work, Chris is an avid reader of classic sci-fi novels, a passionate vegetable gardener, and a casual climber of rocks and trees. He can often be found lounging in Suck Creek with his dogs, or tirelessly building his new homestead, just off Moccasin Bend, with friends and family.
In 2012, Jimi moved from a small town in Colorado to Tennessee where he earned a bachelor’s degree in urban forestry from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Throughout his studies, Jimi interned with several organizations where he cultivated a strong interest in tree equity, urban wood utilization, and tackling the challenges of urban heat islands.
While living in Knoxville, Jimi founded SoKno Pride, a nonprofit dedicated to hosting annual LGBTQ+ events that raise funds for organizations supporting marginalized communities. This initiative ignited his commitment to community activism and event planning.
Now, as the Director of Engagement at Chattanooga Tree Project, Jimi aims to combine his expertise in urban forestry, event planning, and outreach to foster meaningful connections throughout Chattanooga. He will focus on ensuring that all residents have equitable access to trees, green spaces, and the environmental benefits they provide.
When not working, Jimi can be found exploring the outdoors, searching for quirky thrift store finds, building furniture, or channeling his creativity into art projects.
Holly Odell is a Chattanooga native. She lives in historic Highland Park with her husband, Jared, their four year daughter, and two fur babies. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading in her spare time. Holly earned her BS in Environmental Science: Policy & Planning and her MS in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Before joining the City, she worked in conservation as the Director of Conservation at a local land trust. After working in the nonprofit sector for five years, she decided to further her work experience by pursuing a job in public service. She is excited about working with the City to support the Chattanooga Tree Project for many reasons, including the expansion of the urban canopy, the opportunity to connect with the community, and to positively impact the city in a way that will last for years to come.
“I grew up in Chattanooga. I remember when the aquarium was built and things were just beginning to shift into the scenic city we all know today. I love this city! But with those changes, the city is growing so fast. New developments are happening every day, which means more impervious surfaces and fewer trees. Through this grant we have the opportunity to do the right thing to ensure equitable access to green spaces and cooler temps in neighborhoods that have been missing out on the positive effects of an urban canopy and will continue to be disproportionately impacted as the average global temp continues to rise.
Courtney Alley is an environmental scientist with a background in GIS and botany. She moved to Chattanooga in 2017 to complete her master’s in environmental science at the UTC, where her research involved developing species distribution models of invasive plant species to evaluate the threat they present to natural areas in the state. She also assisted in planning and coordinating the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, taught entry level biology labs, and helped with herbarium curation and digitization. Following her graduate career, Courtney worked with rare plant data management, assisted with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service species status assessment, volunteered with local organizations like the Chattanooga Audubon Society, and worked as a senior GIS specialist for Hamilton County.
She’s excited to have the opportunity to use her background in environmental science to work with communities that have been deprived of the benefits of tree canopy and green spaces and help increase these areas for more people to enjoy. When Courtney’s not at work, you can find her looking for cool plants with her dog or crafting with her friends.
