On Saturday, November 16, 2024, 28 volunteers, consisting of 18 UT students, 9 Master Gardeners, and 1 other, volunteered at 2914 Wilson Avenue. The UT students were members of the UTK Community Gardening Club led by President Andy Wattanaskolpant and did a terrific job!
2914 Wilson Avenue was donated to the Alliance by Attorney Joseph J. Levitt,, Jr. The unimproved lot had not been kept up and was totally overgrown with invasives and kudzu. The job was to clear the lot so that a determination could be made as to what would be its highest and best use for the community.
At 9 o’clock, the large number of volunteers spread out and started attacking the invasives and the kudzu. By noon, the lot had been cleared, and it turns out to have some magnificent trees, including a massive beech tree.
Since it is covered with large trees and lies on the north slope of a fairly steep hill, it would not do well as a place for a vegetable garden. The students found and dugout a “council ring” under the large beech tree and suggested that one use might be for the lot to simply serve as a place where people could come and congregate and sit around the ring and enjoy nature and the magnificent trees on the lot. Other suggestions were that it would serve well as an orchard for various fruit trees.
Come, take a look, walk the property, and let us know what you think.
Many thanks to all who participated and everyone is invited to come out and volunteer on one of the Alliance‘s future workdays!