Restoration through community action.

Who We Are

The Cedar Creek Greenway Restoration Project is a local volunteer initiative, in partnership with the communities of Park Glen and Tuscan Gardens, the
City of Mt. Juliet’s Parks and Greenways Division, Wilson County Master Gardeners and the Tennessee Naturalist Program.

Why We Do What We Do

The Cedar Creek Greenway in North Mt. Juliet is a prized community connection with the potential to showcase our region’s beautiful wildflowers and wildlife.

However, invasive plant species and erosion are threatening these ecological treasures and putting this unique opportunity at risk.

The Greenway shouldn’t be a treasure hunt—the entire landscape should be the treasure. If we don't know what's there, it's hard to understand and appreciate it.

Restoring the natural landscape along the creek will create beauty, educational opportunities and greater appreciation for this natural space that
connects our community.

Monthly Newsletter

Learn the latest news about past and upcoming events!
Sign-up for our Monthly Newsletter below.

Our Partner and Donor Support Make This Possible.

Thank you!

Step 1: Check Out Our Event Calendar

Click on the Event to see details.

We update this calendar weekly. Many of our Volunteer Events, Nature and Birding walks are weather dependent.
If you have signed up for an event, you will be notified if the event task has been changed or if the event has been cancelled due to weather.

Step 3: Sign-up for Volunteer Events!

Use the form below to sign up for Volunteer Events.

We know your time is valuable and we appreciate your consideration in participating in our Volunteer Events. Thank you!

Project Goals

Plants Are Clues To The Past

Water was able to slow down by a combination of topography, dense ground vegetation and possibly beaver in the area. Plants that slowed down that water movement likely grew in a combination of open woodlands, canebrakes and shallow wetlands.
The woodlands were recorded as predominantly consisting of maple, oak, hickory and ash. Cedar trees represented only about 2% of the tree population. Oaks, hickories, ash and mature maples are all tree species that can tolerate occasional fire events, which cedar trees do not.
Today, cedar trees and invasive plants dominate most of the land along Cedar Creek due to high disturbance and lack of fire and good management practices. In the midst of these are a few large oak and hickory trees, seed remnants from the previous generations that had once been controlled by fire. Most of the ash trees are either dead or in poor health due to emerald ash borer damage.

River cane is a native bamboo-type grass that historically covered acres along the Cumberland River and its tributaries, which includes Cedar Creek. River cane can grow to be decades old and forms large colonies through a vast root system. It is a keystone species and was essential to the Tribal Nations who lived here. Canebrakes now cover less than 2% of their former range, making them one of North America's most threatened ecosystems.
Today, river cane dominates most of the understory near the soccer fields and remains in smaller pockets along the Cedar Creek.

Using a combination of a hydrologic determination map of the area from 2019 and documenting existing plant species found along this 1.1 mile section of Cedar Creek, there are pockets of wetlands remaining. These are not being managed properly or not being managed at all, which puts these small habitat remnants and specialized species that utilized them at risk. Unfortunately, these wetland remnants are not within our scope of work.

Open areas that were not filled with river cane or wetlands were likely grasslands. The different species of wildflowers found along the greenway are a testament to that.
Most wildflowers found here are full-sun to part-sun species, with only a few being woodland plants. Visit our Photo Gallery to see many of the wildflowers found along the Greenway.

• Plant + Wildlife Photo Gallery

Restoration Process

While we aren't putting fire back on the land due to safety concerns, we will be implementing management practices that will mimic the thinning of the woodland canopy to recreate that open tree canopy that once existed here.

Removing and managing the dense populations of invasive bush honeysuckle and privet, as well as suppressing vines, is the first step in creating that open woodland habitat. Over time, trees will be culled out, either by us or the beaver in the area. This will allow us to focus on quality of trees over quantity, and keeping tree species that reflect a fire managed open woodland. The creation of an environment with less competition for resources, such as sunlight, water and soil minerals, will allow the remaining trees to thrive.
_
The photo above was taken the first spring after the invasive plant removal. Tree canopy thinning has not yet been implemented.

The dense shade created by the invasive plants left most of the ground layer without vegetation. Encouraging the growth of native wildflowers, grasses and rivercane below this more open tree canopy is the second step restoring these areas to a healthy ecosystem. Having a dense ground layer of vegetation will help slow water movement during the high water events, allowing sediment to be captured and rebuild our top soil layer.

The creekbank, which is highly eroded, will have live stakes installed during the winter months. Live stakes are stem cuttings of specialized native trees and shrubs that, once pushed into the soil to a certain depth, will generate root systems. The root growth of these plants will help hold the soil in place, limiting erosion. The top growth of these plants will also help to create shady, cool conditions along the creekbank, which are important areas for fish and other wildlife within the creek.
-
The photo of creek bank erosion above was taken from the opposite side of Cedar Creek, of our Mt. Juliet site next to the soccer fields, prior to invasive plant removal.

• Click here to see how you can help us achieve our project goals.

Why are we removing them?