Earth Matters History ...
EarthMatters Tennessee was founded in 1996 as a non profit consulting team designed to help communities build their own pro-active projects and programs that promote and effect positive relations with each other and the Earth. Our primary emphasis is on environmental education thru experiential activities, presentations and workshops. We utilize the science of urban and rural permaculture, as well as soil science, to effect positive ecological change in all our participants.
We have been responsible for the installation and management of dozens of gardens and backyard "yardens" throughout Nashville. Most sustainable include: The Terrance Murray Garden at Edgehill (named after a Kids To The Country kid killed by a random act of violence), the Woodbine Garden, the Eastwood Garden, the Finland Street garden, and school gardens at Napier and Cora Howe Elementary School, and Bailey Middle School.
Some of our recent successes include:
*17 years (5 years with the Green Neighborhood’s Project) producing the annual city-wide Smashing Pumpkins/Leaf Lift where thousands of bags of Fall leaves are rescued and released to form rich, organic compost. EMT staff and volunteers manpower the site every Saturday throughout the year, providing services to the community such as leaf pick up, compost delivery to community gardens and family "yardens", litter pick up, etc.; all active, direct care involvement growing all-so essential eco-mmunity.The finished compost starts dozens of Nashville area school, community and individual gardens and has been used in several beautification projects throughout Nashville. EarthMatters Tennessee staff continue to provide ongoing support services for many of these projects and gardens.
*17 years managing the creative Land Sculpture designs at the central compost site known as the Geo. W. Carver Food Park, home to the Egyptian Ankh, Peace Sign and Yin Yang symbols, respectively. These giant earthworks are totally comprised of rescued, discarded leaves and organic "waste." The art and experiential lesson when volunteers see the earth (leaves) eat the vegetables (gleaned produce), not blow away and "stick together" is profound!
*15 years with the Kids To The Country program based in Summertown, TN. This year round team building project reunites the kids of the Summer program. KTC serves at-risk boys and girls age 6 - 12 to approximately 100 youth per year. Monthly outings, speakers, music, field trips, and a newsletter (in process) keeps these peers as friends and reinforces the lessons in conflict resolution, unplugged hobbies and peace with the earth, active in their young minds.
*A 2002 award resolution from Mayor Bill Purcell and Nashville Metro. Council in recognition of the essential environmental work EarthMatters Tennessee does throughout the city and Middle Tennessee.
*Director Sizwe Herring awarded the Middle Tennessee Teacher of the Year by the Tennessee Environmental Educators Association for afterschool and weekend educational experiences conducted to hundreds of Nashville area youth.
*Produced a "2001 Seeds of Spring" campaign, where 12,000 packets of organic vegetable and herb seeds, along with 1000 tree seedlings were freely distributed throughout Nashville, during Earth Day month. Thes projects designed to address environmental justice action.
*Specialty environmental workshops, presentations and symposiums at more than 50 Nashville area schools, ranging from day cares to graduate school classes at Fisk, Meharry, Tennessee State and Vanderbilt University.
*Articles in Organic Gardening, TN Conservationist, EarthLight and Whole Earth magazines. December 2005 Tennessean newspaper front page local section entitled "NonProfit Enriches Gardens...Lives." Full feature, front page, local article in the Nashville Tennessean newspaper, entitled "Basking in God’s Creation." Full page article entitled "Natural Inclination" in the Nashville Scene newspaper.
*Collaboration relationships with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Department of Environment and Conservation, Metropolitan Police Department, more than two dozen area churches, neighborhood associations and youth organizations, the Metropolitan Sheriffs office, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods, other environmental groups such as the TN Environmental Council, B.U.R.N.T., Recycle! Nashville, Recycling Advocates of Middle Tennessee, Breeze Hill Neighbors, Sunnyside Neighbors and dozens of families, churches and youth interested in outdoor, ecological fun and accomplishment.
*Publishing a booklet on a series of fun, teaching thru popular culture "Rake-A-Robics" exercises and activities for volunteers to do while working in the gardens and at the composting sites.
*Regular meetings and planning with Project R.E.A.C.H. (Racial and Ethnic Approaches To Community Health), the Natural Resources and Conservation staff at Tennessee State University, Tennessee Environmental Council, TOGA (TN Organic Growers Association), Middle TN Sierra Club, and the Nashville No-Spray Coalition.
*Collaboration and volunteer activities with the student service organizations at Tennessee State University, Fisk University and Oasis Center, League of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, TN Aquatic Project and Davidson County and Sherrif department's community service program.
Our volunteer staff and board are diligent and dedicated to improving the environment for all Nashvillian’s regardless of social, economic, cultural or generational boundaries. We believe that thru the "compassion of care" whether it be a plant, pet or another human being, we can help transform our neighborhoods into a more thoughtful and environmentally aware community of ecological responsible citizens.
