GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A year has passed since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc, leaving communities to grapple with the aftermath of devastating floods that obliterated homes and landscapes. While progress has been made in rebuilding homes, the journey to restore the lush greenery that once flourished will extend over many years.

On Saturday, a dedicated group of individuals in Greene County took a significant step toward this restoration effort.

Green Interchange spearheaded a community tree-planting initiative along the Nolichucky River, specifically on Browns Bridge Road in Greene County, aiming to rejuvenate a 5-acre conservation area. The hurricane’s floods swept away hundreds of trees from this site, and thousands more across the counties the Nolichucky River traverses.

Nearly 60 volunteers rallied together to replant trees, with an ambitious target of introducing approximately 2,000 new trees to the region.

John McFadden from Green Interchange highlighted the critical nature of this undertaking. “We’re beginning to address the loss of natural resources,” he noted. “The Division of Forestry estimated a staggering $60 million in forest value was lost. Our organization, Green Challenge, in collaboration with partners like TVA and the Appalachian Watershed Alliance, is committed to reforesting these affected areas. As I like to put it, no tree planting project is too big or small for us. We’ll plant them all.”

Susan Ehrenclou of Green Interchange emphasized to News Channel 11 the importance of restoring the riverbanks, noting that it plays a crucial role in sustaining the health of the river ecosystem.

“It flows through TVA’s dam, power-generating plants, and really brings a lot of benefits to people throughout the whole Tennessee River Valley.”

By reforesting the flooded areas, McFadden explained, it’s also rebuilding lost habitat for birds and wildlife, stabilizing and protecting the riverbank, and keeping pollutants out of the area wildlife’s source of drinking water.

The group told News Channel 11 that it hopes to plant 50,000-75,000 trees a year in Tennessee through events like this one at specific sites, as well as hosting tree giveaways throughout the year.

More information about Green Interchange can be found at greeninterchange.org.