Category: Green Team
Planting roots and collecting litter: Finding community through Green Team volunteering
July 30, 2025
When Rhea Bridgeland moved to Huntsville just over a year ago, she brought with her a deep passion for environmental health and a love for shared community spaces like parks and libraries. Looking for a way to connect with her new hometown, she turned to VolunteerMatch—a national portal for volunteer opportunities—and found exactly what she was looking for: a tree planting event hosted by Green Team at Cavalry Hill Community [more]
Read MoreWhy use native plants in urban landscapes?
July 22, 2025
The City’s Landscape Management Department has planted native trees on Lowe Avenue near the U.S. Courthouse. Today’s urban landscaping trends emphasize sustainability, ecological value, low-maintenance beauty and community involvement. Public support for native plants and wildlife-friendly green spaces is growing—thanks in large part to a better-informed community that understands how these landscapes help reduce habitat fragmentation. All plants contribute to healthier urban environments. They cool our cities by reducing heat islands, manage [more]
Read MoreHow meal prepping can help the planet
July 20, 2025
Meal prepping has become a popular strategy to save time, reduce stress and eat healthier. Beyond the convenience and health benefits, meal prepping is also a great opportunity to live more sustainably. Here’s how meal prepping helps you eat green, reduce waste and save time: Reduces food waste: When you plan your meals in advance, you buy only what you need and use ingredients before they spoil. You’re also more likely to [more]
Read MoreBeware of the invasive nature of bamboo
July 3, 2025
Running bamboo is the neighbor you never want to have. Yes, it’s popular in landscaping and much stronger than it might appear. But according to City Arborist Marc Byers, bamboo that is growing wild or has been planted makes for lousy neighbors. “There are just so many challenges in controlling it in the way that it spreads,” he said. “If you lived next to someone who had bamboo on their property, you [more]
Read MoreComposting 101: How to Get Started on a Budget at Home
July 3, 2025
Through composting, your kitchen waste can be nature’s gold. Composting is nature’s recycling system, turning your food scraps as well as kitchen and garden waste into rich, earthy goodness you can use to feed your plants. You don’t even need a big budget or a lot of equipment as you follow these tips to get started: What you can compost: You want a good balance of greens and browns. Greens are wet, [more]
Read MoreGreen Mountain volunteers working to fight litter
July 2, 2025
When it comes to fighting litter, it can be as simple as building some new, easy habits. That’s the approach for the Green Mountain Civic League in south Huntsville. As chair of the group’s Beautification committee, Sarita Oliver has urged residents to keep their space tidy. Green Mountain residents have been working to keep the area litter free. “We want to encourage people when you’re out taking your walk in your normal area, [more]
Read MoreWhen severe storms strike and trees fall, the City of Huntsville is on top of it.
May 30, 2025
With the recent wave of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms toppling trees throughout north Alabama, there’s a detail to keep mind during cleanup. If a tree on City of Huntsville property falls onto private property, the City’s Landscape Management crews may be able to remove or clean up that tree. Unfortunately, downed trees have been common in recent storms, particularly on Monte Sano and on the eastern side of the mountain along [more]
Read MoreStuart Obermann and family beautify Aldridge Creek Greenway in memory of son
May 30, 2025
The story began in 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying uncertainty. Five years ago, the City of Huntsville dedicated a portion of the Aldridge Creek Greenway in memory of Eric Obermann, a 28-year-old Huntsville native who died of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. His family’s foundation donated funding for Green Team to plant about 270 trees and shrubs in the shade-deprived area of [more]
Read MoreEco Tips: Travel greener this summer
May 29, 2025
As you plan your summer getaway, consider how your travel choices impact the planet. You don’t have to compromise vacation adventure for sustainability but some planning and thoughtful packing helps lighten the impact on the environment. Choose eco-friendly destinations: Many cities and regions around the world such as Costa Rica and Iceland have green certifications or are recognized for their eco-conscious tourism efforts. Such places support local economies, protect wildlife and [more]
Read MoreGreen Ambassador awards ceremony celebrates sustainability projects in Huntsville schools
May 16, 2025
With a near-overflow crowd at the Jaycee Community Building in John Hunt Park, the Green Ambassador program commended students and teachers across Huntsville for sustainability projects both inside and outside the classroom at an awards ceremony on Thursday, May 15. Wrapping up its second year, the Green Ambassador program is the educational arm of the City of Huntsville’s Green Team. Student projects ranged from recycling to creating community gardens designed to [more]
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