October 28, 2025
photo and artcle by Todd Waterman
Tennessee Chapter Director Pat Cupples (pictured left) presented Dan Firth with Sierra Club's National 2025 Volunteer Achievement Award at our Garden Party fundraising event at Knoxville's Ijams Nature Center on October 4th, 2025.
Through his leadership of the Chapter's Solid Waste Committee, Firth has led two groundbreaking campaigns. First, the Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act he authored will create Tennessee jobs by incentivizing producers to reduce and recycle packaging that otherwise necessitates unpopular new landfills and ends up as roadside and waterway trash. Second, he has tested sewage sludge now being spread as fertilizer on farms in Northeast Tennessee, exposing some of the highest toxic PFAS "forever chemical" concentrations ever reported in the U.S. For both projects, Dan has built teams that have generated powerful public and legislative support.
Throughout the evening, Cupples acknowledged others for their own achievements. He presented a 2025 TN Sierra Club Trailblazer Honoree certificate to Beaver Creek Kayak Club's Charlie Austin, who was introduced by new HBG member Carolyn Fellhoelter. The presentation included videos documenting their cleanup of massive amounts of debris from Beaver Creek with some blockages as large as a house. Thanks to their dedication, kayakers can now paddle the entire downstream half of the creek to Melton Hill Lake.
Cupples then introduced a segment titled "Parks Within Reach: Oak Ridge and Knoxville – Honoring our past, designing our future." Ellen Smith, representing Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation (AFORR) and serving as an Oak Ridge City Council member, updated the packed house on a coalition effort—including Sierra Club—to restore Clark Center Park as a key access point for the Pellissippi Blueway on Melton Hill Lake. Knoxville City Council candidate Denzel Grant and Kent Minault celebrated a hard-won victory by Chilhowee Park's neighbors and HBG: the Knoxville City Council's September 30th decision not to approve Mayor Indya Kincannon's unpopular proposal to sell a currently fenced-off portion of the park to a sports complex developer, which raised hopes for a true community park (see Jerry Thornton's article, "Harvey Broome Group Helps Defeat ...").
Through his leadership of the Chapter's Solid Waste Committee, Firth has led two groundbreaking campaigns. First, the Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act he authored will create Tennessee jobs by incentivizing producers to reduce and recycle packaging that otherwise necessitates unpopular new landfills and ends up as roadside and waterway trash. Second, he has tested sewage sludge now being spread as fertilizer on farms in Northeast Tennessee, exposing some of the highest toxic PFAS "forever chemical" concentrations ever reported in the U.S. For both projects, Dan has built teams that have generated powerful public and legislative support.
Throughout the evening, Cupples acknowledged others for their own achievements. He presented a 2025 TN Sierra Club Trailblazer Honoree certificate to Beaver Creek Kayak Club's Charlie Austin, who was introduced by new HBG member Carolyn Fellhoelter. The presentation included videos documenting their cleanup of massive amounts of debris from Beaver Creek with some blockages as large as a house. Thanks to their dedication, kayakers can now paddle the entire downstream half of the creek to Melton Hill Lake.
Cupples then introduced a segment titled "Parks Within Reach: Oak Ridge and Knoxville – Honoring our past, designing our future." Ellen Smith, representing Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation (AFORR) and serving as an Oak Ridge City Council member, updated the packed house on a coalition effort—including Sierra Club—to restore Clark Center Park as a key access point for the Pellissippi Blueway on Melton Hill Lake. Knoxville City Council candidate Denzel Grant and Kent Minault celebrated a hard-won victory by Chilhowee Park's neighbors and HBG: the Knoxville City Council's September 30th decision not to approve Mayor Indya Kincannon's unpopular proposal to sell a currently fenced-off portion of the park to a sports complex developer, which raised hopes for a true community park (see Jerry Thornton's article, "Harvey Broome Group Helps Defeat ...").
Next, Cupples acknowledged HBG's "Foundations"—long-time members including Alice Thornton, Will Skelton, Victor Ashe, Ron Shrieves, and Axel Ringe—representing just a few of the many members with decades of dedication, some spanning up to 50 years. One of those long-time members was HBG Chair Jerry Thornton, who presented a surprise "Cornerstone Award" to our beloved Mac Post for all of his quiet contributions—including co-organizing the Garden Party as Chapter Fundraising Chair.
By Todd Waterman