Speaker: Judson Newbern, Alliance to Protect Nashville's Highland Rim

Judson Newbern will update us on the status of efforts to protect the 5,800-square-mile Highland Rim Forest. Two hundred square miles of Highland woodlands cradle Nashville from south of Radnor Lake, along the western edge of Davidson County and up through Joelton.

The Highland Rim is home to rare and endangered species. This ecosystem plays a vital role in environmental health by filtering air and water, regulating water flow, and storing carbon, but it’s endangered by deforestation, agriculture, and urbanization.

Conserving the Highland Rim is important for ecological, economic, and cultural reasons. Conservation efforts will protect this irreplaceable ecosystem and secure its future for future generations.

Judson, with the Alliance to Conserve Nashville’s Highland Rim Forest,  is a former senior facilities planner and member of Vanderbilt University’s executive administration team. He has served on the boards of Nashville’s Civic Design Center, the Chestnut Group (a nonprofit of landscape artists), Nashville Tree Conservation Corps, and the Metro Tree Advisory Committee (MTAC).