Engel Stadium, owned by UTC is locked from the outside and decaying on the inside. The stadium is set to be torn down and replaced by a women’s sports complex in 2026. Friday November 7, 2025 (Photo by Delaney Holman).
Patterned ties knotted at the neck and bright dresses swished with each stride. Frilly hats, white gloves, and leather shoes stayed on despite the heat. A Sunday afternoon in 1950s Chattanooga, Tennessee, called for the best fashion. Only this crowd had already been to church, and they were headed for another kind of sanctuary: Engel Stadium. “I can picture my father with his tie on, sitting in the stands on a Sunday after church,” said Mickey McCamish, former President of The Engel Foundation. “Growing up, Engel Stadium and The Lookouts were a social fabric of Chattanooga. It was the center place.”
Now, those Sunday games are long gone. After decades of negligence and decay, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has announced that Engel Stadium will be demolished in 2026 and replaced with a women’s sports center. This decision has stirred both nostalgia and frustration from the Chattanooga community, especially those like McCamish who knew the stadium as the hub of social life in town.
John Rawlston, during his time as staff photographer at the Chattanooga Times Press, documented the final season of Chattanooga, Tennessee’s minor league baseball team The Lookouts. This last season took place at the famous Engel Stadium, which is set to be demolished under UTC’s ownership to create a new women’s athletic center. Rawlston recounts what made that season special, and the historical significance of the Engel Stadium.
McCamish first saw Engel as a ten-year-old selling Coca-Cola in the stands. Now a Navy veteran and Executive Director of Friends of the Festival, he watches as the fabric of Engel Stadium fades.
Axel Robards looks at the camera as he prepares for testing at Atlanta Motorsports Park, Georgia. Friday November 21, 2025 (Photo by Zoie Denton)
At just 14 years old, Axel Robards, a young driver from Chattanooga, Tennessee, is already setting his sights on one of the most exclusive dreams: a seat in Formula 1. What makes his journey so compelling isn’t just the speed or the ambition, it’s the unshakable belief that one day, he’ll race among the best. The one sport in which you can say, “You’re one of the best in the world.”
For Robards, racing was not something he discovered later in life; it coursed through his veins from the very beginning. Growing up in Chattanooga, he was immersed in a world where his two older brothers spent their weekends kart-racing. As a kid, he never got behind the wheel, but he had a front-row seat to his brothers’ battles, feeling every turn, every drift, and every slip.
“[Racing] made everything feel alive,” said Robards. He didn’t just like watching; he wanted to race. That longing matured fast. Around age 11, with no formal training, Robards got behind the wheel of a kart for the first time. What followed was less of a tentative drive and more of a revelation.
Joel Westbrook talks about his journey as a wheelchair athlete in martial arts and how his spina bifida doesn’t limit him. He is the first wheelchair athlete to join the U.S. Para-Karate National Team and became an inspiration for those with physical limitations to challenge themselves, so they can take the first steps towards greatness.
Greatness wears many faces. For 18-year-old martial artist Joel Westbrook, greatness is carved into every determined push of his wheels. As the first ever male wheelchair athlete selected for the U.S. Para-Karate National Team, he has become a living symbol that limitations don’t define a person. His journey is proof that true strength is not bound by the body, but by the fire that drives it forward.
Joel Westbrook releases a sharp kiai, a forceful, exclamatory shout in karate. This practice supposedly connected the mind and body, as he executed the final move in his kata. Tuesday, November 11, 2025. (Photo by Angelina Fraga.)
Westbrook was born with spina bifida, a condition that affects how the spine and nerves develop. He can walk short distances using braces and crutches, but his wheelchair is where he feels strongest and most comfortable. Despite the challenges he faces, he has never felt limited.
When Westbrook was around eight years old, he saw a television show with a character performing martial arts in a wheelchair. For most viewers, it was simply a character, but for Westbrook, he saw himself represented in a sport that had always seemed inaccessible. Under the guidance of his physical therapist, Westbrook and his family discovered Green’s Karate in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a dojo known for adapting karate for all students.
Lillian Moore, Director of Community Impact at the Bethlehem Center, speaks about the The Farm at The Beth and the role that pollinators play in supporting sustainable food systems. The organization manages an urban micro-farm and beehive on their property to serve the local community and educate their students in environmental stewardship.
The rays of the October sun cast a soft, golden glow across the farm, warming the soil and illuminating every shade of leafy lettuce and kale green stretching through the rows. Nearby, children tumble about after a long day at school, unleashing the energy that has been bubbling inside them for hours. Their laughter blends with the hum of bees and insects, creating an easy harmony across the landscape. In many ways, the youthful energy mirrors the growth and vitality of the plants, pollinators, and people who make this land functional, thriving, and truly alive.
Nestled in the heart of Alton Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the Bethlehem Center, known affectionately as “The Beth.” A 105-year-old community-based education and resource access organization, its quarter-acre urban farm serves as one of its most vibrant programs, a small yet powerful plot dedicated to improving food access for individuals who live nearby.
Damon Bartos, Farm Coordinator & Education Specialist at The Bethlehem Center, holding a bee hive in Chattanooga, TN. Thursday, November 13th, 2025. (Photo By Mackenzie Sweat).
“Here in Alton Park, we have limited access to healthy foods. That’s where the Bethlehem Center is really trying to step in and make sure that we’re a source of groceries for folks, but you see it all over the city. For us, having a source of fresh, nutritious food, and shelf-stable items right here in the community where folks can walk in, bike in, or take the bus with a little more ease, can take some of the burden off and also the cost barrier for people who may need groceries,” said Lillian Moore, the Bethlehem Center’s director of community impact.
Chattanooga Tree Project is a local nonprofit in Chattanooga, Tennessee, dedicated to planting trees in neighborhoods with low canopy coverage. Chris Winters (Director of Workforce), discuses the the team’s efforts of planting over 900 trees in the last year with the help of volunteers and the community. In the next four years, they plan to plant an additional 4,000 trees in the surrounding area.
In the sweltering summer heat, sweat drips down the necks of residents as they walk along the bustling streets of Chattanooga, Tennessee in search of shade. While some are able to find reprieve amongst the tree-lined paths, there are many areas around the city that are noticeably lacking these resources.
To address this problem, the City of Chattanooga was awarded a $6 million dollar grant from the United States Forest Service in April 2024 to fund the Chattanooga Tree Project (CTP). This project is dedicated to planting thousands of native tree species to increase canopy coverage across the city in neighborhoods that need them the most.
Volunteers use pickaxes to break up the rocky soil in Ridgedale neighborhood. Saturday, November 8, 2025 (Photo by Corbin Winters).
“From start to finish, I’ve spent a lot of my time mapping forest loss, and the data has shown that over the years, we’re losing forests in Chattanooga,” said Mimi White, graduate research assistant for the UTC Interdisciplinary Geospatial Technologies (IGT) lab. “A lot of the trees that we’re planting, we’re planting in neighborhoods that have lost their tree cover a long time ago,… so it’s really beautiful to walk through a neighborhood in Chattanooga and see the new trees that have been planted and know that the people who live in these neighborhoods are going to be able to enjoy the benefits that come with having a healthy urban forest years down the road.”
Bryan Slayton removes the barber cape after giving Malik a fresh cut. Malik was excited to look nice for his approaching birthday. Wednesday, April 9, 2025. photo by Angelina Fraga.
There’s no striped pole or hydraulic kick leather chair. No sign posted on a door pertaining to hours of operation or holidays off. It’s just Bryan Slayton and his barber tools laid out on his mobile cart, plugged into the city’s power outlet. Slayton’s “clients” sit on a chair pulled from a park table. On a good day, you can see people lined up waiting for a new do, sometimes not so many. Regardless, he stays from 8 am until noon, waiting to make someone’s day.
Slayton is a Chattanooga barber making a difference for those less fortunate in the community. You can find Slayton at Miller Park every Wednesday with his clippers and barber tools set up at his side. He gives haircuts to anyone in need, they just walk up to his improvised office and ask.
Slayon grew up in Chattanooga’s West Side projects and got his first pair of second-hand clippers for Christmas from his uncle when he was just ten years old. He mastered his craft through trial and error, but in the beginning it was only a side hustle.
Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a city of reinvention. Before this small southern metropolis became the first National Park City in the United States, it was running from its reputation as the dirtiest city in America. Earning this badge of infamy after playing an integral role in the Civil War, Chattanooga’s history is an allegory that features as many bends as the Tennessee River it was built around. The reshaping is a story of civic and community ambitions acting as the catalyst for the city’s degradation and its renaissance.
Linda Moss Mines, Chattanooga historian, tells the history of the city from the time of the Civil War to when its becoming a National Park City Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
Chattanooga was labeled the “dirtiest city in America” in 1969 by Walter Cronkite, but the history is much more complex. During the Civil War, the city was a pivotal part of Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan. A Union strategy created to defeat the Confederacy by blocking southern ports and capturing the Mississippi River. It was essential to the Union’s victory to take Chattanooga, “because it was the apex of the Tennessee River, which connects with the Mississippi,” said Linda Moss Mines, official Chattanooga and Hamilton County historian.
This apex propelled the city into becoming the gateway to the South, which transformed Chattanooga into a growing, diverse community, creating a hub for industrial advancement. This booming industry prompted the city to be nicknamed the Dynamo of the Dixie, but it was also this ambition that led to the notorious title.
At times, a smog blanketed the city, smothering dreams of the future. Mines reflects on her view of the city on Signal Mountain when she drove to work:
Mike Harding fishes from the dock on the Tennessee River next to Coolidge Park Wednesday, September 30, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
“At the top of the Signal [Mountain], you [looked] down, and you could not see the city. It was incredible. It looked like a perpetual fog” said Mines. The title of the dirtiest city will always be etched into Chattanooga’s history, but the community members of that day resisted that distinction and chose to redefine their future.
In order to move forward, Chattanooga had to look back. Before its industrialization, the city was studying plans by landscape architect John Nolen to improve the park system from within. This, in combination with philanthropy and community direction, led to the creation of Chattanooga Venture’s Vision 2000; a plan that would redefine the city forever, leading to the creation of the Tennessee Aquarium, Ross’ Landing, the Riverwalk, and the Walnut Street Bridge. Vision 2000 ushered in a new era for Chattanooga, an era of transformation.
The story of this southern metropolis’ transformation is one of recognizing what held Chattanooga back, propelling it toward becoming a greener, cleaner, and healthier city. From the dirtiest city in America in 1969, to Vision 2000 in the 90s, to now, the first National Park City, Chattanooga’s story is one of constant reinvention.
Meet the Storytellers
Malcolm Key is a senior Communication major with a minor in Environmental Studies at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Key is a previous Division 1 NCAA athlete turned multimedia artist, graphic designer, and visual storyteller. He is passionate about sharing truths of the human experience using digital communication and its various forms. He is currently serving as Broadcast Assistant for WUTC public radio, where he connects written, video, and photojournalism skills with audio journalism and production. Key’s keen interest lies in connecting with the arts, music, global culture, urban development, and infrastructure. Key uses photography to highlight the overlooked and shine light on the forgotten. If you want him to shine light on your story or collaborate on a project, contact him at tfc775@mocs.utc.edu. For his graphic works, click here.
Clara Paulson is a Junior Communication major attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with minors in Brock Scholars and Creative Writing. Paulson is a writer and photographer who aims to capture the charm of Chattanooga’s culture. She has experience as an assistant university photographer, photo editor for the University Echo, and published author in the Sequoya Review. When she’s not behind a camera, you’ll find her hiking, paddleboarding, and rafting the Ocoee. After graduation, her goal is to continue writing—whether it’s with ink or light—the unheard stories of Chattanooga and beyond. If you want her to tell your story, you can reach out to her at tnq894@mocs.utc.edu.
Deep in the Appalachian foothills, and along the Tennessee River, lies America’s only National Park City (NPC). A historically significant city tucked in the Tennessee Valley, home to over 100 parks and a community uniquely invested in outdoor culture, helped make Chattanooga, Tennessee, the third NPC in the world. Chattanooga earned the NPC title on April 3, 2025, just 55 years after being named the dirtiest city in the United States.
In 2019, Dan Raven-Ellison founded the NPC movement by establishing London as the first city to adopt the vision of building a new collective understanding of what a city is and who it is for. The National Park City Foundation combines long-term and large-scale versions of National Parks within cities.
Abraham Mako rows by the Bluff View Art District on the Tennessee River during sunrise Wednesday, September 24, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
“That’s the whole idea behind the NPC campaign – locals working hard to protect, cherish, enjoy, and celebrate nature all around,” said Scott Martin, Chattanooga’s former administrator for the Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors.
Martin saw the vision of Chattanooga as an NPC in late 2021 because of the town’s outdoor culture. “We should go work on all levels to preserve it and see about being a national model of how great work is done by locals who love their home places,” said Martin.
Chattanooga, once named the dirtiest city in America by Walter Cronkite, has completely changed. This transformation was not spontaneous; it was intentional, driven by local community effort. This same effort made Chattanooga an NPC.
In late 2023, Brian Smith, the project leader and Communications and Marketing Director of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors, welcomed the community into the Outdoor Chattanooga center to ask the question “What if?” Locals wrote their ideas for “What if Chattanooga became a National Park City?” on post-it notes, which covered the walls, allowing the concept of Chattanooga as an NPC to take shape for the first time.
“What if we help clean our rivers better? What if we maintain our trails better and open them up more? What if we got kids involved?”
Azissa Singh and Heidi McDowell blow up their inflatable paddle boards in Coolidge Park near the Tennessee River on Friday, September 19, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
“We started looking at those items and those thoughts that people had, and we realized that about 70-80% of those things that they were saying and putting post-it notes on, we were already doing,” said Smith. The Chattanooga community comprises 27,544 people employed in over 3,389 organizations and non-profits.
“So we utilized what the community was suggesting, went to our nonprofits, said, ‘Are y’all doing all this?’ They said, yes,” said Smith. Smith organized these same nonprofits and organizations into Chattanooga’s NPC charter to continue building the city through the hands of locals.
“I didn’t want to start a big, massive nonprofit (…). No, I want to bring together the people that are already doing the work,” said Smith. The Chattanooga charter outlines the city’s seven core commitments, unique to the town, which still align with the grand vision of NPC’s.
A journey book for each city must also be prepared, along with the city’s commitments when applying to become an NPC.
“That was a challenge, they told me, we need a book to put on the coffee table. And I said, ‘Well, our book doesn’t have an end. It’s impossible. We’re not done,” said Smith. Nonetheless, the digital journey book was built, detailing Chattanooga’s timeline of transformation: from Chattanooga’s ice-age beginnings to its turbulent past of removing native people, Civil War battles, the birth of a newspaper that preceded the New York Times, mass industrialization that caused thick smog, to its present status as a National Park City.
“As ice began to thaw, life expanded outward. What was surviving began to flourish. This is the spirit of the park, long before parks existed,” reads the journey book.
“This is Chattanooga,” said Smith as he paraded the NPC Foundation members through Chattanooga after the submission of the journey book. The foundation granted Chattanooga the NPC title just days after visiting just 23 locations in the city: Stringers Ridge, the bouldering fields at the bottom of Lookout Mountain, Reflection Riding to witness the rescued red wolves, the Chattanooga Zoo to see rescued salamanders, and South Chickamauga Creek to see the rapids in the center of Chattanooga.
Josephine Williams plays in the fountain at Coolidge Park on Wednesday, September 30, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
“There is no better city in the nation to be the first North American National Park City than Chattanooga. Its biodiversity is off the charts (…), and the outdoors, as part of everyone’s lifestyle, is unmatched. And, it has the spunk enough to say, ‘Bigger isn’t better, better is better,’” said Martin.
Each NPC is unique from the others. Adelaide connects people to nature within the city. London focuses on making the city greener. Breda hopes to transform into a city within a natural park.
“When you go to a national park, you are challenged to leave no trace (…) In a national park city, you are challenged to do something. You are challenged to be involved. You are challenged to join the forces and make a change,” said Smith. “We want people to be involved here.”
Chattanooga stands out because its efforts to become a National Park City were community-based. The locals who made up the organization in the charters, the residents who asked “what if,” the citizens who took a stake in cleaning the dirtiest city in America to make it the first NPC, and the neighbors who use Chattanooga’s outdoor spaces have led the charge for a greater Chattanooga.
“Chattanooga has it all,” said Smith. The city may not have the biggest mountains, the longest trails, or the fastest water, but it has it all, and a community to care for it.
“We’re also just some town in Southeast Tennessee,” said Smith, “You would think these awards would go out in San Francisco and all that. No, dang it. Chattanooga is it.”
Jacob Timpa from L2Outside carries commercial paddleboards up from the Tennessee River Friday, September 19, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
A kayaking tour group explores the Tennessee River Friday, September 19, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
An overview of Chattanooga from Stringer’s Ridge during sunrise Friday, September 19, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
Abraham Mako rows in front of the Tennessee Aquarium in a single boat during sunrise Wednesday, September 24, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
Brian Fitzpatrick walks his Australian Shepherd down the Chattanooga River Walk Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
Jamey Moses and Joey Fohs fish on the banks of the Tennessee River just off the River Walk. They stood near the Chickamauga dam. Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
The Chattanooga community cheers on iron man swimmers as they exit the Tennessee River near Ross’ Landing Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
A great blue heron catches a fish in the Tennessee River by the Chickamauga dam Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Clara Paulson)
Meet the Storytellers
Clara Paulson is a Junior Communication major attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with minors in Brock Scholars and Creative Writing. Paulson is a writer and photographer who aims to capture the charm of Chattanooga’s culture. She has experience as an assistant university photographer, photo editor for the University Echo, and published author in the Sequoya Review. When she’s not behind a camera, you’ll find her hiking, paddleboarding, and rafting the Ocoee. After graduation, her goal is to continue writing—whether it’s with ink or light—the unheard stories of Chattanooga and beyond. If you want her to tell your story, you can reach out to her at tnq894@mocs.utc.edu.
Delaney Holman is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, majoring in Communications with a concentration in Journalism and a minor in Political Science. She served as the Editor in Chief of TheSettler.Online at Volunteer State Community College for three semesters. Currently, she writes for the features section of The University Echo. She is also involved in the writing and social media departments of Strike Magazine Chattanooga for its tenth issue. Holman envisions using politics and journalism as a means to engage with and learn from people in the Chattanooga area. She believes in the responsibility of journalism to share stories that foster curiosity, understanding, and community togetherness. Let Delaney tell your story to bridge the societal gaps that disconnect us, utilizing the power of staying informed, connected, and compassionate. To contact Delaney, email her at kqb147@mocs.utc.edu.
Malcolm Key is a senior Communication major with a minor in Environmental Studies at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Key is a previous Division 1 NCAA athlete turned multimedia artist, graphic designer, and visual storyteller. He is passionate about sharing truths of the human experience using digital communication and its various forms. He is currently serving as Broadcast Assistant for WUTC public radio, where he connects written, video, and photojournalism skills with audio journalism and production. Key’s keen interest lies in connecting with the arts, music, global culture, urban development, and infrastructure. Key uses photography to highlight the overlooked and shine light on the forgotten. If you want him to shine light on your story or collaborate on a project, contact him at tfc775@mocs.utc.edu. For his graphic works, click here.
Kayelyn McCaslin is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, majoring in Communications with a minor in Marketing. She is passionate about visual storytelling and is expanding her skills in videography, producing, and social media. Kayelyn currently works with UTC’s MocsNews program, and aspires to pursue a career in multimedia or entertainment journalism after graduation. Through UTC classes and programming, she has experience in leadership, photojournalism, and news writing. Kayelyn enjoys all facets of performance and storytelling, with a particular interest in illuminating stories that inspire action, service, and community. In her free time, you can find her reading, filming, or on a walk around the city. To connect with Kayelyn, email her at kayelynmccaslin@gmail.com.
Ryan Conley is a Junior studying Communication with a minor in Environmental Science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Ryan has experience in studying photography in photojournalism for over a year, and has also worked on video projects for UTC’s Football team and on personal projects. Ryan aims to capture the beauty of the environment worldwide with pictures and videos to show how breathtaking the world is. Ryan loves to be in nature and loves outdoor activities such as running, hiking, paddle boarding, and so on. Ryan hopes to keep capturing the real beauty of this world for all to see in real time. You can find him at dzp647@utc.edu.
Ailani Ramirez-Pineda and apprentice Yoni Perez-Mendez work on building a fire for Reflection Riding’s Concert Series. Ramirez-Pineda is a mentor to Perez-Mendez. Friday, September 26, 2025. (Photo by Andromeda Stewart)
Warm sunlight breaks through the tree canopy at Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Reflection Riding, glistening off the surface of Lookout Creek with a gentle fog rising in the early autumn morning. As community members gather along the banks for the city’s annual River Rescue, a group of local high school students help them settle into their canoes before sending them off to spend the day clearing the river of its trash. These students are a part of the city’s initiative to involve its youth in environmental conservation efforts.
Dedicating to making nature accessible to everyone, Reflection Riding is an organization that has taken steps to educate its local youth through the creation of their Native Landscape Management Apprenticeship program. Through this, students at The Howard School, a historically underserved high school located in the city with a minority enrollment of 99% (Institute of Education Sciences, 2025). They have the opportunity to learn conservation techniques through land restoration.
Not only does this program prioritize the preservation of Chattanooga’s natural environment, but it is making an active effort to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be involved. Historically, the environmental activist movement in the US has been primarily spearheaded by white, middle-class citizens while minority and low-income communities have often been left out of the conversation (USDA, 2002).
Lead Naturalist and Summercamp Co-Manager at Reflection Riding, Ailani Ramirez-Pineda, helps lead the apprentices in navigating the outdoor world, which may be unfamiliar to them.
Apprentice Yoni Perez-Mendez handing trash to volunteer Julie Ehmit. Perez-Mendez and Ehmit work hard to clean up the land at Reflection Riding for their River Clean up day. Saturday, October 4, 2025. (Photo by Andromeda Stewart)
The original intent of the apprenticeship was to “diversify the conservation pipeline in getting more people of color into conservation work,” according to Ramirez-Pineda. “With The Howard School, they have a large population of Black and Latinx students who live in very urban neighborhoods. They don’t have a lot of trees. Sometimes the parks aren’t well-kept. Sometimes they’re not safe, so they don’t necessarily have access to the outdoors. And even if they did, I don’t know that they would feel comfortable exploring it by themselves. One of the big things when asking for grant money was getting these students out to Reflection Riding, so they can see that there are spaces that are safe for them and where they are welcome.”
The program began as a result of grant funding received by the United Way to bring local high school students to the Reflection Riding campus on field trips with their environmental science classes. These field trips provide hands-on learning for the students, allowing them to view what they’re studying in the classroom in the real-world.
“Sometimes they have students that are not as engaged in certain parts of their class, but when they get here and are doing the hands-on thing, they really blossom and even become leaders for other students,” said Ramirez-Pineda.
It is on these field trips that students are often informed of the apprenticeship and encouraged to apply. For many of them, this is their first time exploring the beautiful mountains that surround their city, and they feel inspired to delve even further.
Sixteen-year-old Blandy Chilel Lopez has been working as an apprentice since the beginning of the program in January 2023.
“I hope to spread the word about landscape management. Since working here, I’ve found out how much damage it really does when people litter and grow plants that look pretty but are not supposed to be there,” said Chilel Lopez.
The program is making a difference in the lives of students far beyond equipping them with a knowledge of the natural world.
“We have seen a growth in confidence. A lot of them are super shy. We also get updates from their teachers, and they definitely see an increase in engagement, and in participation, and in helping others,” said Ramirez-Pineda.
Apprentices Maria Alonzo Francisco, Blandy Chilel Lopez, Yoni Perez-Mendez and Jahore Vann take canoes to the river for Reflection Riding’s river clean up. The apprentices worked hard helping the volunteers be able to clean up the river. Saturday, October 4, 2025. (Photo by Andromeda Stewart)
For eighteen-year-old apprentice Jahore Vann, this rings true. “Working at the Reflection Riding apprenticeship has impacted my life in multiple ways. Before I started working here, I used to have really bad social anxiety. I didn’t like talking to anyone no matter what. Now, I’m not afraid to talk to people,” said Vann.
While the apprentices’ curriculum is growing, their daily tasks consist of removing invasive species, restoring natural landscapes, taking care of young plants in the nursery, and harnessing other outdoor skills. Alongside participating in community events, the students have recently begun connecting with various organizations across the city, like the City of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Aquarium, to broaden their educational experience.
Reflection Riding has taken the steps to educate their local students. Ramirez-Pineda said that her hope is they “will gain a sense of confidence in themselves and grow a love for conservation, even if it’s decided it’s not the career path they necessarily want to take. I hope they take the love and share it with others… I also want them to feel a sense of ownership in the projects they’re working on and become future stewards of nature.”
Meet the Storytellers
Ansley Barry is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga majoring in Communications, French, and International Studies with minors in Environmental Studies and the Brock Scholars Honors Program. Throughout her academic career, she has developed skills in photojournalism, writing, and social media. Currently a part of the Rising Rock team, she also works as a Global Student Ambassador for UTC’s Center for Global Education. Her work includes outreach and communication for students looking to study abroad via hosting classroom discussions, tabling sessions, and fun, informative events. Her passions lie in literature, environmental conservation, and international travel, all of which have played a significant role in her educational experience at UTC. Barry hopes to one day work in public relations or marketing for a sustainable organization or company to educate and inspire people to contribute to environmental initiatives. To contact Barry, reach her at Mrr965@mocs.utc.edu.
Andromeda Stewart is a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, majoring in Communications with a minor in Marketing. Stewart currently serves as the Assistant Photo Editor for the University Echo with a strong suit in sports and is also a freelance photographer in her free time. She studied in Spain, and is proficient in Spanish, hoping to apply her language skills within the field of communications. Traveling and photography has always been a passion of Stewart’s and she loves telling stories through her lens. After graduating she hopes to continue her passions and have a career within photojournalism. To contact her, reach out to txh633@mocs.utc.edu.
Walking along the shoreline, a small plastic straw reflects the sun’s rays and catches a child’s eye, sparking a life dedicated to making a change in the man-made, polluted environment. At the age of 7, this is precisely what happened to Cash Daniels.
“Before that, I had always loved getting out on the river: fishing, kayaking, swimming, things like that. When I found that plastic straw, I knew it would harm the animals in the environment that I loved, so I knew I had to do something to help defend it,” said Daniels. “Due to that, I have been able to remove 46,000 pounds of trash from the river so far.”
Cash Daniels shows off a jar of his collected fishing line. Throughout Cash Daniels’ conservation efforts, he collected over 2,200 miles of used fishing line. Thursday, October 15, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
Plastic waste is ever-present on the banks of the Tennessee River and Chattanooga Creek, harming aesthetics and the biodiverse habitats. With these waterways so close to Daniels’ home, he felt a personal responsibility to do something to help sustain and improve them. Daniels, now a 16-year-old Chattanooga, Tennessee native, has shown his passion for cleaning up the environment around him by constructing and placing fishing line recycling bins in six states.
He began by making an impact in his local community, enlisting the help of his family and friends to guide him on this journey to make a difference.
“I started doing regular old cleanups with my family, just going out and picking up trash,” Daniels said. “I got support from my church, Trail Life, and several other groups. And, my entire family is also very supportive.”
Getting the community together to come out and help was no easy task. Daniels and his family diligently organized cleanups, providing everything that the volunteers needed to succeed in the remediation efforts.
“Preparation for a cleanup is just me and my family finding a spot, and figuring out parking, getting buckets, trying to get people out, and making sure we have everything like buckets, bags, grabbers, gloves, things like that,” Daniels said.
Daniels began building his support through social media, using the nickname “The Conservation Kid,” to create and spread his mission across different platforms.
“I started posting it on Instagram and Facebook,” Daniels said. “I went on several news stations and newspapers, and then it just started getting bigger and bigger.”
Being close to the Tennessee River, Daniels had easy access to a high-pollution area, mainly because of its location near downtown. Due to Chattanooga’s growing tourist population and traffic along the river, the city’s waterways have been indirectly affected by plastic waste, polluting the water and harming the vegetation and animals that inhabit them.
Cash Daniels sorts through coils of used fishing line. Cash Daniels dropped and broke his jar that held collected used fishing line. Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
“The Tennessee River in particular is one of the most polluted rivers with microplastics than any other river recorded in the entire world, and that’s just in my backyard,” Daniels said. “So it being there, and me knowing that I can do something about it, is really what got me involved, is knowing that I can make a difference.”
Frequent cleanups along the Tennessee River and similar bodies of water help remove harmful macro- and microplastics, preventing further contamination and environmental harm.
“Most trash is definitely in high traffic areas like parks, state parks, boat ramps, places like that,” Daniels said.
Daniels receives funding grants from organizations such as National Geographic’s Slingshot Challenge and Cox Enterprises. These grants enable cleanup projects, as Daniels maintains personal motivation from visiting schools to partake in monthly cleanups
“I’d say one way is just seeing the difference that I’ve made, whether that be all the trash that I’ve picked up, the animals that I saved, and also just seeing other kids get involved. I have had the pleasure of meeting several other youth who are in conservation,” said Daniels.
Cash Daniels shoves fishing line into one of his monofilament recycle bins. Cash Daniels had saved over 5,000 lines of used fishing line. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
Daniels continues to see the impact he has on his peers, fueling the energy and positivity around environmental efforts and activism within the youth. Reaching youth through his own community and his outside connections has been one of his primary missions.
“The biggest reward from my work is definitely meeting new people and going to new places,” Daniels said. “Also, just seeing kids that I go and give talks to get pumped up for conservation. It warms my heart to see other kids wanting to get involved.”
Even with increased environmental awareness in the 21st century, marine macroplastics persist in littering Chattanooga’s waterways. However, Cash Daniels and the next generation continue to create new efforts to clean up the local environment, reaching out to the community and using their voices to highlight the significance of preserving the aquatic biodiversity in Chattanooga and all around the world.
Cash Daniels sorts through trash collected in his bin’s used to recycle fishing line. Cash Daniels sorts through unwanted trash to collect fishing line which will be recycled to make fish habits. Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
Cash Daniels screws in the end cap of his monofilament bin. Cash Daniels built a new monofilament bin to be placed along a fishing spot at the Riverfront Park. Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
Cash Daniels squeezes his hand into the opening of a monofilament bin. Cash Daniels tried to remove unwanted trash in the bins that clogged up the opening. Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
Cash Daniels empties one of his recycling bins. The bin he checked on is often full due to its location near the boat dock. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
Cash Daniels lean against his work truck at City of Chattanooga Recycling Center. Daniels waited for a worker to come assist him in selling recycled aluminum cans. Wednesday, October 8, 2025. (Photo by Corbin Winters)
Meet the Storytellers
Ella Sole is a junior studying Communications with a focus in Environmental Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is a skilled photojournalist, proficient in journalistic writing and photography. Sole’s experience includes working as a videographer and editor for UTC Survivor and is currently an editor of UTC’s Rising Rock course. She is proficient in using Adobe programs, photography, and media writing. Sole is passionate about the outdoors and agriculture, and after graduating, she plans on using her writing to highlight women in agriculture. For further inquiries, contact her at xcr833@mocs.utc.edu.
Corbin Winters is a senior studying Communications with a minor in Creative Writing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He works as a staff photographer with the UTC Echo. Winters has also photographed youth travel baseball working with Glossy Photos over the summer. He currently teaches alongside the Lafayette High School marching band. His passion is listening to diverse stories and hearing untold perspectives. In his free time Winters enjoys playing marimba and writing creative fiction. After graduating Winters looks to pursue a career in photojournalism. You can reach him at zvx374@mocs.utc.edu, or view his photography work here.
