Food Forest at the East Lake Neighborhood Association Community Center
A coalition of parents, teachers, students, and neighbors is transforming unused outdoor space at the East Lake Neighborhood Association Community Center into something powerful: a thriving food forest rooted in education, equity, and ecological care.
This community-led project brings together Lane Lake Montessori School, Nature Kin Farm and Forest School, the East Lake Neighborhood Association, an after-school tutoring program, and local residents who already use the site as a shared gathering place. Together, they are creating a living classroom and free food resource that will serve the neighborhood for years to come.
The Food Forest will provide:
Free, fresh fruit for the surrounding community
An outdoor learning space for students of all ages
Habitat for native pollinators and wildlife
Long-term soil health and environmental remediation
Beyond food, this project grows justice. The East Lake neighborhood has a long history of disinvestment due to redlining, resulting in lower tree canopy and environmental inequities that persist today. This food forest is a small but meaningful step toward restoring access to green space, education, and nourishment in a historically underserved community.
By expanding local wildlife corridors, reducing runoff and heat, sequestering carbon, and creating a beautiful place to gather, the Food Forest at East Lake makes Chattanooga greener, healthier, and more connected—one tree, one lesson, and one shared harvest at a time.