Sassafras Awards 2026: Residential Nominations Applications due June 1, 2026
The Native Plant Rescue Squad is launching the inaugural Sassafras Awards to celebrate local native gardens and their stewards in the Knoxville community and raise awareness about the importance of native plants. Please use this form to nominate a garden/gardener for the RESIDENTIAL category. Note that if you are nominating someone other than yourself, you may need to work with the nominee to complete all questions.

The Residential Sassafras Award is for outstanding commitment to creating and restoring native habitat in East Tennessee, and is judged based on:
+ Ecological health
+ Integrated natural systems
+ Transformation of land
+ Biodiversity
+ Design & aesthetics

We highly encourage submitting photos of the garden with your application. Before and after photos are particularly helpful. Please email the photos with the first and last name of the gardener in the subject line to info@nativeplantrescuesquad.org. We also recommend saving all your answers in a document so you don't lose your progress. 

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to info@nativeplantrescuesquad.org
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Your name (first and last) *
Your email *
Address of residential garden *
Describe how the land has been transformed by the garden. For example, was it previously lawn, invasive species, or a blank slate? Before and after photos are very helpful. Please email them to info@nativeplantrescuedquad.org. *
250 word max.
How does this garden support ecological health and habitat on-site and beyond? Do you share that impact with the community (e.g., signage, plant sharing, outreach)?
 *
250 word max.
Describe the biodiversity of the garden. What kinds of plants, pollinators, and wildlife are supported? *
250 word max.
What design style and aesthetic choices guided the planning and development of the garden? Design styles can include naturalistic, meadow, woodland, formal, or other approaches—feel free to describe what best fits your garden. 
 *
250 word max.
How is the garden integrated with natural systems? Examples may include water management, mow reduction, habitat creation, plant community design, or composting techniques. 
 *
250 word max.
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