Get Involved in Knoxville
United Mountain Defense (UMD) is an all volunteer organization dedicated to protecting Tennessee’s environment and communities and halting the destructive practices of mountaintop removal and our campaigns are only possible because of the day-to-day efforts of volunteers like you. Our work primarily occurs in coal impacted communities in Tennessee and we engage in scientific data collection, public education, community organizing, and data collection and analysis from federal and state agencies. We are part of a larger grassroots campaign called Mountain Justice.
UMD Meetings
Come to a UMD volunteer meeting. We meet each Tuesday at 7:00 at the PACE center located at 107 W. Main St, Knoxville, TN. Plug into community organizing, scientific data collection and direct action in East Tennessee.
Become a UMD Volunteer
Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of tasks and projects.
United Mountain Defense Volunteer Projects
The projects ideas outlined below are possibilities for volunteer work.
Click here to see the below project descriptions as a pdf.
Air Quality Monitoring
United Mountain Defense has launched an air monitoring program with the Global Community Monitor in an effort to hold TVA and the regulatory agencies responsible for protecting the health of the communities surrounding the TVA coal ash disaster. We need help deploying our two 2.5 micron fine particulate monitors. We also need help providing trainings for local residents so that they can use the monitors. We also want to take this air monitoring program across Appalachia to other coal impacted communities and shut down the coal industry with science.
Aquatic Science
We need help with our chemical, biological and visual stream assessment water monitoring program. We need help generating the baseline data for pre mined streams. This involves gathering field samples and logging data. We write site specific statements about water quality for public hearings, regulatory agencies, and newspapers.
Listening Projects
Do you like cultural anthropology, sociology or do you have exceptional people skills? Can you dress up and engage coal impacted community members in a door to door format. We need volunteers to conduct our Listening Projects, which involves going door to door and using active listening to gauge coal field resident’s community and mining concerns. We need folks to revisit supporters we have met through past Listening Projects. Training is provided and travel to coal impacted communities is required. We would also like to evolve listening projects into a recorded oral history project and we need motivated independent volunteers to spearhead this project.
Mycology
We need help with our mycoremediation startup project. It is a 100 acre recovering coal mine site/outdoor ridgeline classroom located in Eagan, TN. We need help collecting and identifying existing mushroom species, culturing, spawning, and mycoremediating with local species in the manner of Paul Stamets.
We need help with our mycoremediation startup project. It is a 100 acre recovering coal mine site/outdoor ridgeline classroom located in Eagan, TN. We need help collecting and identifying existing mushroom species, culturing, spawning, and mycoremediating with local species in the manner of Paul Stamets.
Scouting
Are you the outdoorsy type who likes to hike, camp and explore? Are you a master of Orienteering? We need volunteers to travel to nearby mine sites and scout and document the on the ground conditions.
Outreach and Education
We can provide you with UMD newspapers and master copies of information sheets which you can copy to your heart's content to use in any of the following ways:
Outreach and Education Tabling
Help create awareness of the problems facing our world -- including mountaintop removal and the whole death cycle of coal. We provide the materials; you set up a decorative display at an already-arranged event or find a location where you can set up an information table. Hand out information and talk to people about United Mountain Defense and Mountain Justice - focus on getting new volunteers and members to join!
Help create awareness of the problems facing our world -- including mountaintop removal and the whole death cycle of coal. We provide the materials; you set up a decorative display at an already-arranged event or find a location where you can set up an information table. Hand out information and talk to people about United Mountain Defense and Mountain Justice - focus on getting new volunteers and members to join!
Hold a Benefit for United Mountain Defense
Find a local pub, restaurant, or a community space and use your creative energies to put together a small concert or theme event for the benefit of your favorite charity (UMD!). If you know musicians or entertainers (comedians, magicians, or other performers) you can easily put together a fun night. You could collect a door charge for UMD and have an information table inside the event. Also, think about fundraisers such as spaghetti dinners, bake sales, car washes or create other events to raise awareness about the destruction of mountaintop removal coal mining.
Find a local pub, restaurant, or a community space and use your creative energies to put together a small concert or theme event for the benefit of your favorite charity (UMD!). If you know musicians or entertainers (comedians, magicians, or other performers) you can easily put together a fun night. You could collect a door charge for UMD and have an information table inside the event. Also, think about fundraisers such as spaghetti dinners, bake sales, car washes or create other events to raise awareness about the destruction of mountaintop removal coal mining.
Have a United Mountain Defense Party
Invite everyone you know to join you for a House Party featuring videos about mountaintop removal! Plan ahead: Get newspapers from UMD, information sheets and buy or borrow a DVD or videotape to show on your TV. (If you have a birthday to celebrate, you could ask for donations in lieu of gifts...)
Distribute Information
Copy and distribute United Mountain Defense info to anyone and everyone that may be interested in helping to protect Tennessee’s environment and communities.. Please stress to them that a donation of any kind would be very helpful, and that for donations of US$25.00 or more they will receive our newspapers once a year.
Cultivate Public Awareness
Organize and participate in protests/demonstrations against MTR! Organize a rally at a public place or government building to display signs, get petitions signed and get the word out! Use your creativity to reach out to the public - create billboards and/or signs to educate the public! Make sure your events follow our nonviolent guidelines.
Distribute the Tennessee Mountain Defender newspaper
Help distribute our annual newspaper, the Tennessee Mountain Defender! We need volunteers to distribute the newspaper in Knoxville, and surrounding counties and cities throughout Tennessee.
Tennessee Mountain Defense Newspaper
We need volunteers to write for our newspaper, the Tennessee Mountain Defense which is published once a year. We also volunteers experienced in the layout design who can work in InDesign as well as editors, and submissions of original art, songs, and poetry.
We need volunteers to write for our newspaper, the Tennessee Mountain Defense which is published once a year. We also volunteers experienced in the layout design who can work in InDesign as well as editors, and submissions of original art, songs, and poetry.
Cultivate Media Awareness
In the never-ending quest to wake up and shake up people into realizing that coal is dirty, dangerous and destructive, it helps to get as much media coverage as possible. Send a letter or call your local TV and radio stations, newspapers and magazines telling them about the work that UMD has been doing. Aside from being a story with a good cause, the footage and photographs are dynamic and exciting, and make for a great show or article. You can give the media our main telephone numbers (865 689-2778) and we will be happy to provide them with images or video.
In the never-ending quest to wake up and shake up people into realizing that coal is dirty, dangerous and destructive, it helps to get as much media coverage as possible. Send a letter or call your local TV and radio stations, newspapers and magazines telling them about the work that UMD has been doing. Aside from being a story with a good cause, the footage and photographs are dynamic and exciting, and make for a great show or article. You can give the media our main telephone numbers (865 689-2778) and we will be happy to provide them with images or video.
Generating Outreach and Education Materials
We need individual to make creative outreach materials, fact sheets, displays, pamphlets posters, fliers, etc. We need new website content on the death cycle of coal, original stories, poetry and more.
We need individual to make creative outreach materials, fact sheets, displays, pamphlets posters, fliers, etc. We need new website content on the death cycle of coal, original stories, poetry and more.
Grant Writing
We need grant writers to research foundations and grant leads and to work with us to complete grant applications and write grant proposals.
We need grant writers to research foundations and grant leads and to work with us to complete grant applications and write grant proposals.
Research
Are you interested in history, current events, energy issues, or legal projects? We need volunteers to helpresearch the history of coal mining in TN and Appalachia and to generate related articles. We want people to remember the battles of Coal Creek, TN where the miners won by turning back the National Guard twice and helping end the convict mining labor system. We also have numerous research projects that involve coal burning power plants, the TVA disaster, coal waste storage, and MTR. See Challenging Coal Permits for more information about legal research projects.
We need graphic artists, musicians, theatrical performers, and creative individuals for a variety of projects.
Art and Graphic Design
We need volunteers to create original art work for stickers, fliers, t-shirts, buttons, posters, banners, and more. We also need help with layout design for the Tennessee Mountain Defender newspaper.
We need volunteers to create original art work for stickers, fliers, t-shirts, buttons, posters, banners, and more. We also need help with layout design for the Tennessee Mountain Defender newspaper.
Music
We need help creating songs about the mountains and coalfield communities to be sung around our campfires. We would like to post your songs on our website and create a CD as a fundraiser. We would also like help setting up concert benefits at local music venues. We also need the help of musicians at special events and rallies.
We need help creating songs about the mountains and coalfield communities to be sung around our campfires. We would like to post your songs on our website and create a CD as a fundraiser. We would also like help setting up concert benefits at local music venues. We also need the help of musicians at special events and rallies.
Outreach and Education Materials
Outreach and education can benefit greatly from the touch of those who are visually talented. From advertising events to designing educational materials, an eye for design can work wonders. We also welcome any screen printing experience. Art shows also make great education benefits.
Photography
We need volunteers to take pictures in the field and at special events and to post them to a photos hosting site to share with our supporters and on the website.
Performers
We need people with performance skills to help with special events. Do you juggle, stilt walk, are you a magician, storyteller or a poet? Do you have other performance skills you like to show off? We need volunteers to perform at events like protests and benefits.
Theatre
We need help creating original stories about mountain top removal coal mining and converting them into theatre productions. We would also like to create, document, and film scripted/ unscripted street theatre as protest to be performed at various locations in Knoxville.
Videographers
We need volunteers to video tape in the field and at special events. We need video editors and creative individuals to make educational videos. We also need help maintaining our video library.
Social Networking
We need volunteers to manage the Myspace, Twitter and Facebook and other social networking pages. This would include recruiting and adding new friends, sending out relevant news articles, setting up special event pages and communicating with “friends” of UMD.
We need volunteers to manage the Myspace, Twitter and Facebook and other social networking pages. This would include recruiting and adding new friends, sending out relevant news articles, setting up special event pages and communicating with “friends” of UMD.
Website
We need a web savvy volunteer to help keep the website updated and to trouble shoot problems.
GIS/ GPS
We need volunteers to lead GPS trainings. We also need experienced volunteers to create maps using Arch GIS and to offer GIS training.
Videographers
We need volunteers to video tape in the field and at special events. We need video editors and creative individuals to make educational videos. We also need help maintaining our video library.
Distribute the Tennessee Mountain Defender Newspaper
Distribute our annual newspaper, the Tennessee Mountain Defender! We need volunteers to distribute the newspaper in Knoxville, and surrounding counties and cities throughout Tennessee.
Distribute our annual newspaper, the Tennessee Mountain Defender! We need volunteers to distribute the newspaper in Knoxville, and surrounding counties and cities throughout Tennessee.
Distribution of Outreach and Education Materials
We need volunteers to post fliers around Knoxville to promote special events and meetings.
We need volunteers to post fliers around Knoxville to promote special events and meetings.
Attend an Event
Our events, benefits, dance parties, protests, direct actions, dinners, and concerts are only successful when we get lots of people to turn out. Please support UMD by attending our events. Our Facebook, webpage, and e-mail list are all regularly updated with new events, so check them often!
Organize an Event
We need volunteers to organize a range of events such as benefits, education events, as well as protests, rallies, marches and direct actions. There are many ways to plug into this type of organizing.
Attend a Sign Making Party
We need new messaging and creative signs for almost every new event. We host sign making parties that are fun and provide a creative outlet for getting involved.
Challenging Coal Permits
We need volunteers to help us with our Exhausting Administrative Remedies tactic. This would include working on one or more of the following tasks:
Participate in the Public Process
- Requesting public hearings when needed
- Attending and recruiting others to attend public hearings
- Collecting site specific data for public hearing on mine site visits
- Collecting data in the field for a public hearing (see the field work section)
- Submitting written comments for new or renewal surface mine permits
Legal Work
We need lawyers and law students who are familiar with or willing to learn the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and CERCLA. We need help submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIAs) as well as volunteers who can adequately conduct legal writing and research. We need volunteers to help us learn how citizens can use the law to put pressure on the coal industry and to participate in the public process to the greatest extent. We also want to create a "Citizen's Guide to Administrative Hearings" so that we can start challenging every mining permit in front of an administrative judge once they are granted.
For more information about legal internships, visit the PACE Law Office Internship page.
Office Work
Volunteer to help with office work from your home or at the UMD office located at the PACE center at 107 W. Main St. We need help with data entry, sending thank you letters and with tasks such as making copies, scanning files, collating and assembling packets.
Meetings and Regional Trainings
Attend a UMD Meeting
Attend weekly UMD meetings in Knoxville. We meet each Tuesday at 7:00p.m. at the PACE center located at 107 W. Main St in Knoxville, TN. Join us at a meeting to find out more about how to plug into community organizing, scientific data collection and direct action in East Tennessee.
Attend weekly UMD meetings in Knoxville. We meet each Tuesday at 7:00p.m. at the PACE center located at 107 W. Main St in Knoxville, TN. Join us at a meeting to find out more about how to plug into community organizing, scientific data collection and direct action in East Tennessee.
Attend a Mountain Justice Meeting
Attend monthly regional Mountain Justice meetings. Meetings rotate between TN, KY, VA, WV, and NC. Contact us for rideshare information.
Attend a Mountain Justice training camp.
- Mountain Justice Spring Break Camp
- Summer camp
- Fall Summit
