Nashville to cut trees downtown ahead of purple martins' return

Catch up quick: Since 2020, tens of thousands of martins have made their home in elm trees on the symphony property, creating a nuisance, mainly because of their feces.

• In 2022, the symphony cut down 31 of its trees following consultation with bird and tree experts. They paid to plant 146 trees to make up for it.

Yes, but: The plan didn't really work, as the purple martins simply converted nearby Metro-owned elms into their homes.

What they're saying: Mayor Freddie O'Connell has been aware of the struggle to deal with the purple martins because he previously represented the downtown area on the Metro Council.

• "Years of study, discussion, efforts and expenses have failed to produce a solution to the hundreds of thousands of purple martins that roost annually in the 10 trees outside the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The trees will be replaced with a new species at no cost to Metro," O'Connell's spokesperson Alex Apple tells Axios.

What's next: Time is of the essence because the purple martins send scouts in the coming weeks to select the spot where they will roost next. They arrive in the late spring or early summer.

• A property in Germantown owned by Metro Water has been identified as one possible alternative roost location, Apple says.
• "If they show interest during pre-roosting in this property, we will work to make the site attractive to them," Apple says. "We remain committed to being a city that supports a healthy bird population."
• The symphony will pay to destroy the trees. It hasn't been determined yet what kind of trees or how many will replace the elms.