About Untangled Roots
Where family history meets environmental science
The Researcher
Untangled Roots is a ginseng conservation and restoration research project in Middle Tennessee, founded by Trent Smith, an environmental scientist and sixth-generation descendant of Elizabeth Calloway Daniel — one of the first settlers of what became Moore County, Tennessee.
What began as genealogical curiosity became a full-scale ecological investigation when I discovered that the land my ancestors cleared over 200 years ago still carries the scars of that transformation. The ginseng that once filled these hollows has not returned — and I wanted to understand why.
Using GIS analysis, 1938 aerial photography, GPS field surveys, and habitat suitability modeling, I've built a case for science-guided restoration on TVA-managed public land.
Elizabeth Calloway Daniel — 6th great-grandmother
A 217-Year Legacy
In 1809, Elizabeth Calloway Daniel settled on a ridge above the Elk River. She found unbroken forest — tulip poplars a hundred feet tall, and American ginseng growing in every north-facing hollow.
Her children and grandchildren cleared the bottomland for farms. In 1965, TVA acquired those parcels to build Tims Ford Dam. The valley flooded. The hillsides were left to grow back. But the ecological consequences of that 150-year clearing persist today.
This project traces the thread from Elizabeth's arrival to the present — asking what it means to inherit not just land, but the ecological debt that comes with it.
Explore the Evidence
The full investigation includes 1938 aerial analysis, GPS field data, habitat suitability models, and a restoration proposal for TVA-managed land.
View the Research