Briana Garza has started more than one kind of business here in Chattanooga, from short-term vacation rentals to food tours. Starting a business in the best of times is tough - and as an entrepreneur, Briana has had to adapt again and again during the pandemic.

For three years in a row now, Back Alley Productions in LaFayette, Georgia has been voted “Best of the Best” for Live Performance Venue in North Georgia by readers of The Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Kaylee Smith of Back Alley Productions in LaFayette, GA. Briana Garza on creating and adapting as an entrepreneur. Mountain Spirit Acoustic Series: Nashville’s A Tale of Two. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

On this week's "Scenic Roots: Live In The Library," Richard Winham shares a performance by Sherry Cothran - singer, songwriter and trained theologian - recorded live downtown at The Chattanooga Public Library.

Ever heard of understory gardens? You can find a few - filled with native plants - here in Chattanooga. Last month, I spoke with Mark McKnight, president and CEO of Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center - along with Lucy Ellis and Lyn Rutherford, both with the City of Chattanooga’s Department of Public Works.

Starting this weekend, Townsend Atelier here in Chattanooga brings its “In the Studio” sessions to the virtual space.

We’ve told you about the Arts-Based Collaborative here at UTC. One project for the Collaborative that engages students on our campus is the Simulated Patient Actor Program - in partnership with the School of Nursing, where Dr. Amber Roache is an assistant professor and the coordinator of the nurse practitioner program.

Blood Assurance is the only provider of blood products in the Chattanooga area - serving more than 70 facilities in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina. Its inventory levels are dropping - and recently, the regional blood center asked for people, especially young people, to donate blood if they are able due to a critical need across its service area.

Next week, a small group of faculty and staff on our campus - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - will begin a series of virtual discussions on race. Leading the discussions will be Prof. Michelle Deardorff - who also led similar discussions over the summer.

Facing our own fears on how to talk about race at UTC. Caitlin Stanley with Blood Assurance in Chattanooga. UTC's Dr. Amber Roache on nursing and the arts. These voices - and more - on this edition of "Scenic Roots."