James River Association WINS $1,000 Grant!

In honor of Earth Month, Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) is awarding “30 Grants In 30 Days” in April, 2011.   James River Association has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Beautification and Community Greening Category.   The KVB grant program focuses greater resources and attention on individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education.

KVB provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of (30) $1,000 grants in three different categories: 10 grants for plastic bag reduction and recycling, 10 grants for cigarette litter prevention, and 10 grants for community greening and beautification. These grants are made possible by KVB’s partners, Walmart and Waste Management.

James River Association (JRA) will be conducting a week-long Extreme Stream Makeover of the Stoney Run Watershed in Newport News, which involves the renovation of Denbigh High School’s Pond and Courtyard. JRA will repair the existing pond, building raised beds for several native species (to create mini-eco-systems), installing rain barrels, and planting a rain garden to prevent storm water runoff. During JRA’s ESM, the school’s courtyard will be transformed into a series of sustainable eco-systems that can be used for future ecology and environmental science classes. The goals of the project are to provide hands-on experience in watershed restoration techniques, help students (present and future) connect their actions to the health of Stoney Run, the James River and the Chesapeake Bay. This project will further inspire teachers to work the courtyard’s many teachable elements into their classroom ecology and science curriculums. For information on the James River Association and their project, contact Michelle Kokolis, [email protected] or (804) 788-8811.

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environment. Our goals include becoming the leading statewide voice, providing a framework for improved communication and collaboration, cultivating and supporting sustainable programs, and engaging citizens by linking them to volunteer opportunities and information through these 5 impact areas: Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Beautification, and Environmental Education.