Virginia Aquarium is going Butt Crazy

The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Litter Prevention Category.  The Keep Virginia Beautiful 30 in 30 Grant Program focuses greater resources and attention on organizations and individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education.

As a regional leader active in promoting conservation programs and sustainable practices, the Aquarium will endeavor to encourage visitors to think about the implications of their actions regarding cigarette butt litter by installing attractive and engaging Cigarette Butt Bait Tanks.  Each Bait Tank registers the number of cigarette butts collected and reports the number of fish saved by the deposited butts.  The mission of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is to inspire conservation of our marine environment through education, research and sustainable practices.  The Aquarium conducts a number of beach and waterway clean-ups each year where cigarette butts are the most predominant items found. They also find cigarette butts littering the areas outside buildings, in their parking lots, and in the right of ways leading to the buildings.   Addressing cigarette butt litter on the property is critical to the health of the marine environment because the Aquarium sits at the edge of a tidal waterway that connects directly to the Atlantic Ocean.  This Cigarette Litter Prevention Program by the Virginia Aquarium will reduce the litter impacting our environment, beautify their property, educate their visitors, and encourage their neighbors, sponsors, and nearby businesses to participate.

KVB provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of thirty grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 in three different categories:  Beautification, Litter Prevention, and Recycling.  We are fortunate to make these possible through our partners – Capital One, Waste Management and Lowe’s.