2024 Green Grants Award #15: The Chincoteague Center

Congratulations to the Chincoteague Center for their $1,000 Green Grants award in the Litter Prevention category!

Located on Chincoteague Island off the Virginia coast, Chincoteague Center is a multi-use center that is operated by the Town of Chincoteague. It was opened in 1996 with the goal of promoting commerce and tourism, as well as providing a facility for community use and commercial opportunities.  With the capacity for events ranging from 40 to 600 people, the Center hosts corporate events, trade shows, as well as family events and weddings.

The North Accomack Little League is a very large, active association in Chincoteague.  There are several ball fields adjacent to the Chincoteague Center, who hosts fundraisers for the benefit of the Little League program.  The Center also supports the high school efforts of after-prom parties that are held at the Center to keep kids safe all night after prom.

The 9,000 square foot facility sits on town property, along side of the five little league fields. There are a lot of parents and kids that use the fields every day, for about 9 months out of the year.  A lot of trash is generated from visitors’ snacks, concession stand purchases, and empty bottles left on the ground because there are no trash receptacles near the outer fields adjacent to the center. Likewise, there are outdoor festivals that take place at the Center, which also generate a lot of litter.

Chincoteague Center staff and volunteers walk the perimeter of the building to collect litter, especially before an event, when attendees anticipate a beautiful scene as they arrive for their celebration, one that is not marred by litter at the fences, on the grass, and in the parking lot.

Funds from the Green Grants award will be used to purchase large, sturdy, outdoor trash receptacles that will be placed near where people exit the ball fields.  This will give visitors the opportunity to properly dispose of their trash without littering the landscape.

The goal of the Chincoteague Center is to reduce the litter around the center. They will measure the amount of litter collected and report back to Keep Virginia Beautiful in the Fall.  We look forward to their progress, and applaud them for caring about litter in the landscape and making the effort to change people’s behavior.