Menu

Central

winnerKVB

Bag-A-Bench Winner! Great times at the State Fair.

, , , , ,

KVB Banner at the State Fair
KVB Banner at the State Fair

Thank you Virginia for making Keep Virginia Beautiful’s year!  What a great State Fair.  It was great meeting each one of you that stopped by our booth.

We gave out nearly 2000 pocket ashtrays, sold 100 car ashtrays, got thousands of you to take the pledge and sign our banner, and over 1500 of you logged in for the Bag-A-Bench contest to win a free TREX bench!  Including our online participants, your assignment was simple: guess the number of plastic bags in our bale.
And the winner is…Ann Trotta from Virginia Beach who guessed within 6 plastic bags at 6005.
For the record, there were 6011 plastic bags in our 1.5 foot by 2.5 foot bale!
We are thrilled with all the excitement that this contest brought about and plan to do a similar one in the near future.  Remember to always Keep Virginia Beautiful!

Bale of recycled bags - but how many?

glen allen high

Henrico Initiating Eco-Friendly Schools

, , , , , , , ,

Two of Henrico County’s newest school buildings have acquired LEED certification at the gold and silver level.

These new schools, Glen Allen High School and Holman Middle School, are located in central Virginia.  Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) officials met with architects before construction with intentions of making HCPS’s newest schools environmentally friendly.

Glen Allen High School’s design allows an abundance of natural light cutting back the need for a large amount of indoor lighting. The school will run with about 28% less energy than a minimally code compliant design according to The Henrico Citizen.

Holman Middle School was awarded the silver LEED certification by The Green Building Certification Institute. The school uses high tech mechanical equipment and lighting systems to cut back energy use by 30%!

To learn more about the ways these two schools are cutting back on water consumption check out the full article via The Henrico Citizen.

Henrico County also has two more LEED schools on the design board with one being planned in the eastern half of the county and one in the western half.

2011-06-11_11.47.51

James River Gets A Cleanup. Thanks Volunteers

, , , , ,

So we have a tradition in our family that we get to pick what we want to do for one whole day to celebrate our birthdays and so every year for the last 4 years I have picked the James River Clean-up as my “Neher Birthday Fun Day Celebration”.  Now this may seem odd to some of you but I value the environment and my family above all other things and so spending a day outdoors with my husband and children with the beautiful James River as the backdrop makes for a good day, plus we are doing something worthwhile that makes a difference in our community.

I have taught my children the value of our natural environment and how important it is that we do everything we can to protect and preserve it.  We reduce, reuse, and recycle everyday but this clean-up is more about the very simple idea of “Don’t Litter!”  My 5 year old was very displeased with the amount of garbage along the riverbank and could not understand why anyone would simply throw their trash wherever they want when there are so many trash cans near the park.   I didn’t know what to say to him other than “some people are lazy and don’t feel as though they should clean-up after themselves”, his response was ” that’s stupid, if they threw away their own trash we wouldn’t have to do this and the river would already be clean!”…from the mouths of babes…the truth uncensored!

coaster 2011-05-0609-23-46

Reminder! Every Day is Earth Day: Kings Dominion

, , , , , , , , , ,

Thanks for all that entered, but this contest is now closed!!

The monthly contest was another collaboration with Wal-Mart and Coca Cola:  Every Day is Earth Day!

Each week through July 1st we’ll select a winner who will receive a $50 gift certificate for Walmart and 4 passes for Kings Dominion.

Thanks for registering and participating – the contest was a huge success and more than a handful of you have enjoyed your KD passes and Walmart gift cards!  Check out all the winners here:  https://keepvirginiabeautiful.org/outreach/contests/

 

 

<a href=”http://www.hypersmash.com/dreamhost/” id=”tm654″>dreamhost review</a>

3808997-17th_Street_Farmers_Market-Richmond

BUY LOCAL – Shop Your Farmer’s Markets

, , , , , , ,

Buy Fresh.  Buy Local.

 

Have you ever wondered where the produce at your local grocery store comes from?  Many grocery stores import food from all over the United States.  Most produce in the US is picked 4-7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold!

To reduce “food miles” and support your local economy, consider shopping at your local farmer’s market.  These markets are held during the summer and offer shoppers a wide range of fresh and locally produced food and goods.  Farmer’s markets are important because they enable local producers to sell their goods directly to consumers.  This means fresher food, affordable prices, and more income for producers.

Food sold at a farmer’s market is most likely picked a day or so before sale, making it more crisp, flavorful and nutritious (since harvested food will quickly lose its nutrients).  Local goods travel a smaller distance, reducing fuel costs, thus reducing prices for consumers. This also reduces the carbon footprint of the food you consume.   Finally, buying from local producers benefits the local economy.  Studies have shown that small farms re-invest most of their money into the local community by purchasing feed, seed and other materials from local businesses.  As you can see, there are a lot of benefits to shopping local.

There are some great options for those of us in the River City.  Send us a post with the best options in your neck of the state and don’t forget your reusable bags!

Farmers Markets in the Richmond Area

North of the James Market

  • Bryan Park (4540 Hermitage Road, exit 80 off of I-95)
  • Runs May 4 through October 26
  • Open Tuesdays (3pm to 7pm)
  • Tons of free parking is available throughout the park.

Byrd House Market

  • 224 S. Cherry Street (S. Linden Street and Idlewood Avenue, behind William Byrd Community House)
  • Runs May through October
  • Open Tuesdays (3:30pm to 7pm)
  • Plenty of street parking is available

Lakeside Farmers Market

  • 6110 Lakeside Avenue (one block south of Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens)
  • Runs May through November
  • Open Wednesdays (8am to 12pm; 3pm to 7pm) and Saturdays (8am to 12pm)
  • Free parking is available in the adjacent lot

West End Farmers Market

  • 12450 Gayton Road (intersection of Gayton Road and Ridgefield Parkway)
  • Runs April 24 through October 31
  • Open Wednesdays (3pm to 7pm) and Saturdays (8am to 12pm)
  • Parking is available.

17th Street Farmers Market

  • 100 North 17th Street (17th and Main Streets)
  • Runs from the end of April through the end of October
  • Open Thursdays (8:30am to 4pm), Saturdays (9am to 4pm)
  • Free parking is available during market hours at their lot on 18th and Grace Streets

First Fridays at Quirk Gallery

  • 311 W. Broad Street
  • Runs monthly (except January)
  • First Friday of the month (6pm to 9:30pm)
  • Street parking available

South of the James Market

  • Forest Hill Park (Forest Hill Avenue and 42nd Street)
  • Runs May 1 through December 4
  • Open Saturdays (8am to 12pm)
  • Free parking is available in the adjacent lot and there are always plenty of spots on the street

Monument Market

  • 2581 Monument Avenue (Monument Avenue and N. Robinson Street)
  • Runs May 1 through October 2
  • Open Saturdays (8am to 12pm)
  • Street parking is available

The Market at St. Stephen’s

  • 6000 Grove Avenue
  • Runs May through October
  • Open Saturdays (8am to 12pm)
  • Street parking is available.
Blog Written By: Christina Daniel
Screen shot 2011-05-13 at 2.52.51 PM

The Great Richmond Clean Up!

, , , , , , ,

Do you know what the Great American Clean-up is?  Every year between March and June, Keep America Beautiful sponsors, supports and facilitates thousands of clean-up/revitalization/beautification projects in communities all around our country with the help of over 3 million volunteers.

This year I’m happy to report about the “Great Richmond Clean-up”, which took place on March 24th along the Boulevard and on May 13th on Broad Street.  Altria, the City of Richmond, Johnson Inc., and Keep Virginia Beautiful joined together to make these clean-ups a reality.  Nearly 15,000 cigarette butts were collected and counted in three block segments along both city corridors. Over 20 new trees & 80 new perennials were planted to enhance the revitalization efforts.  6 new murals were painted and 1 ton of litter was picked-up!

These clean-ups could not have been possible without the help of Altria’s great volunteers and leadership.  If you have not seen all the great work these 2 events accomplished, I encourage you to go see the 4 murals along Broad Street between Belvidere and 6th and the 2 giant panel murals under the 95 overpass on the Boulevard near the Diamond, along with all the great new trees and plants.

Please do your part to keep our great city beautiful…DON’T LITTER!  Remember; cigarette butts, plastic bottles, & food wrappers are all trash.  Please dispose of them properly.  Don’t let all the hard work of these volunteers go to waste…do your part  and KEEP VIRGINIA BEAUTIFUL!

KVB on 2010-10-26 at 12-39-16

Washington Henry Elem. has $1K in the Bag!

, , , , , , ,

Washington Henry Elementary School has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Plastic Bag Recycling Category.   Washington Henry Elementary School (WHES) is a bright “green” spot in Hanover County and has been the starting point for many “green” projects, initiatives, and events.  WHES realizes the importance of educating its community about plastic bag recycling and the need for reusable bags as the permanent long term solution to decrease the plastic bag waste stream and litter problem.  Their goal is to use the grant funds for a fall community clean-up event and the production of hundreds of canvas reusable bags, with a simple message of reduce, reuse, and recycle.  For more information about Washington Henry Elementary School or their project, please contact Cary Crone at 804-212-7671.

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.

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.

staunton ranger 2011-04-2512-21-47

Staunton River State Park WINS $1K Grant

, , , , , ,

Staunton River State Park has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Cigarette Litter Prevention Category.  The Park was severely damaged on April 16th by an F2 tornado and is rebuilding many of their facilities.  The grant money will help in moving the park along.

Virginia’s State Parks as a whole have one big common problem; cigarette litter.  Staunton River State Park is no exception.  Their camping and picnic areas are often heavily littered with cigarette butts.  Using this grant, Staunton River SP will address their litter problem in 2 key areas; first, they will initiate an adult educational campaign to focus on the benefits of a clean environment, and secondly, they will install additional cigarette butt receptacles in high traffic areas to help decrease the litter problem.  Staunton River State Park wants to become the leader in a clean, healthy, and beautiful Virginia park system and the first step is starting a comprehensive cigarette litter prevention campaign.  For more information about Staunton River State Park or their project, please contact Joshua Ellington at 434-572-3694.

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.

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.

IMAG0541

Historic Jackson Ward WINS $1,000 Grant from KVB!

, , , , , , , , ,

Historic Jackson Ward has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Community Greening and Beautification 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.  In honor of Earth Month, Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) is awarding “30 Grants In 30 Days” in April, 2011.

The Historic Jackson Ward Association continuously strives to maintain and beautify their community through organized bi-annual clean-up events.  With this grant money, they would be able to further realize their dream of a completely revitalized neighborhood by adding shrubs and perennials to communal locations for all to enjoy.  Community pride runs deep in this historic borough, cleaning and beautifying their neighborhood is a natural solution for Jackson Ward.  For more information on the Historic Jackson Ward Association or their revitalization project, please contact Amber Foster at 804-353-0348 or [email protected].

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.

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.

Earth Day Festival in Richmond

,

On Saturday, April 23, KVB proudly participated in Richmond’s Earth Day Festival.  Our banner was on display for hundreds of Virginians to sign and take the pledge to keep Virginia beautiful.  We also brought out our new basketball hoop (donated by Walmart) and plastic bag ball where visitors could take a shot at our goal with the hopes to win a reusable shopping bag and KVB sticker.  It was a real hit and we plan to play plastic bag basketball again!

Load More