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Seed2Seed Plants 30 in Thirty Grant

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Seed2Seed in Kernersville has been awarded a 30 in Thirty Grant of $750 in the Beautification category. Government, non-profit, civic and service organizations in Virginia were invited to apply for grants for $500 to $1,000 telling how they are addressing these pressing issues:  Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, and Community Beautification.

Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided over $110,000 in 30 in Thirty Grants to 140 organizations throughout the state. This year, for the first time, we are awarding 45 grants because of the generosity of our partners at Altria, Keep America Beautiful, WestRock Foundation and Trex.

Seed2Seed is a neighborhood garden located at Grace Covenant Church in Roanoke determined to engage their community through growing experiences and donating the harvest to those in need. They own over 23 acres to practice their growing technique called “Back to Eden” which uses no chemicals, and plants heirloom varieties of seeds that can be harvested and used for next year. Their goal is to educate families in need about gardening and healthy cooking habits. They will also offer classes on how to compost and save seeds. The funds from Keep Virginia Beautiful will be used to purchase garden tools and supplies to use in the garden.

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Nottoway Middle Wins 30 in 30

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Nottoway Middle School in Crewe has been awarded a 30 in 30 Grant of $1000 in the Recycling category. This program was made possible by Altria and MeadWestvaco.

Nottoway Middle School constructed a community garden two years ago that provides fresh produce for the students through a hands-on learning environment. Now the project will be more self-sustaining with funds provided by our 30 in 30 Grant. Rain barrels will be purchased to collect water from the roof of the school to water the garden, and a composting program will begin with the daily cafeteria waste, to be used as fertilizer. All students at Nottoway Middle School will participate in this project through science classes, and a Garden Keepers Club will meet once a week to give students the opportunity to be more involved with the garden.

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Chatham High FFA wins 30 and 30

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Chatham High School Future Farmers of America has been awarded a $500 30 in 30 grant in the Recycling Category. Our Thirty Grants in 30 Days 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.

We provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of our 30 in 30 grants of $500 to $1,000 in three different categories: Litter Prevention, Recycling, and Community Beautification. These grants are made possible by Lowe’s Charitable & Educational Foundation and MeadWestvaco.

The Chatham High School FFA has come up with an easy plan that will make a big and lasting difference in their community. Bottled drinks are sold daily at their school and there is not one recycling container dedicated to saving these single use bottles from ending up in the landfill. The Chatham FFA realized they could make a real “green” difference by gaining the support of their teachers and student body and purchasing many small point of use recycle bins and one large rolling bin to collect these recyclables. We are excited to support this student driven initiative and applaud them for creating a wave of change for the betterment of their community.

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Rivanna Conservation Hooks 30 in 30

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Rivanna_LogoRivanna Conservation Society in Palmyra has been awarded a $750 30 in 30 grant in the Recycling Category. Our Thirty Grants in 30 Days 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.

We provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of our 30 in 30 grants of $500 to $1,000 in three different categories: Litter Prevention, Recycling, and Community Beautification. These grants are made possible by Lowe’s Charitable & Educational Foundation and MeadWestvaco.

The Rivanna Conservation Society  has high hopes of cleaning up their river and making it beautiful and clean once again for the kayakers, boaters, and swimmers that use it. Earlier this year they removed 92 tires from a 15 mile stretch of the river.  However, there are 50 more to go. It costs the Society money to do the right thing and recycle these tires, and this is where we can come in. We are offering the Rivanna Conservation Society a grant to continue to clean-up their river and recycle the remaining tires. We applaud their efforts to this point and look forward to a refuse and tire free Rivanna River soon.

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Clarksville Elementary wins 30 in 30

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Clarksville Elementary School in Mecklenburg has been awarded a $750 30 in 30 grant in the Community Beautification Category. Our 30 Grants in 30 Days 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.

We provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of 30 grants of $500 to $1,000 in three different categories: Litter Prevention, Recycling, and Community Beautification. These grants are made possible by Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation and MeadWestvaco.

Clarksville Elementary School (CES) would like to expand and beautify their school’s learning garden. They have enlisted the help of the High School, several community partners, and of course their student body and staff. CES realizes that hands-on-learning is an integral part of a child’s education and their school garden has become a real asset for teaching their students the core lessons of teamwork, science, math, agriculture, nutrition, environment, and community pride and spirit. We are happy to assist these eager young minds to improve their community and school by adding additional raised beds and seating to their learning garden. As Aeschylus said, “From a small seed, a mighty trunk grows”.

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environment through these impact areas: Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Beautification, and Environmental Education.

Photo via: Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Water Flows One Way

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Time to get a bit science-y on you:

A bit over 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water.  About 96.5% of all of our water is in our oceans.  All of the water that has ever been on Earth is still on Earth.

Get that last part?

Our early atmosphere, way back before dinosaurs and politicians (though not all politicians), was comprised of tasty things like hydrogen, ammonia, and methane.  As these things began to bump into each other and bind together, some of them teamed up to create water.  It rose high into the ether, then got tired and fell as rain.  It puddled, pooled, streamed, and laked, then evaporated and rose high into the ether.  Until it got tired and fell as rain.  It’s an endless cycle.  So all of the water that has ever been on Earth is still on Earth.

And we’re screwing it up.

Streams and rivers run north and south and east and west.  With very few exceptions, however, they don’t run uphill.  The Mighty Mississippi has run uphill a few times, due to earthquakes and the like.  There have been cases of rivers that have become so overused and degraded that the lakes and bays that signaled their terminus began to flow back towards the source.  Water, for all intents and purposes, however, flows downhill.  As does everything that we put in our water.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is getting ready to host World Cup Soccer.  After that, they’ll host the Summer Olympics – pretty sweet deal for Rio.  As part of their Summer Olympics package, they’ll host events in water sports like rowing, windsurfing, and sailing.  They plan on holding these events in Guanabara Bay.  It’s a special place – you can walk on the water.  This is due in large part to the enormous amount of waste in the bay.  In addition to the usual plastics and paper, you’ll see floating tires, mattresses, and animal carcasses.  Folks who have traveled to Rio to “test the waters” prior to an Olympic appearance, have stated that the smell was so bad that they didn’t want to dip a toe, much less dive in.  Windsurfers and sailors who actually came into contact with Guanabara water came out in rashes and sores.

All of that garbage started somewhere.

A few weeks ago, a train derailed in Lynchburg.  While thankfully nobody was hurt, and in the great scheme of things it wasn’t a huge environmental disaster, it did manage to spill a bit of crude oil into the James River.  Folks downhill from Lynchburg took to feverishly testing their own waters to see if they were getting a whiff of that oil.  Eventually, that fouled water would end up in the Chesapeake Bay.  The Bay, you see, is downhill from Lynchburg.

Screen Shot 2014-05-21 at 4.25.08 PMWhen you look at the watershed for the Chesapeake, it’s huge.  It encompasses over ¾ of Virginia, and a surprising amount of the East Coast.  From the Appalachian Mountains east, you see, it all goes downhill, and into the Chesapeake.  As does your trash and chemicals.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is dedicated to protecting this historic and important waterway through education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration.  They do a lot of cool stuff.  They’re currently trying to sway our legislators into approving the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint.  The main goal of the Blueprint is to monitor and set goals for the Total Maximum Daily Load that can be emptied into the Bay.  This means chemicals and pollution.  21 states, including such far-away places as Montana and Texas, have signaled an opposition to the Blueprint.  Virginia, thankfully, filed a brief in support of the plan.  You can click here to read more from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and sign their petition.

So think about this as you walk past discarded litter and ponder your lawn care.  What we discard flows downhill.  The last time anyone walked across the Bay it was on the backs of oyster beds.  That’s been a long time ago, but it would be nice to do it again.

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Happy Birthday KVB…KVB turns 60 on 3/24!

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KVB TURNS 60!  How did we get here…

By the early 1950′s, Virginia’s roadways had become a dumping ground for people’s trash and the Commonwealth realized that it needed to find a solution to this ever growing problem.  Thus, in the spring of 1953, the national “Don’t Be a Litterbug” slogan was adopted and the Virginia Anti-Litterbug Council was formed.  The purpose of this organization was “to encourage the proper disposal of empty containers and all other forms of trash that mar Virginia highways, farms, and public places”.  By the end of that year, Keep America Beautiful (KAB) was incorporated to fight the litter problem on a national level.  KAB used the first major clean-up project developed by the VA Anti-Litterbug Council (the Culpeper District Project) as the testing ground and measuring stick for the nation.  In 1956, the VA Anti-Litterbug Council changed its name to Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) and became an official affiliate of KAB.  During the next several years and throughout its history, KVB has expanded its efforts to include educating the public, media publicity, and local clean-up campaigns.

In 1960, KVB established a Board of Trustees to assist the President in determining and carrying out the policies and programs of the organization.  A new educational campaign, “The Governor’s Program to Keep Virginia Beautiful” and new stricter anti-litter enforcement statutes were adopted.  By 1965, KVB created a system of annual awards to cities, counties and towns for “outstanding achievement in the field of litter prevention”.  As the 70′s arrived, KVB, equipped with a full-time executive director and secretary, began to consider the need for total environmental improvements throughout the Commonwealth.  Armed with the support of other water and air pollution groups, as well as many local businesses, the State Health Dept. and the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, KVB embarked on a vigorous campaign to clean-up Virginia’s waterways and establish 56 sanitary landfills (while closing 33 unauthorized dumpsites).  KVB continued to receive state and national awards for its sustained superior achievements in its environmental programs and anti-litter campaigns, gaining prestige, support and national acclaim.  In 1976, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Litter Control Act to help implement and fund the Division of Litter Control (DLC).  DLC helped establish a grants program to localities for education, control, prevention and elimination of litter.  The DLC and KVB worked together to promote anti-litter campaigns and create the Clean Virginia Awards.

By 1980, 68% of VA localities had implemented some form of the DLC/KVB anti-litter model.  KVB had earned every major award and had become “the finest state effort in America!” according to the President of KAB.  Again, KVB’s Board sought to expand its role which resulted in several new programs; college and university litter control, Certificate of Recognition for litter-free businesses, and Keep Virginia Beautiful Landscape excellence awards.

The 1990′s saw the annual presence of KVB at the State Fair of Virginia, continuation of Landscape Excellence awards, and renewed energy to prevent roadside litter prevention. Cigarette Litter became the most common type of roadside litter and the national Cigarette Litter Prevention Programs began to take shape in the Commonwealth.

There was also a national shift created to emphasize recycling and the important role it plays in litter prevention and waste reduction.  Throughout the 90′s, VA Governors recognized the importance of “Keeping Virginia Beautiful” and proclaimed the first week in April, “Keep Virginia Beautiful Week”, to encourage litter pick-ups, recycling events, and community beautification efforts.

With the start of the millenium, KVB was going through changes as an organization and its effectiveness as mainly a volunteer run group.  As the decade progressed, the “need” for a strong voice in Virginia was becoming more apparent.  A Steering Committee of key stakeholders representing litter prevention, recycling, beautification and environmental education started to have informal conversations.   A capacity-building grant from the Altria Group in Richmond helped spearhead the efforts.  The result in 2009 was the completion of a process to launch a three year strategic plan for addressing important needs and goals for Virginia. The first year of work on this ambitious Keep Virginia Beautiful Strategic Plan has been completed, and much has been accomplished.  A new board of directors comprised of 18 individuals has come together to help take the next steps to move the plan even farther toward reaching our overall mission:  To engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environments.   Michael G. Baum was hired as Executive Director in March of 2010.

KVB Executive Directors, Through the Years

  • Paul Sanders 1969-1982
  • Earl Shiflet 1982-1995
  • John S. Bailey 1995-1996
  • Robert Hundley 1996-2010
  • Michael Baum 2010-present

KVB Presidents of the Board of Directors, Through the Years

  • A.B. Burton 1955-1961
  • W. Calvin Falwell 1961-1963
  • Iva Massie 1963-1967
  • Earl Shiflet 1967-1973
  • Giles Miller 1973-1979
  • Brooks George 1979-1983
  • John Adams 1983-1985
  • Maurice Rowe 1985-2009
  • Alisia Rudd 2010-2012
  • Kim Hynes 2012-present

 

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Thinking too big for the Great American Cleanup?

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A recent survey asked Americans how they viewed our various states.  Did they like the state?  Would they visit?  It should come as no surprise to any of you that our fair Commonwealth ranked number five.  People like us.  They really do.  Now don’t you want to pitch in to keep us pretty for our red carpet walk?

Great American CleanupWe’re gearing up for the Great American Cleanup.  It will take place in April to coincide with Earth Day on April 22nd.  We kind of think of April as “Earth Month”, but that’s just us.  We’re partnering with askHRGreen and Keep America Beautiful to get things rolling in earnest in Hampton on April 27th, but those of you in other parts of the Commonwealth have every opportunity to make an impact.

Wise County is having theirs on April 21st.  They are having a cleanup at Guest River Gorge on the 19th of April.  Guest River Gorge is in the Jefferson National Forest and features some wonderful trails that follow some old rail beds to offer up some spectacular scenery.Guest River Gorge

Project Clean Stream is working with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to clean up some waterways on the 14th.  We know that they’ll do their part to protect the streams and rivers that feed into The Bay.  If the weather participates it is sure to be a great way to see some wildlife.

But what if you’re not the crowd type?  Agoraphobic?  Maybe there are things that you can do around your own home or neighborhood to make a personal impact.

Shortly after Hurricane Irene came through Virginia, some friends in Richmond got to know their neighbors a little better.  A resident of the historic Fan District stuck a little note in everyone’s door:

“Dear Neighbor:

Our recent storm wreaked havoc with our common alley, and we’re now all struggling to park our vehicles and reach our trashcans.  I will be working to clean up the alley on this coming Saturday morning.

Sincerely Yours, Sonny”

On Saturday morning, 85-year old Sonny marched outside with a handful of rakes and tree-trimmers.  His next-door neighbor met him with an urn of piping hot coffee.  The art student slackers at the end of the block came ambling down with several boxes of muffins and donuts.  By 11 a.m. a crowd of 40 or so people had gathered and by early afternoon they were eating pizzas and drinking beer.  Alley Cleanup accomplished.

A friend in the Northern Virginia shared a story of business owners banding together.  Local hooligans had been tagging stores and businesses with senseless graffiti.  The owners gathered at a café on a weekend morning and invited a member of the local police department.  Many of the business owners had security cameras that captured grainy video of the miscreants in action.  They shared the videos with each other, with the police, and then got to work.  Using paints donated by a local hardware store, they started at one end of the business district and began painting each other’s shops and stores.  Not only did they beautify the community, it brought their alliance as local business owners closer together.

Some friends in the Valley did their part in a typical small Virginia town.  A stretch of road featured houses every 50 yards or so, with each parcel backing up to farmland.  The farmland gave way to mountains, with a stream marking the boundary between man and nature.  Things from “town” were typically washed down stream with each spring thunderstorm, and the “crick” had become clogged with shopping carts and other trash.  Each storm would bring waters into the farmland.  The folks of the Valley got together to clean the “crick” of debris, beautifying their land and bringing some security to their livelihood.

Dog HydrantA small community near Virginia Beach prettified their area.  Everything in their area is above ground, and sometimes the infrastructure just looked ugly.  They got together with their local fire department and had a fire hydrant contest.  Each block came up with a plan to decorate their particular hydrant, and the winner won the ‘privilege’ of hosting a cookout.  A “Hydrant Tour” featured dogs, firemen, farmers, fish, abstract art, and a Super-Mario hydrant.  They proved that hydrants aren’t just for dogs.

It would be nice if we all connected with our communities for the Great American Cleanup.  But what each of us does makes a difference.

Maybe it’s what you do in your own yard.  Spring is a great time to plant some flowers.  Hit your own yard, or seed-bomb the patch of dirt in your sidewalk.  Spend an hour cleaning up the street in front of your house, or the alley behind your apartment.  Gather up the junk mail littering the porch.  Small things add up.

When you look at the mission of Keep Virginia Beautiful, it’s not complicated:  “To engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environment.”  It’s what we look at every day.  We do this through our impact areas; litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification, and education.  We don’t do this with a lot of money, an army of volunteers, or acts of congress; we do it with you.  With little actions that we take every day.

The Dalai Lama sums it up well when he says, “If you think that you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

April is almost here, so start pestering.

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New Bill Introduced: Littering will cost you!

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Exciting Legislation coming up during this session of the General Assembly.  Delegate Joe Morrisey (D) is submitting a revision of our current litter laws! To read the full proposed bill, click here: HB114_01.03.12

Basically, he is taking away the prison time and up to $2500 fine and simplifying the litter laws to be very specific about how you dump your litter and trash, including from your vehicle, to be a flat $100 fine and community service ( to pick up the very litter disposed of improperly in the first place).  I think this is much more enforceable and cut and dry; you litter you pay$100!

This is definitely geared toward cigarette litter on the roadways.  Cigarette litter makes up 38% of all litter and costs our state millions of dollars to clean-up, not mention the countless fires started by cigarette butts.  Litterers beware, if you toss that butt…you are going to pay!

PICTURE ABOVE: Shows litter removed from a 1 mile stretch of 288…that’s unacceptable!

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The Chesapeake Bay: Virginia’s National Treasure

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The weather last week knocked down a lot of beautiful trees.  It caused power outages; it shook things up at the North Anna Nuclear Reactor, and disrupted our week.  It also dumped a bunch of rain.  All of that water ran into our storm drains, filled our creeks, swelled our streams, flushed our rivers, and much of it ended up in The Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay.  The name comes from an Algonquian word referring to a village “at a big river.”  When the first European settlers wandered into the Bay in the early 16th century they commented on the massive oyster reefs that they had to navigate.  They initially thought “Chesepiooc” was the native word for “Great Shellfish Bay.”  Oysters are natural water filters and keep the water clean of sediments and pollutants.  In 1507 the population of oysters could filter the entire Bay in about three days.   The current population is about 5% of what it was in 1507.

In the 1970’s scientists discovered one of Earth’s first “marine dead zones” in The Chesapeake Bay.  Runoff from farms, industrial waste, and chemicals like phosphorus and nitrogen created algal blooms that rendered the water hypoxic or starved of oxygen.  In addition to massive fish kills and crab migrations this dead zone devastated the oyster populations in The Bay.  Oyster farming of this depleted population further depleted stocks to the point that it now takes over a year for the little mollusks to keep The Bay clean.

There is hope for The Chesapeake Bay, though.  There are many groups and organizations that are spearheading efforts to return The Bay to its glory days.  The Chesapeake Bay Program coordinates efforts from Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the Environmental Protection Agency.  It brings together local, state, and federal government groups with citizen advisory panels and other volunteer groups.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation started in 1964 with a concerned group of businessmen and Chesapeake fishermen.  Their mission is to restore The Bay to its former glory by encouraging protection and conservation of The Bay and its tributaries.  The rightly refer to The Bay as a “National Treasure.”

The UVA Bay Game was conceived by students and faculty at The University of Virginia in partnership with Philippe Cousteau.  It uses real world demographic, economic, and scientific data to show the impacts that we have on The Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.  It’s kind of like a live Farmville game where players can change behaviors and policy and it will show up on the future of a Virtual Bay.

Many of our groups and volunteers at Keep Virginia Beautiful work to protect our waterways.  All of these streams and rivers feed into our greatest body of water, The Chesapeake Bay.  If you’re in Hampton or Harrisonburg, Alanton or Andersons Mill, from one end of our State to the other we need to protect The Chesapeake Bay by doing our part to Keep Virginia Beautiful.

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