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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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Clean Valley Council WINS $1,000 for Recycling!

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The Clean Valley Council has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Plastic Bag Recycling 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.

Plastic bags are one of the top sources of litter in the greater Roanoke Valley which includes the City of Roanoke, County of Roanoke, Town of Vinton, and the City of Salem.  In recent months, the Clean Valley Council (CVC) was asked to step in and help solve the plastic bag litter issue.  CVC has a five prong attack planned to combat this issue: 1. Area wide clean-up days with an emphasis on plastic bags (counting them and pictures of them as the Valley’s main litter source), 2. Public outreach and education using their new slogan “Bag It, is your life too plastic?”, 3. Distribution of reusable shopping bags, 4. Development of K-12 educational programs, and 5. Surveying the local retailers to determine the need for additional plastic bag recycling collection centers.  These funds will assist the CVC with this new plastic bag recycle/reuse/reduction campaign and help the residents and merchants clean-up the greater Roanoke Valley.  For more information on the Clean Valley Council or their project, please contact Cristina Siegel at 540-345-5523 or [email protected].

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.

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.

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Grayson County High School WINS $1,000 Grant

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Grayson County High School has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Plastic Bag Recycling 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.

Grayson County High School’s ECO Club plans to use the grant money to educate their community about the value of recycling plastic bags and using reusable bags as an alternative.  They have become a  community leader in recycling, plastic bag recycling, and reuse education as a natural extension to the great work they have already put into their community.  Working with local retailers and the Blue Ridge Discovery Center, Grayson’s ECO club will lead the charge into a future with fewer plastic bags, more reusable bags, and greater community responsibility.  For more information on Grayson County High School or their project, please contact Debby Greif at 276-773-2131 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.

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Downtown Roanoke WINS $1,000 Grant!

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Downtown Roanoke has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Cigarette Litter Prevention 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.

Downtown Roanoke Inc (DRI) will partner with the City of Roanoke, and AdFed to create a Cigarette Litter Prevention Signage Campaign.  DRI’s litter prevention program was established 2 years ago with the installation of cigarette butt receptacles throughout Downtown Roanoke.  In order to continue to create awareness of this program, they hope to further educate the public about the hazards of cigarette litter through creative signage at various hot spots and merchant locations.  Their initiative meets the intent of the grant by raising awareness about cigarettes as litter, and encouraging the public to keep our streets clean.  For information Downtown Roanoke Inc. and their project, contact Lyndsay Smith, [email protected] or (540) 342-2028.

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.