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Green Grants

James Monroe Birthplace 2

2024 Green Grants Award #9 Goes to the James Monroe Memorial Foundation

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Congratulations to the James Monroe Memorial Foundation for their $500 Green Grants award!

Virginia offers some of the richest historical areas in the country.  Virginia’s Northern Neck Peninsula is the “birthplace of our nation” with three of the first five American presidents being born there.  The James Monroe Birthplace Park & Museum is a project of the James Monroe Memorial Foundation, which was established by the descendants of President James Monroe. The efforts of the project have come to fruition with the establishment of the Visitors Center and the completion of the Birthplace Home, along with the park’s various activity trails. The Commemorative Timeline Walking Trail is the heart of the park, which is free and open to the public.

The Green Grant award will offer support for a longtime problem with litter on the property.  In the early 1900s, the area was used to harvest gravel and dump refuse. There are still depressions that retain water. There are collections of tires, ceramics, and general trash along the perimeter. Besides being unsightly before the trees have foliage, it is a safety hazard to wildlife and visitors.

Green Grant funds will be used to purchase supplies for trash removal, gloves for workers’ safety, and a permit required to recycle tires, metal, and plastics.  It will also be used for topsoil and grading after removal of debris. Great care is being taken not to disturb the soil because of erosion prevention and possible future archeological studies.

This large-scale cleanup will be a coordination of different groups because it such a labor-intensive endeavor.  Hunters, watermen, and naturalist will be recruited to use ATV and small tractors to help with hauling.  The Foundation will work with local government, historical societies, and civic groups as well.  The efforts are also in line with Audubon and Wildlife reserve programs along the Eastern migratory route.

Beautiful things can happen when caring people come together to tackle litter and improve the scenic landscape.  Tourism, local economy, and civic pride will benefit from the improvements made by the James Monroe Memorial Foundation.

2024 Green Grants Award #8: Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office is awarded $1,000

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Logo from Spotsylvania, VA Sheriff's OfficeCongratulations to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office for their $1,000 Green Grant award for Cigarette Litter Prevention!

The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office, in Northern Virginia, strives to bring community policing to the forefront with educational efforts, events, and crime preventative measures.  Within the boundaries of Spotsylvania County is the scenic beauty of Lake Anna.  The Marine Patrol Unit patrols any body of water within the County and is responsible for the enforcement of boating laws of Virginia.

The Spotsylvania Sheriff Office is working on two campaigns this year tied to safety awareness at Lake Anna. During both campaigns, officers will be approaching boaters, swimmers, and fisherman on the land and water. Part of their efforts during the campaigns will include reminding them not to litter, including the discarding of cigarette butts, and directing these individuals to the nearest trash cans and cigarette receptacles.

Funding from their Green Grants award will be used to purchase several stand-alone cigarette receptacles, boat ashtrays, and pocket ashtrays. The Sheriff’s Office will work with local marinas and other sites on or near the water to make sure that they have these receptacles and signage in place to encourage proper disposal of cigarette butts. The local marinas look forward to receiving the receptacles, and agree to empty and maintain the urns on their property.

Cigarette butts are recyclable, so the Sheriff’s Office will participate in the free cigarette butt recycling program offered through TerraCycle.  You can learn more about the free and easy recycling programs offered by TerraCycle here.

Because the Sheriff’s Office routinely patrols the waters of Lake Anna, this is a way they feel they can give back to the community — by helping them control litter and cigarette butt litter. Thank you, Sheriff, for caring about the cigarette butt litter, the number one most littered item in the world!

 

Fort Story Logo for their Community Garden, with lighthouse and tomato

2024 Green Grants Award #7: Fort Story Community Garden

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Fort Story Logo for their Community Garden, with lighthouse and tomato Congratulations to The Fort Story Community Garden for being chosen for a $1,000 Green Grant in the Community Beautification category!

The community garden located on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach had previously experienced a drop in interest, but was reinvigorated in 2020.  Recognizing the important role pollinators play in the eco-system, Project Manager and Master Gardener Andrea Muffly wanted to build a pollinator habitat as part of the community garden.  This project will expand the natural habitat available to pollinators, thus increasing the number of pollinators nearby, which will increase the pollination of the crops, and therefore the yield, of produce for the community.

People working in a raised bed garden on Fort Story base in Virginia BeachFunds awarded by the Green Grant will be used to purchase and install a bee puddling station, a frog habitat, and a large section of native plants to provide both habitat and nectar for moths and butterflies and native bees.  The native plants of Yarrow, Obedient Plant, Cutleaf Cone Flower, and Beautyberry will further increase the presence of pollinators.

Residents of Fort Story are all military families, and the nearest grocery store is a 15 minute drive from base, which can make it hard to access fresh produce. The Community Garden at Fort Story aims to fill a gap in the community’s need for fresh food.  It also provides mental health support by getting families outside, connecting with neighbors, and engaging in their community. The garden provides a much-needed space for families to play outside and work with their hands. The garden is free to join, and gardeners are given access to a tool shed and regularly-scheduled workdays with access to a Master Gardener for advice on what to grow and how to best manage their garden.

A community garden is a beautiful way for a Green Grant award to increase the productivity and impact of the natural environment for those who live on base!

Buchanan County Public Library logo, with shelves of books

2024 Green Grants Award #6: Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library

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Buchanan County Public Library logo, with shelves of booksCheck this out!  The Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library, in the Southwest corner of Virginia, are awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Litter Prevention category!  Each year, groups are invited to apply for a Green Grant in the category that best fits their goal for projects and programs that are needed in their community.  The applications are evaluated and scored by a panel of experts in their fields, and thirty awards are announced, one each day in June.

Although Keep Virginia Beautiful has awarded 415 programs and projects throughout the state since 2011, this is the first Green Grant award that has gone to a group located in Buchanan County — another reason to celebrate!

The Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library is a group of library volunteers and supporters who sponsor author visits and book signings, assist with projects such as landscaping the library, serve as program volunteers, and raise funds Boy picking up litter outsidefor the library. In addition, the Friends organization partners with other nonprofits and government organizations to support community improvement projects.

The Friends partnered with the Keep Buchanan County Beautiful Committee last year to present the One Bag Challenge, which encouraged citizens in the county to pick up at least one bag of litter. This challenge was very successful, and citizens of all ages participated. Those picking up litter were encouraged to submit photos to the Buchanan County Public Library’s Facebook page, which helped to bring attention to the project.  They look forward to repeating the successful results again this year.

Funds from the Green Grants award will be used to purchase litter grabbers, safety vests, and gloves, to provide volunteers with the tools they need to safely clean up.  The Friends of the Buchanan County Public Library will be able to loan the supplies to people for the One Bag Challenge and other cleanups — and no one is better at loaning items to citizens than libraries!

 

Logo for the Friends of Fonticello Park with drawn figures enjoying the outdoors

2024 Green Grants Award #5 Goes to Friends of Fonticello Park

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Logo for the Friends of Fonticello Park with drawn figures enjoying the outdoorsCongratulations to the Friends of Fonticello Park for their $1,000 award in the Community Beautification category!

Fonticello Park, in the City of Richmond, has seen decades of deferred maintenance and neglect, ultimately leading to violence and vandalism in the park. After the tragic murder of Markiya Dickson in the park on Memorial Day 2019 and another non-fatal shooting in the park in September 2022, Friends of Fonticello Park was formed to bridge community voices to facilitate the creation of a vibrant and safe Fonticello Park.   They are a group of passionate neighbors who are committed to honoring the history of Fonticello Park and inspiring future generations by creating a green space that is culturally responsive to the needs of the park community and fosters a sense of belonging.

The only request of Markiya’s parents after her tragic death in the park was that her life be remembered through efforts to make the park a safe place for children to play. Research show that an urban area that has positive activity, is cleared of litter, and maintained with attractive landscape directly relates to a decrease in crime and violence. The Friends of Fonticello Park originally installed a modest garden to honor her memory with flowering native plants in pink, purple Yellow flowers of a native plantand white, Markiya’s favorite colors. Unfortunately, due to a lack of quality borders and signage, the modest garden was destroyed.

With funds provided by the Green Grants program, the Friends of Fonticello Park will purchase mulch, compost, over 60 native plants, and other supplies to install a larger and more protected native plant garden.  It will include a small plaque explaining the importance of the garden, and have a stone edge barrier to clearly mark the area off from mowing and playing.  This will transform another portion of the area from turf grass to native plants, which benefits the local ecosystem and also honors Markiya with a variety of pollinator-friendly plants in her favorite colors

Thank you, Friends of Fonticello Park, for understanding the importance of reintroducing native plants to the park in order to support the local ecosystem, preserve biodiversity, reduce the heat island effect, combat climate change, conserve water, and provide beauty and healthy spaces for the community!

 

Photo of brick school, Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, VA

2024 Green Grants Award #4: Saint Patrick Catholic School

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Photo of brick school, Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, VACongratulations to Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, for being awarded a $1,000 Green Grant for their Recycling and Waste Reduction application!

Saint Patrick Catholic School takes steps throughout the school year to be good stewards of the Earth, such as holding a large Earth Day event on campus each year, collecting plastics for Trex to recycle into benches, and host oyster bags off a local pier. They care for a Little Sprouts Garden, compost, and use a rain barrel as a water source, and they use the vegetables grown by our youngest students in the dining hall.

They also have a committee of teachers, parents, and students that meets monthly to plan activities and design programs that teach the students better habits and empower them to speak out about environmental concerns.

The students were concerned about the school’s use of Styrofoam in the dining hall, as they’ve become more aware of Students and an adult eating lunch at a school dining hall.the negative impact that Styrofoam has on wildlife, our health, and the environment. On most lunch days, meals are served on washable, reusable plates. But when there is a special event or a student needs to take their lunch “to-go,” it’s placed in a Styrofoam container. Students also take their lunch “to-go” when they meet with the Learning Resource Teachers during lunch.  Knowing that it would be a better environmental practice to purchase and use biodegradable plates or boxes, the students wanted to provide sustainable alternatives.

Green Grants funds will be used to purchase Green Plates that will serve the student body, teachers, and staff at five special events during the school year, and compostable clamshell containers that will serve all the students who take their meals “to go” during the school year.  This Recycling and Waste Reduction effort will be an example to everyone on campus of the sustainable changes that can be made.  It will also teach the students that using their voices and speaking up when they see a need for change works.  It will teach them a powerful lesson — that their voices can make a difference.

Congratulations students!  Thank you for caring about the natural and scenic environment of Virginia, and making a positive impact at your school!

Photo of the Town of Hillsville's Farmers Market

2024 Green Grants #3 Awarded to the Town of Hillsville

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Photo of the Town of Hillsville's Farmers MarketThe Town of Hillsville in the Southwest part of Virginia is awarded a $1,000 Green Grants for their Community Beautification proposal.

With a population of just under 3,000 residents, the Town of Hillsville is in a food desert, with affordable fresh produce not fully available for all residents. Some of the residents do not have space for a garden where they live.  The town is working on several projects to make a cohesive space in downtown, including one that is reviving the 1820s original name, “Cranberry Plains” for a community garden at the Hillsville Farmers Market.  It will be used for  teaching and engagement for local youth who attend the farmers market.

Green Grants funds will be used to purchase raised garden kits, soil and other supplies to create the Cranberry Plains Community Garden at the farmers market.

In partnership with Mag Lane Farms, an educational program will be provided to participants to learn about plant varieties , planting techniques, and garden maintenance, the youth who participate will be offered a plant to take home to grow.Cranberry Field Community Garden logo, drawing of rakes, shoves, hoes, and leaves

Another partnership has grown from the local 4-H program Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP), which provides the opportunity for youth to learn about entrepreneurship through hands-on experiential learning.  Last year a 14-year-old girl started a business called Beelessins that creates garden plant markers made from stamped silverware handles.  Beelessing is now a yearly vendor at the Town of Hillsville Farmers Market, and will participate in the Green Grants Community Beautification project this year.  By sharing her experience, she will inspire others to consider joining the workshops offered by 4-H for young entrepreneurs so that they too can sell their own products at the farmers market in the future.

This is truly a community collaboration, and a wonderful example of the Green Grants’ Community Beautification category!

Sunset on a beach with words Keep Middlesex Beautiful

2024 Green Grants Award #2: Keep Middlesex Beautiful

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Sunset on a beach with words Keep Middlesex BeautifulCongratulations to Keep Middlesex Beautiful for their $750 grant award for Cigarette Litter Prevention!

Located on the Middle Peninsula, Middlesex County is well known as a destination for camping, boating, and the Oyster Festival.  But all the beautiful and scenic environment they offer doesn’t just happen on its own!  Keep Middlesex Beautiful! (KMB) is a volunteer committee chartered and sponsored by the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors established to serve, support and inspire a litter-free and beautiful Middlesex County.

Cigarette litter in Middlesex (as in Virginia, the USA, and globally) continues to represent the largest single contributor (by number) of litter in the County. Whether it is roadside butts, or butts flicked at entrances of our parks, trails and public area, Middlesex County and Keep Middlesex Beautiful aim to reduce, if not eliminate, cigarette butt litter through the strategic placement of free standing cigarette butt receptacles in key public points throughout the county including: Middlesex County Dog Park; Old County Courthouse, Woodward Building, Heritage Trail, Canoe House Beach Park, Middlesex County Skate Park, Deltaville Community Association Center, Middlesex County Museum, Mill Creek Boat Ramp.

Green Grant funds will be used to purchase and place free-standing cigarette butt receptacles at transition areas at these locations, where cigarette butt litter most often occurs.  These efforts will further reinforce anti-littering messaging and activities throughout the County. Coupled with their Great Middlesex Green Up, and Middlesex Recycles! Program, this No Butts About It! initiative will enhance their overall mission.

Many people may not realize that cigarette butts are recyclable! Terracycle offers Cigarette Waste Free Recycling program where participants collect butts, download a free shipping label, and send it to Terracycle to recycle.  They are given a second life when they’re made into picnic tables, outdoor chairs, and other useful items.

Thank you Keep Middlesex Beautiful for caring about cigarette butt litter in the landscape and waters of our Commonwealth!

 

 

Art Hive logo with drawn bee

2024 Green Grants Award #1 Goes to the Art Hive!

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Art Hive logo with drawn beeThis is one of our favorite times of year!  The Green Grants applications have been submitted by groups from cities and counties across Virginia, the panel of expert judges has evaluated and scored the applications,  KVB staff has tallied all the scores in all the categories and sorted out the best.  Now it’s time to announce the awards!  We’ll announce one award each day in June on our Latest News Blog and on social media channels until all thirty 2024 Green Grants are named!

Our first award goes to the Art Hive Creative Reuse & Art Center in Staunton for $1,000 in the Recycling and Waste Reduction category!

Friends since high school and artists themselves, Kirsten Schneider and Mary Pearce joined forces to start a creative reuse and art center in Staunton as there were no art supply resources in the City. The center is a hub for traditionally non-recyclable materials, such as paint, fabric, and wood, and it also serves as a catalyst for alternative and emerging artists, creators, and craftspeople.  They encourage people to get crafty with innovative classes & reuse projects, connect with artists in our community hub and share ideas and materials, and discover unique boutique items from local artists.

In honor of Art Hive’s upcoming first anniversary in July 2024, they will host creative workshops at no charge every weekend throughout the month. These workshops will welcome community members of all ages to participate.  Each project will utilize materials that might otherwise end up in the local landfill. From discarded treasures, we’ll craft new masterpieces!  Designed to be inclusive, these projects will cater to individuals of all ages and skill levels.

Grant funds will be used for supplies to supplement upcycled materials and offer a small stipend to guest instructors.  They anticipate over 100 participants over the course of four weekends in July, and aim to repurpose an estimated 100 pounds of materials that would otherwise have ended up in the landfill.

We can’t wait to see what they create!

Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided $307,000 for 415 programs and projects throughout the state.  We are grateful to the sponsors of our 2024 Green Grants Program!
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Logo for Village Bank

Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nf

$500 – $1,000 Grant Apply Through April 30

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Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nfWe know that YOU can do great things in your communities, and WE want to help!

We’re awarding $500, $750, and $1,000 Green Grants to groups to improve the natural and scenic environment of Virginia.  Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided $307,000 for 415 programs and projects throughout the state.  The program has been so successful because of the nonprofits, schools, faith-based organizations, civic leagues, “Friends of” groups, Scouts, and others who see a need where they live, and apply for a grant to get it accomplished.

You can apply for a Green Grant in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Cigarette Litter Prevention, Community Beautification, and Recycling.  The applications are evaluated and scored by a panel of experts in their fields, and in June, one Green Grant award is announced one each day, until all thirty awards have been revealed.

The general Grant Application Guidelines should be read before an application is submitted. Click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

Applications are due before midnight on Tuesday, April 30, 2024!

Here are some past awards for inspiration:

  • Friends of a city park installed cigarette butt receptacles in the parking lot and at entrances to the park, to eliminate cigarette butt litter that can clog storm drains and harm wildlife.
  • A church parish started a composting collection program, yielding an average of 50 pounds of food waste that would have been sent to the landfill, but is processed to create rich compost.
  • Classrooms at an elementary school are collecting markers and pens to be recycled through TerraCycle.
  • A neighborhood civic league used grant funds to purchase litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves, and florescent hats for the safety of volunteers during their roadside cleanups.
  • Invasive species were removed and native plants installed along a hiking trail.

Please see our Green Grants webpage for descriptions of the categories, read the general Grant Application Guidelines, and click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

We are grateful to the sponsors of our 2024 Green Grants Program:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!

Altria Logo        WestRock Logo             Logo for Village Bank

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