Litter cleanup

Two young ladies picking up litter at a beach

Student Ambassadors Greenup

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Girl with dog with bucket of litter they picked upThank you to everyone who has submitted their cleanup and greenup results for the Great Virginia Greenup!  Or you can get back out there until June 20, 2024 to improve our natural and scenic environment with your efforts to clean up, beautify, recycle, paint or other green deed, and report it here.  You’ll be entered to win a one of our Sustainability Sampler Kits!

Two girls and a dog picking up litter along a road.We’re happy to share these photos of some of our members of our Student Ambassadors for Virginia’s Environment (SAVE) program.  One cleanup took place in Washington County.  They partnered with Keep Southwest Beautiful to picked up over 19 bags of litter along North Fork Road!

On the other end of the Commonwealth in Virginia Beach, Student Ambassadors had fun in the sun while cleaning up the landscape (see picture below)!  There were 23 volunteers and members of the Surfrider’s Club, and they picked up six bags of litter.  We appreciate all their efforts!

Group of young ladies who are cleaning up litter near a beach

We’re so proud of the leadership shown by the members of our pilot Student Ambassador program, and the example they’re setting for fellow high school students.  SAVE (Student Ambassadors for Virginia’s Environment) is modeled after best-practice student ambassador programs successfully implemented by other Keep America Beautiful (KAB) state affiliates.  An abbreviated pilot program was launched during the second half of the 2023/2024 school year and will conclude in June.  Its success has prompted the continuation and expansion of the program for the 2024/2025 school year.

Student Ambassadors are expected to organize and implement two litter cleanups and host a school-wide or community educational project or event. For a one-page overview of the program refer to the SAVE Program Overview; or for more details on the requirements of the program, please see the SAVE Handbook.

If you know someone who would like to apply for the 2024-25 school year, there’s more information on our website and applications can be found here.  For any questions about the program, please reach out to Cristi Lawton, Executive Director, at [email protected].

And don’t forget to get out there during the Great Virginia Greenup — get involved and report your cleanup!

LOVE VA logo with Virginia mountains and sky

LOVE VA this Fall

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LOVE VA logo with Virginia mountains and skyAhhh, the weather is cooler, the humidity is lower, and there are so many fun things to do in the Fall!  One of the things we can do after we see the last 90° day in the rearview mirror is enjoy being outside.  From the beaches to the mountains, there’s so much to see and do in Virginia.

One of the things we hope you’ll do is join us for our LOVE VA Fall cleanup campaign!  Litter in the landscape mars our beautiful scenery and has a negative impact on neighborhoods, businesses, and recreation.  According to an analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey, the presence of litter is associated with lower levels of neighborhood and home satisfaction.   The “broken windows theory” states that visible signs of disorder and misbehavior in an environment encourage further disorder and misbehavior, leading to serious crimes.  Cleaning up litter is not just a nice thing to do, it has a serious impact on your community.

Bags of trash from litter cleanupIf you’re looking to join in a litter cleanup, check out our Events Calendar to see what’s happening around the state. Or plan a cleanup with your family, neighbors, Scouts, or other groups.  Visit the list of our local Affiliates to discover events they’re hosting where you live. And you can always get a bucket and head out on your own to clean up a litter hot spot.

THEN REPORT the results of your effort to us!  When you submit a report, your name will be entered to win some fun PRIZES!  We’ll be giving away Litter Cleanup Kits, At-Home Sustainability Sampler Kits, Personal Care Sustainability Sampler Kits, and On-the-Go Sustainability Sampler Kits.  You can learn more about our prizes by visiting our Litter Prevention webpage.

For our 70th anniversary this year, our goal is to have at least 70 reports submitted, with at least 700 bags of litter picked up over the course of the event.

Be sure to check out our LOVE VA webpage and start reporting your cleanups or other activities to be entered to win prizes!

People cleaning up litter at a bus stop

RVA Rapid Transit Awarded $750 Green Grant

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RVA Rapid Transit LogoRVA Rapid Transit in Richmond is awarded a $750 Green Grant in the Litter Prevention Category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

A nonprofit that is not GRTC or part of any City, County, or State government, RVA Rapid Transit is an organization committed to improving the experience of transit riders in the Richmond community.  They believe that no one should wait for the bus without a place to sit and protection from the elements.  One of the ways they improve the experience of transit riders is by keeping bus stops clean and litter-free.

The “Better Bus Stop Program” will focus on improving the cleanliness of bus stops throughout the Richmond area.  They’ll partner with local volunteers and community organizations to regularly clean and maintain bus stops, ensuring that they are free of litter, debris, and other unsanitary conditions.  To accomplish this, they will provide volunteers with the necessary equipment to ensure that the collected trash is collected in a safe and convenient manner.  They will engage in outreach efforts to educate transit riders about the importance of keeping bus stops clean and encourage them to join our efforts.

People cleaning up litter at a bus stopThrough the “Better Bus Stop Program”, RVA Rapid Transit plans to create a cleaner and more pleasant transit experience for all riders, while also promoting community involvement and environmental stewardship.  They believe that this program will have a positive impact on the community and look forward to implementing it with the support of this litter prevention grant.

Funds provided by the Green Grant award will be used to purchase supplies for “Adopt-A-Stop Kits” that included litter grabbers, protective gloves, safety vests, and trash bags. The Adopt-a-Stop program is open to civic associations, organizations, and individuals, 18 years or older, throughout the Richmond Region.  A Bus Stop Adopter makes a one-year commitment to regularly complete litter pick-up at and around the bus stop and clean the glass on the bus shelter at least twice during the year.

 

 

Group of people with litter grabbers and trash bags after doing a litter cleanup

Lynnhaven River NOW Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Group of people with litter grabbers and trash bags after doing a litter cleanupLynnhaven River NOW is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Litter Prevention category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Lynnhaven River NOW, headquartered in Virginia Beach, was established in 2002 with the mission of restoring and protecting their waterways and natural areas. Their programs focus on community awareness and engagement, as well as restoration and advocacy. They have 12,000 members, including families, businesses, faith communities and over 100 schools.   Their goal is clean and healthy Virginia Beach waterways and their objectives are to identify and reduce sources of contamination in the waterways; reduce nutrients, sediments and chemicals running off of lawns, parking lots, roadways, farmland and out of our septic systems; to educate and engage the community and partner organizations in restoring and protecting our waterways and natural areas; and to restore lost habitats such as oyster reefs, salt marshes, native plants, forests and other buffers that help to filter polluted runoff and protect our waterways and their marine life.

Lynnhaven River NOW logoVolunteers and members of Lynnhaven River NOW regularly conduct cleanups throughout the city. In 2022, volunteers collected 10,000 pounds of debris from waterways, wetlands, and natural areas.  They typically do between 30 and 40 cleanup events each year!

Funds provided by the Green Grants program will be used to purchase cleanup tool, such as wheelbarrows, litter grabbers, children’s litter grabbers, and safety vests to replace broken equipment and provide the additional equipment.  Volunteers need the equipment to do the work safely and efficiently.

Our judges agreed, and their proposal was funded for a 2023 Green Grant!  Thank you, Lynnhaven River NOW, for the work you’re doing!

Wakefield Country Day School's Leo Club Logo

Wakefield Country Day School Awarded Green Grant

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Wakefield Country Day School's Leo Club Logo Wakefield Country Day School’s Leo Club is awarded a $500 Green Grant in the Litter Prevention Category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community.  Grants must focus on one of the following priorities:   Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Wakefield Country Day School’s Leo Club, a youth organization of Lions Clubs International, serves their local community through volunteer work and donations. Consisting of around 70% of the high school population, activities include highway litter cleanups, visiting the local senior center, volunteering at the local food pantry, and recycling projects such as their NexTrex bench.

Students from Wakefield Country Day School with school busFunds provided by the Green Grant award will be used to purchase supplies to make litter cleanups safer for those who participate.  They’ll purchase litter grabbers, safety vests, reusable gloves, and road cones.  Additionally, they plan to organize a school-wide trash pickup contest to bring awareness to environmental issues related to littering.  Classes will be asked to pick up trash and will be evaluated on several factors, such as the amount of trash picked up and the most unique item found.

Thank you Wakefield Country Day School for giving students the opportunity to be active in environmental concerns, and make a difference in their community with their volunteer events.  Keep up the good work!

Community Garden and Skate Board Ramp

Verdant Richmond Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Community Garden and Skate Board RampCongratulations to Verdant Richmond for their Community Beautification grant award of $1,000 as part of our 13th annual Green Grants Program!

Verdant Richmond was founded in 2017 to address the condition of Richmond’s parks and public green spaces.  They applied for a Green Grant in order to improve a small but extremely active Richmond City Park.  The site hosts a Skatepark, Community Garden, and a Children’s Play Space.  The goal is to improve the public green space that supports skate park users, playing children, the ecology and biodiversity of the site, to deepen interdependence between neighbors.

As the skatepark has grown over the past decade, the overall look of the park is somewhat disjointed, with some of the skate ramps covered in vibrant murals, while others are worn, peeling, or defaced. The skaters, neighbors and gardeners believe the space would benefit greatly from cosmetic improvements and a cohesive look.

Each year on June 21st, skateboarders from around the world celebrate Go Skateboarding Day. This year, Gardeners and Skaters are coming together at Maymond Community Garden to refresh and add to the murals that cover the park in the days leading up to Go Skateboarding Day. A group of local artists will paint fresh works inspired by the vibrant colors of the nearby garden flora to create a space that is visually pleasing to the eye and welcoming to community members of all ages.  It is anticipated that 300-400 people will attend Go Skateboarding Day.

In preparation for the event, Verdant Richmond will coordinate their largest ever skate and garden volunteer cleanup. There is a lot of litter and construction debris at the site.  They expect to have over 50 volunteers participate in the re-painting and cleanup work days.  They will repaint approximately 3,600 square feet of walls and ramps at the Skate Park/Garden site, with approximately 15 murals by 15 local artists.

What a beautiful way to cleanup a public green space, we’ll have to check it out!

 

DuPont Eagle Mascot

DuPont Elementary Awarded $750 Green Grant

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DuPont Eagle MascotSituated in the heart of a centrally located Hopewell neighborhood, DuPont Elementary is a Title One school that serves 600 students.  The school is committed to help forge the next generation of environmental leaders by engaging young students and providing opportunities to improve their community.

DuPont students will play a pivotal role in restoring the “Heart of Hopewell,” developing accountability, ownership, and pride within the students that will help transcend DuPont Elementary School. Since the Pandemic, litter has increased at DuPont and its neighborhood. The increased waste can be attributed to the Pandemic, lack of education, and the lack of resources to tackle this problem.

The $750 Green Grant will be used to purchase tools and resources for their Project-based learning activity for the Litter Critter Crew, such as litter grabbers, work gloves, safety vests, and recycling bins to assist their litter cleanup efforts.  They will also purchase a distance measuring wheel and hanging weight scale to give students the ability to calculate, track, and document results for their project.  Students will measure trash collected, bags collected, recycled material moved to recycle bin, and distance traveled on the 5-acre school grounds.

Students will be able to explain why it is essential to dispose of trash properly, recycle materials, and explain how peers, families, and community groups work together to promote health, prevent disease, and create a healthy community.

Students will enjoy cleaning up litter, learning, and making a difference in their community.  We hope that they’ll grow into future environmental leaders!

Person picking up litter on beach

Great Virginia Greenup Continues

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Keep Virginia Beautiful continues with its work with groups and individuals through our Great Virginia Greenup campaign.  We’ll be working with Martins in the Winchester area to complete a special Green Up project in mid-June.  Stay tuned for the results.

We’re about half-way through our participation in Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup, and we’re proud of the work that you’ve been doing!

For example, Hampton Roads Great American Cleanup had an amazing turn out this year, with over 1,400 volunteers showing up to clean up!  They also topped the record for pounds of litter collected, with more than 63,600 pounds (nearly 32 tons) of litter from public spaces!

That’s a lot of litter, and a lot of work – thank you Hampton Roads!

The cleanup attracted a diverse group of volunteers including military service members, schools, civic leagues, sororities/fraternities, faith communities, business communities, and more! Small groups of friends and family cleaning up their own corner of Hampton Roads has become especially important since the ongoing pandemic limited large gatherings.

Another large-scale cleanup event coming up is Clean the Bay Day, on June 4th.    ThePerson picking up litter on beach Chesapeake Bay Foundation and its partners are hosting more than 200 cleanup sites across Virginia, including in Northern Virginia, the Richmond Area, the Shenandoah Valley, Hampton Roads, and the Eastern Shore. Thousands of volunteers will join in that Saturday morning to remove a massive amount of litter and debris from parks, streams, beaches, and trails.  You can find a cleanup location near you on this map.

The most common items removed include plastic bags, bottles, aluminum cans, and cigarette butts. Since 1989, Clean the Bay Day has engaged more than 158,200 volunteers, who have removed approximately 6.64 million pounds of debris from nearly 7,750 miles of shoreline in Virginia.

Thank you in advance for all the cleanup efforts!  Please report the results of your Greenup efforts here!

Cleanup Kit

Cleanup Kit Winners Announced

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Thank you to everyone who is participating in our Cleanup Kit Giveaway!  It’s good to know that many people care about litter in our landscapes and on our roads.  The comments have been encouraging too, when asked to tell why they would like a kit:

“We have a date scheduled with our employees of to clean up our road that our factory is on.”

“To help my scouts pick up trash safer.”

“The cleanup kit will help my sorority sisters and I to reach and pickup trash along our stretch of adopted highway.”

What is your why?  Tell us why you would like to have a Cleanup Kit, and enter your name for the September drawing!

Congratulations to our August Cleanup Kit Winners:

Jennifer A. of Wytheville
Jennifer P. of Richmond
Lauren C. of Surry
Jim C. of Mechanicsville
John S. of Cross Junction
Katelyn P. of Montclair
Kathi H. of Round Hill
Roxanne W. of Montross
Harbans S. of Herndon
Jim H. of Keswick

We appreciate your work to improve our natural and scenic environment!