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

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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?

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The Great Richmond Clean Up!

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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!

How green is your school? KVB

How green is your school?

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As part of our Earth Month 30 Grants in 30 Days program we were fortunate enough to award some of our money to some Virginia schools for some really cool green initiatives.  It got us to thinking:  How Green is your school?

The easiest list to compare is from the Princeton Review.  Virginia has 10 colleges that are part of their Green rankings!  The University of Virginia, Radford, VCU and Virginia Tech all made the list but so did William and Mary, George Mason, and Virginia Wesleyan!

William and Mary has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 16 % since 2002.  Their dining service spends 42 % of their food budget on local products.  The University of Virginia recycles electronics and diverts 57 % of its waste from landfills.  They collect building condensation water for irrigation.  Way to go Cavs!

George Mason has a formal policy that protects campus woodlands, wetlands and waterways.  Virginia Commonwealth has steam trap systems, trayless dining facilities, and a car-sharing program.

It’s easy to look at these things and think about tuition and endowments and say, “Well, they have a lot of money for these big initiatives” but a little school can still make a huge difference.

Does your school have a garden?  What’s the coach using to keep the field green?  It would be simple to start a recycling program in the cafeteria or encourage your teacher to institute a “No Paper Day”.

Although many are ending their school year we have an entire summer to plan.  Keep your thinking caps on and look forward to Fall!  We have rain barrels to install, light bulbs to LEED and September gardens to start!

With apologies to The Beach Boys, “Be Green To Your School”!

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

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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.

healthy cherry tomato, lettuce and vegetables

Lord Fairfax Health District WINS $1,000 Grant

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The Lord Fairfax Health District has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Beautification and Community Greening 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 Lord Fairfax Health District will use their grant funds to build the sustainable, teachable and brand new Winchester Community Garden in the heart of Winchester, VA.  This community garden will serve many purposes and many people.  Girl Scouts, low-income African-American and Hispanic communities, and the at-risk and overweight pediatric population of Winchester will be involved with this project from the start and to sustain it for many years to come.  It will provide this community  an outreach opportunity that will not only beautify a plot of land, create an atmosphere of volunteerism, provide an ongoing educational experience for the youth but also provide healthy food for Winchester’s citizens.  Girl Scout Troop 40372, St. Michaels Methodist Church, WIC (Women Infants and Children), and the Virginia Cooperative Extension are all working with the Lord Fairfax Health District to make this garden a success, sustainable and a something  for the community of Winchester to be proud of.  For more information about Lord Fairfax Health District or their community garden project, please contact Paula Mills at 540-635-3159 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.

Peter Murphy on 2011-03-16 at 07-55-58

Patrick Springs Primary School WINS $1K Grant

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Patrick Springs Primary School 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.

Patrick Springs Primary School will use the KVB grant to continue to improve and expand their Bowl of Lettuce School Garden.  This garden is a hands on learning garden for Patrick Spring’s mentally and physically handicapped students that work alongside their K-5 counterparts.  The school, teachers, and community have really gotten behind this garden with community involvement at an all-time high.  This garden was started as a way to give the students hands on experience with growing their own foods, improving their nutrition through eating organically grown foods, reducing school and home waste by composting leftovers and to include education in botany and plant life cycles.  Goals for this ongoing project are: (1) Students will continue to grow veggies of their choice, such as: tomatoes, corn lettuce, cucumbers, green beans, peas and potatoes, (2) A visit to Royal Oaks Farm in Bedford, VA, which is the largest composting facility in VA, and  students will get to observe composting of: vegetables, wood, paper and animal waste, (3) A gardening  workshop for parents so that families can continue gardening at home year round, and (4) finally a student/parent celebration with students serving their families ” a bowl of lettuce” grown from their organic garden.   For more information on Patrick Springs Primary School and their project, please contact Minnie Moore at 276-694-6518 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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Galax High School WINS $1,000 Grant from KVB

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* One of 30 Grants in 30 Days Being Distributed *

Galax High National Honor Society 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.

Galax High School National Honor Society will install plastic bag recycling containers at each grocery store in Galax city proper and one at Galax HS for community members to recycle their plastic bags.  In addition to providing recycling receptacles, Galax citizens will be given the opportunity to exchange 20 of their one-time use plastic shopping bags for one new reuseable bag, also purchased with grant funds.  The bags will be counted by National Honor Society members to measure progress as well as matching the $1,000 grant amount to provide additional opportunities.  For information on Galax High School and their project, contact Babette Nuckolls, [email protected] or (276) 236-2991.

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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Fredericksburg Clean and Green Wins $1000 Grant

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In honor of Earth Month, Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) is awarding “30 Grants In 30 Days” in April, 2011.  Fredericksburg Clean and Green 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.

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.  This grant campaign is made possible by KVB, Walmart, and Waste Management.

Fredericksburg Clean and Green Committee (FCGC) will establish a comprehensive cigarette litter prevention campaign by distributing pocket ashtrays to adult smokers along with installing cigarette butt receptacles in high traffic areas of Fredericksburg.  FCGC will work with the Fredericksburg Public Works Department, Downtown Retail Merchants Association and many other civic groups to establish a long lasting litter prevention program for the residents and merchants of Fredericksburg.  For information on Fredericksburg Clean and Green and their project, contact Anne Little, [email protected] or (540) 207-4298.

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.