GLen cove, ny
Ceremonies launching the first community enhancement project by Memphis City Beautiful’s new Green City Fund took place on April 1. A copse of 18 trees, including maple and oak varieties, were installed in a high impact public greenway. Memphis City Beautiful chose to plant the trees at this site as its high visibility will allow enjoyment to be shared by great numbers of citizens. Representatives of several fraternities of the University of Memphis volunteered to work with the City of Memphis Park Services department to dig holes and plant trees. They volunteered as part of the University of Memphis’ Greek Week. After the beautification work was completed, the students moved on to join other volunteers from the University District’s Highland Street Beautification Effort to conduct a major neighborhood cleanup. Green City Fund was designed to encourage public participation in the beautification of Memphis. Contributions can be made to mark memorials, birthdays and other significant events or to purchase trees and other plants to enhance parks and public places.
10 MILLION
Did You Know? A typical community forest of 10,000 trees will retain 10 million gallons of rainwater per year.
Indianapolis, IN
Pride Grows in Columbus Neighborhood Plant Pride in Parsons was a unique first-time event, which focused on revitalizing a main business corridor surrounded by 12 neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio. Keep Columbus Beautiful partnered with the Parsons Avenue Merchants Association and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, among other businesses, community leaders and volunteers to clean up and beautify the 2.5-mile corridor. The Heart of Ohio Tole painters hand-painted 28 decorative flower pots, and South Side elementary and high school students painted an additional three pots that were placed along the business corridor. The event started with a large scale cleanup with over 250 volunteers on 12 teams cleaning up the cross streets and Parsons Avenue. While they were cleaning, Architectural Gardens Inc., with a team of volunteers, filled and planted flowers in the pots. And a team of 12 high school and middle school students, under adult supervision, painted out graffiti tags on one of the buildings. Volunteers also collected nearly 7,000 pounds of trash. Keep Columbus Beautiful conducted more than 270 different events in 30 neighborhoods involving more than 7,700 volunteers during the Great American Cleanup. Keep Columbus Beautiful also sponsored Mayor Michael Coleman’s annual cleanup day, which involved nearly 350 volunteers who focused on cleaning up 29 highway/ freeway ramps in the Columbus area and collecting 6.65 tons of litter.
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