Another highly successful and inspirational Great American Cleanup spring program period is coming to an end with Memorial Day around the corner. Keep America Beautiful’s network of affiliates and partner organizations brought to life thousands of community improvement initiatives nationwide, transforming public spaces into beautiful places.
Among the thousands of cleanup and beautification events were a number of showcase events, supported by Lowe’s and hosted by Keep America Beautiful affiliates in Mesquite, Texas; East Point, Georgia; Los Angeles and New York City.
Keep Mesquite Beautiful volunteers undertook a major cleanup and renovation of the Paschall Park Butterfly Trail on April 8, 2016. The project included planting native species, providing educational opportunities for trail visitors and planting milkweed to increase the monarch butterfly population. Check out the Facebook album here.
In mid-April, volunteers and community members gathered in downtown East Point for a beautification project along the main corridor of the city leading into the East Point Downtown Business District. Community members, along with volunteers from the East Point Council, Parks & Recreation Department and two local schools, as well as local Lowe’s Heroes, worked to plant native trees and fruit trees and build eight raised flower beds along a four-block span of the main corridor. The native flowers and shrubs created a beautifully landscaped gateway. Check out the Facebook album here.
On April 30, community volunteers, Lowe’s Heroes and volunteers from Northrop Grumman revitalized a 1.6-mile stretch of a drought-damaged median on San Vicente Blvd. in Los Angeles. The revitalization was based off of newly-approved design submitted from local architectural students. The project included sustainable tree and shrub plantings, ground cover, irrigation and storm water capture, paving materials as well as community signage and additional artistic elements. Check out the Facebook album here.
On May 3, despite rainy and cold weather, Keep America Beautiful volunteers along with Lowe’s Heroes worked with Keep New York City Beautiful, the Citizens Committee for New York City and Friends of Hudson River Park, on a beautification project in Chelsea Waterside Park in New York City. Volunteers planted annuals lining the main walkway, replaced areas of overgrown grasses with small perennial shrubs and spruced up seating areas, tables and fencing. Check out the Facebook album here.