2016 School Beautification Grants Available Thru Keep Dalton Whitfield Beautiful

(Dalton, GA, August 10, 2016) – Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is pleased to announce the availability of School Beautification Grants for Fall 2016. The committee for Beautification and Community Greening has established mini-grants in celebration of National Planting Day. Beautification grants may range from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $250.

Public and private schools in the Dalton, GA and Whitfield County area are invited to apply for funding that can help implement a project related to planting native plants. A school club, a single classroom, whole grade level or the entire school may organize a project.

National Planting Day is celebrated annually by Keep America Beautiful in the fall as an opportunity to encourage volunteers to plant native species restoring ecological balance to the environment while creating greener, more beautiful communities. Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is making these grants available to improve the visual aspects of our community through projects that beautify and clean the environment.

Knowing that children play a very important part in making this happen we want them to reap the benefits by participating in a project for their very own school. Beautification projects could include establishing or supporting a school garden, planting flowers in an outdoor space, or using plants for educational purposes.

Grant applications must be submitted online no later than Friday, September 9 at www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org using the form on the Beautification page. For questions regarding the form or any aspects of your proposed project call executive director Liz Swafford at 706-278-5001. Grant winners will be announced September 23. Projects must be completed by December 2 and a project summery is to be submitted by December 16. 

To see what the 2015 winners did with the grant visit the School Beautification Projects page. 

Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority To Be Monitoring Site for Rare Plant

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is slated to be a monitoring site for the large-flowered skullcap, a rare plant that is found in the wild only in northwest Georgia and southeastern Tennessee. Representatives from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently meet with representatives from the Authority to establish a monitoring site and ensure the continued success of the plant. Below is an excerpt from a recent article from the DNR. 

Photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

Surveys by Thomas have also uncovered other large-flowered skullcap populations and promising conservation partnerships in the region. A hardwood drainage owned by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority and protected under a conservation easement features skullcap and lanceleaf trillium, a species DNR monitors.

Although the site is not open to the public, the authority is willing to do its part for the plants, suggested Assistant Executive Director Dirk Verhoeff. “Having the skullcap located within and adjacent to a wetland conservation easement will ensure the success of these colonies,” Verhoeff said. “In addition, our staff will be on the lookout for additional colonies for future conservation.”

Such partnerships could help large-flowered skullcap win its battle to not only survive, but thrive.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE:

https://georgiawildlife.wordpress.com/2016/06/15/plant-partnerships-spur-hope-for-battlefield-survivor/

Billboard Design Winner for 2015 Contest Announced

This is a mockup of what the artwork will look like on the 2015 billboard.

Eastbrook Middle School 7th grade students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork. Left to Right: Montserrat Adame, Elena Cabreo, and Emily Ruiz.

Eastbrook Middle School 8th grade students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork. Left to Right: Reina Paniagua, Stephanie Sullivan, and Denise Hernandez.

Dalton Middle School student Jamie A. Smith placed first for the 6th grade level.

(Dalton, GA, October 30, 2015) – Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Emily Ruiz, is the overall winner of the 2015 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling at School. The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in Whitfield County along Glenwood Ave. starting November 2nd for at least one month.

Ms. Ruiz’s design, which was chosen out of 162 entries, includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” one of the themes of the contest. The artwork is eye catching and very colorful showing a plastic bottle inside a recycling bin with a soda can following it thinking that it also wants to be recycled. 

The billboard design contest typically has a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner from each grade level. Due to the high number of entries received from Eastbrook Middle School the all students from that school will receive an ice cream party on November 16, during the week of America Recycles Day.

The seven winners, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials. The first place overall was selected from the first place design from each grade level.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Jamie A. Smith, Dalton Middle School

7th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Emily Ruiz, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Elena Cabreo, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Montserrat Adame, Eastbrook Middle School 

8th grade:

• 1st Place – Reina Paniagua, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Stephanie Sullivan, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Denise Hernandez, Eastbrook Middle School

This is the sixth year of the design contest open to Whitfield County middle school students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade attending either a public or private school that recycles with Target Recycling at School. The program provides recycling collection services and environmental education opportunities to schools in Whitfield County. For more information call 706-278-5001 or visit www.dwswa.org.

America Recycles Day is a community-driven event dedicated to promoting recycling awareness, commitment, and action in the U.S. thru its partnership with Keep America Beautiful. It’s celebrated annually on November 15. For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to recycle visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.   

6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced

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The 6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest is underway. Pictured is the winning design for 2014 designed by Reina Paniagua, a 7th grader from Eastbrook Middle School.

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce it’s 6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that attend either public or private schools participating in the Target Recycling at School program in Whitfield County. 

Students are invited to design a billboard in keeping with the spirit of America Recycles Day, which is celebrated yearly on November 15. The top design out of the three grade levels will be displayed for at least four weeks on two billboards in Whitfield County in early November.

Schools in Whitfield County that can participate include Eastbrook Middle, New Hope Middle, North Whitfield Middle, Valley Point Middle, Westside Middle, Dalton Middle, Northstar School, Crossroads academy, Christian Heritage School, and Learning Tree School.

During the 2014 contest, Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Reina Paniagua, won first place overall.  Her design, chosen out of 162 entries includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” which was one of the themes of the contest. The artwork is eye catching and very colorful with a group of recyclable materials shouting out their desire to be recycled in a blue speech bubble.  

Themes for this year include, “I want to be recycled.”, and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the three grade levels. The grand prize is chosen from the three first place winners. 

The Contest Guide with an entry form can be downloaded at http://www.dwswa.org/target-recycling-at-school/.  Deadline for entries is Friday, October 9, 2015. There is no entry fee, however an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork. Only artwork submitted directly from a school representative will be accepted. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 19, 2015. 

For more information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org. To learn more about America Recycles Day visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

School Beautification Grants Available Thru Keep Dalton Whitfield Beautiful

(Dalton, GA, August 12, 2015) – Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is pleased to announce the availability of School Beautification Grants for Fall 2015. The committee for Beautification and Community Greening has established mini-grants in celebration of National Planting Day. Beautification grants may range from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $250.

Public and private schools in the Dalton, GA and Whitfield County area are invited to apply for funding that can help implement a project related to planting native plants. A school club, a single classroom, whole grade level or the entire school can organize projects.

National Planting Day is celebrated annually by Keep America Beautiful in the fall as an opportunity to encourage volunteers to plant native species restoring ecological balance to the environment while creating greener, more beautiful communities. Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is making these grants available to improve the visual aspects of our community through projects that beautify and clean the environment.

Knowing that children play a very important part in making this happen we want them to reap the benefits by participating in a project for their very own school. Beautification projects could include establishing or supporting a school garden, planting flowers in an outdoor space, or using plants for educational purposes.

Grant applications must be submitted online no later than Friday, September 4 at www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org using the form on the Beautification page. For questions regarding the form or any aspects of your proposed project call executive director Liz Swafford at 706-278-5001. Grant winners will be announced September 17. Projects must be completed by December 4 and a project summery is to be submitted by December 15.