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.

Compost Bin Sale This Saturday, May 9

Click the image above to download a PDF of the event flyer. 

(Dalton, GA, May 4, 2015) – Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is having a Compost Bin Sale during the Downtown Dalton Saturday Market at the Dalton Green. This Saturday, May 9, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm volunteers will be selling a limited number of the “Garden Gourmet” Backyard Composter for only $45.00 each, almost 50% off the retail price of $79.99. Residents may receive a free perennial with their purchase while supplies last.

 Make your own compost at home with a backyard composting bin. Compost is a beneficial soil amendment that can help your plants grow healthier.

Gardeners refer to compost as “black gold” because it keeps food scraps and organic waste out of the landfill while allowing nature to recycle them into a nutritious soil amendment. Items that can be added to your compost pile include coffee grounds, tea bags, fruit and vegetable scraps, leaves, hair, and grass clippings. General composting information will be available to the public at no charge.

The “Garden Gourmet” backyard composter is an attractive bin that fits neatly into almost any backyard space due to its compact size of 24”x24”x36”. The easy to assemble bin is made from 51% recycled plastic, comes with a composting guide, and includes convenient features like a sliding bottom door to remove compost. There are only 30 bins available for sale this year.

Compost bins may be purchased with cash, or a check made payable to the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. A portion of each sale benefits environmental education for K-12 students in Whitfield County, and several Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful events like Christmas Tree Recycling Day. For more information call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-226-6211 or visit www.keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful.org. 

International Compost Awareness Week, organized by the US Composting Council, is celebrated during the first week of May. For more information, and to learn more about composting visit the US Composting Council at www.compostingcouncil.org. 

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful Receives Awards for 2014

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful board members Shell Underwood, and Kay Patterson, and Executive Director Liz Swafford participated in Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation’s Annual Legislative Day on March 18. 

(Dalton, GA – March 24, 2015) – Local non-profit Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful received the Governor’s Circle Award on March 18th. The statewide awards were presented by Governor Nathan Deal at the State Capitol as part of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation’s Annual Legislative Day. The Governor’s Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance by certified affiliates in reducing litter, minimizing waste and greening local communities. Additionally, the affiliate must be an active member of the Georgia network.

“The affiliates receiving the Governor’s Circle Award represent the best of community improvement efforts”, said Sarah Visser, Executive Director of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, “they are doing the hard work every day to keep their communities economically vibrant and environmentally sustainable”.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful also received Keep America Beautiful’s President Circle Award at the annual Keep America Beautiful (KAB) National Awards Dinner, held during the recent 2015 KAB National Conference in Washington, D.C. The President’s Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance made by certified affiliates of the national nonprofit in building and sustaining vibrant communities.

In qualifying for a President’s Circle Award, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful has met KAB’s standards of merit by conducting an annual Community Appearance Index, calculating the affiliate’s cost/benefit ratio, and administering activities in the areas of litter prevention, recycling and waste reduction, and beautification and community greening. Established in 1953, KAB consists of a national network of more than 600 community-based affiliates whose programs, initiatives and efforts aim to transform public spaces into beautiful places.

“One of Keep America Beautiful’s most effective tools is the work of our grassroots network of affiliate organizations, which has an impact on millions of Americans each year,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Jennifer Jehn. “Our affiliates are providing real solutions that help create communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound.”

In 2014 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful hosted and facilitated several events including Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Day, Bulky Waste Roundup, Adopt-a-Mile cleanups, Composting Awareness Week, Ecumenical Earth Day, and environmental education sessions for children and adults.

“I want to thank the Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful board members and volunteers for participating in so many activities throughout the year that make our community a beautiful place to live.” said Executive Director of KDWB, Liz Swafford. “There’s still room for us to grow and we’re looking for board members and volunteers to join us and make a positive impact in 2015.”  Visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org to register for the KDWB newsletter or call 706-278-5001 to find out how you can participate. 

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With a national network of community-based affiliates, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities to transform public spaces into beautiful places. Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment. To learn how you can donate and take action, visit kab.org, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or view us on YouTube.

About Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF)

Created in 1978 by Governor George Busbee, Keep Georgia Beautiful (KGB), became the first state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.  In 2011, the Keep Georgia Beautiful program merged with the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, Inc. which was created in 1985 to promote private sector financial support for worthwhile educational programs that enhance the environment and the quality of life in Georgia. KGBF coordinates a number of environmental efforts including the Great American Cleanup™ and the statewide Bring One for the Chipper Christmas tree recycling program.  The Foundation is based on a fundamental premise that the environmental interests of the state of Georgia and the people who live here are best served when public and private interests work hand-in-hand to achieve common goals. Our connections with the public and private sectors aid us in our mission to support local Keep Georgia Beautiful affiliates as they build and sustainable communities through litter prevention, waste reduction, recycling, water resource management and community greening.  For more information about the KGB Foundation, please visit www.keepgeorgiabeautiful.org or call the office at (404) 679-4910.

Live Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event Set for Saturday, January 3

Click the image above to download the event flyer (PDF).

Whitfield County Public Works staff prepare to mulch live Christmas trees during Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s annual treecycling event.  The next event will be on Saturday, January 3, 2015 from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Residents are invited to start their new year fresh by recycling their live Christmas tree and dropping off used electronic devices for recycling at the community’s annual “treecycling” event. On Saturday, January 3, 2015 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful volunteers will be collecting live, natural, undecorated Christmas trees, and electronic devices for recycling.  The annual collection event will be held from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at The Home Depot parking lot located at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton. 

Residents may drop-off their Christmas trees for free.  Trees must be free of ornaments, nails, hooks, wire, tinsel, lights, and other decorations.  Only natural, live, real trees will be accepted – no artificial trees please.  Trees will be recycled on site into mulch that will be used for beautification projects throughout Whitfield County. 

Used electronic devices accepted for no charge include computers, digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones, gaming systems and components, mp3 players, scanners, and laptops.  However, old CRT television sets and computer monitors can be drop-off for a recycling fee of $5.00.  Large projection television sets, which usually have wheels on the bottom, will be charged a $10.00 recycling fee.  There is no charge for newer flat screen television sets or computer monitors. Electronics will be processed by Reworx Recycling, which is part of the Tommy Nobis’ Foundation program NobisWorks.

 Please remember to secure your load for cleaner and safer roads.  Tie down and put a tarp on items placed in the back of a pick-up truck, trailer, or on the roof of a vehicle.  Visitors to the event will receive a packet of herb or vegetable seeds to plant at home or another promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Those unable to participate the day of the event may use one of the following options to properly dispose of their holiday items.

1.) The City of Dalton Public Works Department will collect Christmas trees from the curb for city residents that have garbage collection service through the city. City residents should call 706-278-7077 to request pick-up.  Yard debris is regularly picked up throughout the year every other week.

2.) The four Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority have drop-off areas for yard debris that is recycled year round.  These include the McGaughey Chapel, M.L.King Blvd., Westside, and the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center. 

3.) Electronics are collected for recycling year round at the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center.   For hours of operation and directions to any of the four Convenience Centers visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful would like to thank the following organizations for making this event possible: Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Reworx Recycling Kennesaw, Whitfield County Public Works Department, and The Home Depot in Dalton.  For more details about the event visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org or call 706-278-5001.

360 Volunteers Cleanup the Conasauga Watershed

Volunteers at the Mill Creek tributary located by the Underwood Apartments in Dalton removed 2,560 pounds of trash and debris during the annual cleanup event.

360 volunteers from Whitfield and Murray Counties participated in the 20th Annual Conasauga River Watershed Clean-up on Saturday, October 25.  The annual event took place during the United Way’s “Make a Difference Day”.  Volunteers spent the morning removing trash, debris, and invasive plants from seven sites in the two counties.  Overall, volunteers collected and removed 10,630 pounds of trash, which included 20 tires. 

Event organizers want to thank everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this year’s event.  The amount of clean-up time donated by volunteers, approximately 1,440 hours, is valued at $29,908.  Volunteers received a t-shirt and a 2015 calendar or coffee mug customized with images of the Conasauga watershed in appreciation for their participation. 

Volunteers removed 4,280 of trash from Coahulla Creek at Prater’s Mill during the annual Conasauga Watershed cleanup event on October 25.

Organizers want to especially thank this year’s funding sponsors: Shaw Industries, J&J Industries, Dalton Utilities, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Georgia Rivers Alive, The Nature Conservancy, and the Conasauga River Alliance.  Also, they would like to recognize these additional organizations that helped coordinated the event: Carpet & Rug Institute, Conasauga River Alliance, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Keep Chatsworth-Murray Beautiful, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, Limestone Valley RC & D, The Nature Conservancy, and Murray County Extension.

The Conasauga River, one of the six most biologically diverse freshwater river systems in the United States, supports 24 endangered species and a dozen other imperiled species, including the Southern Pigtoe mussel and the Conasauga logperch, a fish found nowhere else in the world.  The Conasauga Watershed Clean-up has long been a part of Rivers Alive, a statewide campaign to clean and preserve over 70,000 miles of Georgia’s rivers and streams.

Rivers Alive continues to be the state’s and one of the South’s largest volunteer efforts to beautify water resources.  So far this year, 8,900 volunteers have participated in 192 clean-up events through out the state and have removed 388,308 pounds of garbage from Georgia waterways. For more information about efforts in other areas or the statewide campaign visit www.RiversAlive.org.