Keep Charlotte Beautiful Quarterly Newsletter

LETS TALK TRASH!

Greetings, members of the Keep Charlotte Beautiful community!

Springing forward, here are the latest updates, inspiring stories, and exciting initiatives in our ongoing journey to create a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful community!

Housekeeping

• As a reminder your group is required to clean your adopted street 3 times a year.
• If you need supplies for a cleanup, please request them here.
• If you completed a cleanup and need to submit a report, please do so here.

Picture Description: Volunteers conducting a planting day as part of the 2023 Beautification Grant Project at River Gate Elementary.

Beautification Grant Results

Each year, Keep Charlotte Beautiful offers a $5000 beautification grant to groups wanting to create a project to beautify their community.

After reviewing 20+ applications, Keep Charlotte Beautiful board members awarded the grant to Lincoln Heights Montessori, who will plant pollinator gardens and native plants around their campus to bring back the birds and other pollinators.

Congratulations, Lincoln Heights Montessori! Stay tuned for more updates on their project.

Adopt-a-Bus-Stop Program Expands

Keep Charlotte Beautiful is pleased to announce the expansion of the new Adopt-a-Stop program, in partnership with CATS.

Bus stops along all Corridors of Opportunity are now available for adoption.

For more information about this program, visit the link here.

                         Litter Study

Keep Charlotte Beautiful is launching a litter study, in partnership with UNC Charlotte. The goal for this study is to analyze the distribution and composition of litter across the city, to find more efficient ways to tackle litter pollution.

We have 381 road segments to sample, and we need your help! Sampling for April 2024 will take place from April 1-7 and can be conducted on volunteers’ own time. If you’re interested, register soon to be included.

For more information, please reach out to Tanya Balaji (tanya.balaji@charlottenc.gov).

Upcoming Events

• Creek Week | March 16-23
• Pollinator Planting Day with Landscape Management | April 12, 9-11 AM
• Clean the Queen | April 15-20
• Charlotte Earth Day Festival | April 20, 12 -4 PM
• West Sugar Creek Corridor Cleanup | April 27, 2024

Group of the Quarter: Light of the World Church

Light of the World Church members, who unite to promote the well-being of their community, became an Adopt-a-Bus-Stop participant in December 2023. Here are their thoughts on why participating in the Adopt-a-Stop program has meant a lot for them.

What motivated you to participate in the Adopt-a-Stop program?

• “The motivation arises from our teachings and principles that a good Christian makes a good citizen. We believe that the Adopt-a-Stop program is an excellent way to unite with the people who share our desire to serve to and beautify this city more.”

Is there anything that makes this program unique?

• “Keep Charlotte Beautiful is a unique effort that promotes cleanliness and sustainability in the city of Charlotte. While several communities have comparable initiatives, what distinguishes Keep Charlotte Clean is its complete approach to addressing garbage, pollution, and environmental deterioration.”

Why do you think people should care about litter?

• “First of all, garbage represents a serious threat to our environment. When trash is dumped on the ground, it can damage our land, rivers, and atmosphere. This pollution can affect plants, animals, and aquatic life, altering fragile ecosystems and creating irreversible damage. Garbage not only damages the environment, but also degrades the beauty of our communities, making them less pleasant and habitable for residents and visitors.”

Any upcoming cleanups?

• “Our next cleanups are programmed for March 16, April 6, 2024, and April 20^th!

Stay Connected

If you had a recent cleanup and took photos, we’d love to showcase them on our social media platforms! Please send your photos to kcb@charlottenc.gov

The City of Charlotte has 35 boards and commissions that you can apply to, including the Keep Charlotte Beautiful board. If you’re interested in being involved on a City and County board, we encourage you to apply here.  

Thank you all for supporting our mission in keeping our communities green and clean.  We’re grateful to have you onboard with us to help keep Charlotte beautiful!

~ KCB Adopt a City Street Committee