NNewsSpring 2003 5_14 - Keep America Beautiful

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(continued from page 13) Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, Georgia - Tracking the Tree Canopy G winnett Clean & Beautiful, with information from NASA, is using the latest in satellite technology to improve the environment, and quality of life, for neighborhoods the affiliate serves. A new program – NeighborWoods – addresses the effects of hotter temperatures in metropolitan areas while bringing great value to the community. Metropolitan areas tend to experience higher temperatures than rural areas, as they have more pavement and fewer trees, and NASA satellite information has pinpointed hot zones in Gwinnett County with a scarcity of trees. NeighborWoods, a pilot program for the state of Georgia, was created to increase the tree canopy and cool Gwinnett’s neighborhoods. “NASA satellite information showed that some of these neighborhoods were in ‘heat islands,’ or areas of the county where temperatures are higher,” said Connie Wiggins, executive director, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “We can minimize the effects of growth by planting shade trees in the more barren neighborhoods.” NeighborWoods provides trees free of charge to homeowners in exchange for the homeowners’ willingness to plant and maintain the trees. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful volunteers have thus far distributed 3,300 trees, and will plant them for elderly or disabled residents if needed. The program is in its third year and another set of trees will be distributed to selected neighborhoods in November, 2003. A vital part of the program’s success has been the cooperation between its partners. Private companies, county and state departments have all provided essential support to the NeighborWoods program. The success of NeighborWoods has resulted in national and state recognition; Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful won the Georgia Urban Forest Council’s Outstanding Civic Organization Award and the National Arbor Day Foundation’s Project Award in 2002. Based on science and reason, not haphazard planting, strategic planting of street trees will absorb storm water runoff and purify the air. Residents will also enjoy increased property values as well as environmental benefits. There is already a waiting list for more NeighborWoods trees, as community residents see the benefits of reduced energy costs and improved air and water quality imparted by trees. In the years to come too, a scientific difference will be seen as well as a visual one, as ambient temperatures decrease in the county. Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful, New Mexico – Mapping Illegal Dumping A s one of America’s fastest growing cities, Rio Rancho, New Mexico has experienced expansion on every front – including illegal dumping. The city’s mesas (open desert space), many with unmarked, unmaintained roads, have increasingly become preferred places for people to dump their unwanted refuse. Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful has looked to address this problem with the assistance of global positioning system (GPS) satellites and global information software (GIS) technology. Using hand-held GPS units, youth workers, funded by a grant from New Mexico Clean & Beautiful, have begun a surveying process to track illegal dumping on the city’s mesas. The GPS units measure and record precise longitude, latitude, and altitude of a location, and the worker can also enter the existence of a dumpsite into the unit. This information can then be downloaded into a mapping software program that shows all roadways, waterways and property lines in the community. The first step was for the summer youth workers to survey three squaremile sections of the city to gather a baseline of information, which showed certain “hot spots” and areas of high frequency of dumping. This helped Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful begin the process of identifying the exact location and contents of illegal dumpsites on the mesas and then be able to map their location as a whole in relation to Rio Rancho’s city street atlas. Qualitative analysis so far reveals that yard waste and construction waste are the most commonly dumped items on the mesas. The plan is to use the data and maps generated to provide easy to follow maps to volunteers who want to clean up illegal dumpsites. Currently, as nearly all mesa roads are unmarked, giving directions to dumpsites is virtually impossible without the affiliate placing markers. The affiliate also hopes to generate a “hot spot” list that could be used by police officers for increased patrol of those areas. Maps generated of the littered areas could also be presented to elected officials and grant-giving foundations to better explain the need for dumpsite prevention and cleanup. Ultimately, by mapping and tracking the frequency and volume of illegal dumping in the city, Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful is better armed with information to plan awareness and prevention initiatives. “GPS/GIS tracking as an educational tool puts us in an excellent position to help our community,” said Dyane Sonier, coordinator, Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful installs signage in NeighborWoods Communities, instilling pride. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful volunteers distributed 1,800 free street trees in 2002 to reduce the “heat island” effect. From the photo logs: Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful is tracking illegal dumping on the city mesas through photo and GPS records. page 14 keep america beautiful — NETWORK NEWS — spring 2003
2003 GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP SPRINGS FORWARD Helps begin year-long celebration of 50th Anniversary with Honorary Chair President George W. Bush GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP The Great American Cleanup TM , Keep America Beautiful’s signature event and the nation’s largest annual community improvement program, was held through May and led off the 50th Anniversary Year celebrations. President George W. Bush is serving as Honorary Chair. Nearly three million volunteers participated in approximately 30,000 events in more than 14,000 hands-on activities including litter pickups, playground renovations, waterway and seashore cleanups, tree and flower plantings, graffiti removal, tire amnesty programs, recycling collections, park beautification, building restoration and youth education events. National sponsors for the 2003 Great American Cleanup TM were: Pepsi-Cola Company, GAIN ® Laundry Detergent, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, LYSOL ® Brand Products, Film-Gard ® Plastic Sheeting, Waste Management, Inc., Ruffies ® Trash Bags, Firestone Tire & Service Centers & ExpertTire & Tires Plus, Yard-Man by MTD, The Home Depot ® , all TV Guide ® media platforms, AT&T Wireless and Yahoo! Mail. Retail sponsors were Hy-Vee, Inc. and The Kroger Co. Educational partners were America Online and the Rubber Manufacturers Association. Please check out http://www.kab.org/gacsponsors1.cfm for additional information about our sponsors. Keep America Beautiful affiliates led the way by providing opportunities for citizens to get involved and join their neighbors in improving their communities. Watch for Updates: Please visit our website (www.kab.org) to get the latest news, including the Presidential Message issued by President George W. Bush. Great American Cleanup TM NYFD Lysol Showcase event, L-R: Jim Pavel, Great American Cleanup TM NY State Program Director, Gail Cunningham, VP, Managing Director-Great American Cleanup TM , KAB, Lieutenant Frank Carino, Engine Co. 39, NYFD and Paul Hogan, Professional Butler - “Joe Millionaire” show. A Great American Cleanup TM scene from the May 17 event conducted by our newly certified KAB affiliate in Glendale, California. Jane Polson (sixth from left) Great American Cleanup TM Nebraska State Program Director, and a team of volunteers from Keep Nebraska Beautiful, proudly display the 2003 program promotion materials. 2003 South Carolina Litter Summit Celebrates the Start of the Great American Cleanup TM P Record-breaking cross country mower man Brad Hauter kicks off the Yard-Man 2003 Mow Across America event to benefit Keep America Beautiful by mowing at the Presidio in San Francisco. almetto Pride’s South Carolina Litter Summit, held March 3-5 in Columbia, SC, highlighted cleanup and enforcement efforts in the state and celebrated the start of the Great American Cleanup TṂ South Carolina Senator David L. Thomas, Chairman, Palmetto Pride, was in attendance along with Keep America Beautiful President Ray Empson, and Vice President and Managing Director of the Great American Cleanup TM Gail Cunningham. The Great American Cleanup TM has a history of success in the state: last year South Carolina volunteers picked up more than 3.3 million pounds of trash. Law enforcement officials at the Litter Summit discussed litter laws and how to build awareness of littering, illegal dumping, and uncovered vehicle loads. Enforcement initiatives and use of the judicial system were prominently featured, along with practical steps to take in conducting a successful neighborhood cleanup. Environmental education presentations included a puppet show for students in grades K-4, and discussion of the litter curriculum and anti-litter programs under development. Palmetto Pride is an umbrella organization that involves citizens, state agencies, law enforcement, media, local groups and Keep South Carolina Beautiful and its affiliates in beautification and anti-litter efforts. North Carolina State University students sign up to volunteer for Great American Cleanup TM event in Raleigh, NC. Group of volunteers scours the bushes during a recent Washington D.C. Great American Cleanup TM event. Great American Cleanup TM Yahoo! Mail showcase event involved the Second Chance group in San Diego, CA, where volunteers renovated homes and were involved in a wide variety of community improvement activities in a four-block area. keep america beautiful — NETWORK NEWS — spring 2003 page 15
Page 1 and 2: Keep America Beautiful ® Published
Page 3 and 4: 50 YEARS HOW ARE YOU CELEBRATING KA
Page 5 and 6: ica SISSIPPI ity of life across the
Page 7 and 8: ALABAMA POWER& RENEW OUR RIVERS A C
Page 9 and 10: 50 The journeys changed his life fo
Page 11 and 12: VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT IRON EYES CODY
Page 13: KEEP INDIANAPOLIS BEAUTIFUL HELPS T
Page 17 and 18: ward Recipient Above: Joyce Kagan C
Page 19 and 20: For the past 100 years, when it com
Page 21 and 22: Freddie Mac and Keep America Beauti
Page 23 and 24: ® Congratulations 3M! We salute 3M

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