21st Annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-up Announced

The 2015 river cleanup has been scheduled for October 24. Click on the image to download the event flyer with directions. 

(Dalton, GA, September 24, 2015) –  Whitfield County and Murray County residents are invited to participate in the 21st Annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-up event on Saturday, October 24, 2015 to help keep local waterways clean. As one of the largest local volunteer events in the community the annual Conasauga River cleanup is hosted in partnership with several local non-profits, businesses, and environmental organizations during United Way’s Make a Difference Day. Last year 360 volunteers picked up and removed 10,630 pounds of garbage from seven locations.

Be a part of the tradition next month when you join many other volunteers to help clean-up the Conasauga. One of the six most biologically diverse freshwater river systems in the United States, the Conasauga River 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.

This year’s event takes place from 9:00 am to noon at seven different sites across both Whitfield and Murray counties which includes:

1. Conasauga River at Carlton Petty Road bridge

2. Conasauga River at Highway 2 bridge

3. Conasauga River at Lower King’s Bridge and Norton Bridge

4. Holly Creek, Murray County, on the Chattahoochee National Forest

5. Mill Creek tributary in the City of Dalton

6. Coahulla Creek at Prater’s Mill

7. Lakeshore Park in the City of Dalton

Participants are encouraged to arrive a few minutes before 9:00 am for registration. Volunteers can expect to spend a couple of hours in the morning picking up trash and, depending on the location, removing invasive plants like Chinese privet. Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes or boots, long pants, and long sleeve shirts. Gloves, and trash bags will be provided at each site. At least the first 250 will receive a free t-shirt with this year’s river cleanup logo from Rivers Alive, and another promo item as a thank you for participating.

To learn more about the river cleanup call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-278-5001 or visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org to download the event flyer with directions to each site. Join and share the event on Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.

Event organizers this year include: 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 Whitfield & Murray County Extension.

Sponsors include: Shaw Industries, J+J Industries, Dalton Utilities, Conasauga River Alliance, Modern Woodmen of America / Shell Underwood, The Nature Conservancy, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, and Whitfield County Public Works. 

2015 School Beautification Grant Winners Announced

(Dalton, GA, September 18, 2015) – Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural School Beautification Grants for Fall 2015. The committee for Beautification and Community Greening established mini-grants in celebration of National Planting Day, which began on September 12.

Public and private schools in the Dalton, GA and Whitfield County were invited to apply for funding to help implement a project related to planting native plants. Beautification grants ranged from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $250. Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful has made these grants available to improve the visual aspects of our community by supporting initiatives that beautify the environment.

This year seven local schools were awarded a cash grant. Below is a list of schools that were awarded a grant and the name of the their project.

1.)  Antioch Elementary – Pollinator Habitat and Classroom

2.)  Eastbrook Middle School – Mustang Magic: Making Plants Change Color

3.)  Dawnville Elementary – Dawnville Reading Garden

4.)  Brookwood Elementary – Color Spectrum Garden

5.)  Coahulla Creek High School – Colt Horeshoe Planter

6.)  Westside Elementary – Play in the Shade

7.)  Dalton High School – Amplify Your Assets

Projects will be completed by December 4 and each recipient will submit a project summary by December 15 to showcase their work. Visit Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s website www.KeepDaltonWhtifieldBeautiful.org or follow them on Facebook to get updates on the progress of these 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. Learn more about this event at www.kab.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.

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.