Trees Keep Indianapolis Beautiful

Since 1995, “KIB Clubs” have engaged 40 schools and 10,000 students each year in building gardens, creating wildlife habitats, and planting trees. Adhering to the model of school and student ownership, KIB ensures that a three year maintenance plan for any garden is in place before they engage the students. With a majority of members from low income households, KIB Clubs are often the students’ first opportunity to dig in the dirt and engage in their natural surroundings.

KIB is deeply committed to the planting and preservation of trees. In 2006, they announced the goal of planting 100,000 trees by 2017. In October 2010 they planted the 20,000th tree of the program. KIB also has embarked on effort to transport vacant lots in Indianapolis from eyesores and areas of crime to greenspace which raises property values in the adjacent community and helps to build a greener city environment.

Garden Spotlights Sustainability in Glendale

California’s Keep Glendale Beautiful (KGB) partnered with the Coalition for a Green Glendale to transform a lot that had been vacant for over 30 years into a vibrant community garden. Today, 20 families grow fruits and vegetables. The project also showcases a demonstration garden featuring California native and drought-tolerant trees, plants and flowers.

This “first-of-its-kind” project for the City of Glendale features 20 plots for local community members who may otherwise not have an area for gardening in their place of residence. This new “Eco-Community Garden” is unique to the City for its educational component - a model garden that promotes sustainable living while showcasing the beauty and diversity of drought tolerant plants. Additionally, this is the first in the State of California to be authorized to use recycled water.

Flowers in Bloom in Winston-Salem

In 2010, Keep Winston-Salem (N.C.) Beautiful planted over 740,000 flowers and bulbs as part of its annual “Community Roots Day” event. Now in its 10th year, the effort has distributed and planted nearly 5 million bulbs along streets, traffic circles, islands, parks and more throughout the city. Local garden clubs, associations, businesses and families maintain the beds and compete for awards in the fall.

A Beautiful City is 'Good Business'

The Ardmore Beautification Council (ABC) in southern Oklahoma believes “a beautiful city is good business.” What started as a crusade of highway wildflower planting has transformed into an ongoing goal of environmental awareness through greening. The volunteers at ABC have planted and maintained greenery at every highway interchange for over 10 years, while simultaneously educating their community about the benefits of community greening. Every year, the Ardmore Tree Board, partnering with the Apache Foundation, distributes over 500 trees to community members. Ardmore has developed a unique fusion between beautification and education, inspiring its community to take charge of its own community environment. Because of action taken by Ardmore’s citizens, the ABC directed the removal of abandoned and rusted oil tankers to transform a local eyesore into a grassy knoll.

Keep Slidell Beautiful Enriches the Lives of Senior Citizens

In an effort to give back to the community, Keep Slidell (La.) Beautiful (KSB) launched a large project to beautify its local senior center. With the help of Keep America Beautiful grants, KSB completely overhauled the exterior of the building, enriching the scenery with an herb garden, vegetable garden, and citrus grove. Over 50 people helped out at the scheduled work days, specifically designing the raised beds and pathways to be wheelchair accessible. In the months ahead, a pavilion will be added to complete the newly-improved area.

Community Gardens Flourish in Smyrna, Ga.

Georgia’s Keep Smyrna Beautiful (KSB) combined its resources and raised enough money for a half-acre plot on an old landfill site, filling it with an astounding 95 community planting beds. With the assistance of various grants and volunteer labor, KSB was able to construct an eight-foot fence around its planting plot and build a communal tool shed, which is open to all. For many, the community plots are the only opportunity families have to grow their own food. The produce grown has been nearly as nourishing as the resulting cohesion within the planting community. A garden board facilitates communication among the gardeners, and Smyrna citizens of all ages have benefited from their newfound friendships -– founded on a mutual love for gardening. Members of the People's Garden plant tomatoes, squash, and even corn in a unique, organic compost mix.