Beautify Your Town

Here are some great and meaningful ideas for things you can do that will make your neighborhood a greener place to live. Share them with friends and see how much of a beautiful difference you can make.

Organize a Clean-Up Party. Parks, riverbanks, the street where you live: start where you are, pick a date and time, hand out trash bags, and start picking up. (Be sure to wear gloves so nobody gets cut from broken glass.) Furnish containers for recyclable cans and bottles. And make it fun, with food and drink for afterwards.

Become an outspoken advocate! The following ideas will need support from your local town planners and representatives:

Greener City Planning. When cities fold green space into their plans, everyone benefits: green means reduction in noise, pollution, and stress, and a safe refuge for local wildlife.

Cooperative Community Garden. Neighborhoods enjoy a revived sense of community spirit when disused areas are reclaimed to grow flowers and food. One friend of Cait’s was instrumental in turning a rundown area of Poughkeepsie, New York, into a flourishing garden where inner city kids could learn first-hand about growing healthy food. Alice Waters has been a pioneer for starting grow-your-own food gardens in her local schools. If you’re longing for fresh produce, get together with friends and see what land may be available. When tools and supplies are used cooperatively, it saves money, too.

Bike Paths. If towns want to cut down on their carbon footprint, biking is one answer, but bikers need a safe place to ride. Many communities have turned old disused railroads into bike paths, to the delight of bikers and strollers, alike.

Wildlife Preserves. Happy wildlife usually translates into happier people. Find out how to protect the creatures in your area.