Enjoy a day of golf and help Durham zero in on ways to improve our community’s appearance and beauty. Click here to download the nomination form: Costco - Keep Durham Beautiful Golf Classic .

Golden Leaf Award Nominations Open!

The City/County Appearance Commission’s Golden Leaf Award has begun to accept nomination for the 2008 Golden Leaf Award event which will be held on Thursday, May 22nd at Rigsbee Hall in downtown Durham. The event starts at 7pm but come at 6:30 for refreshments! Click here to download the nomination form: Durham City/County Appearance Commission Golden Leaf Awards .

December 01, 2007

Durham Receives Nationally Recognized “2007 Tree City USA” Award for 25th Consecutive Year
Special Tree Planting to Celebrate Award and Arbor Day December 1

Durham, N.C. – On Saturday, December 1, 2007, the City of Durham will celebrate its 25th consecutive year of recognition as a national “2007 Tree City USA” from the National Arbor Day Foundation (NADF).

In honor of this recognition, and to mark the 2007-2008 tree planting season, a special tree planting event will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, December 1 at 2800 Lexington Street in the Tuscaloosa-Lakewood neighborhood. As part of the event, sponsored by Guglhupf Bakery and Foster’s Market, neighborhood volunteers will work with City’s Urban Forestry Division of the Department of General Services to plant oak, ash, beech and other trees, which have been donated through Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. (KDB), on the neighborhood’s private properties.

Because of City water restrictions, KDB will provide a large, water-filled rain barrel for the neighborhood to use to water the trees during their critical first year. In addition, the Southwest Central Durham Green Initiative has used a grant to purchase “gator bags,” a type of devise that provides constant, slow release of water to the root of the tree, so that no water is wasted or lost to evaporation. The neighborhood volunteers will fill the bags with a combination of collected rain water and City-approved “grey water” so that no municipal water will be used.

“The City’s Department of General Services is excited about this opportunity to partner with an active neighborhood group and Keep Durham Beautiful. Their cooperation has made it possible to plant these trees, even in light of the current water concerns,” said Kevin Lilly, facilities operations manager for the City’s Department of General Services. “This partnership provided an opportunity to plant donated trees on private property in neighborhoods where the City right-of-way does not provide adequate space for trees, yet trees are desperately needed. The actions of this neighborhood group are an excellent example of what is possible when we work together, even in difficult times, to plant trees to keep our community beautiful.” During the 2007-2008 planting season, the City’s Urban Forestry Division will coordinate the planting, as conditions allow, of the approximately 200 donated trees on private property.

Even though the drought this summer and the continued water restrictions have postponed the City’s Street Tree Planting Partnership, residents and neighborhood groups are encouraged to join this partnership now for future planting opportunities. “Our Urban Forestry staff receives street tree planting requests throughout the year and these requests are logged and honored when weather and resources make it possible,” Lilley said. “So, even though we’re in a drought now, when the water situation is back to normal, we’ll continue partnering with neighborhoods to enhance the appearance and overall attractiveness of Durham by identifying needs for street tree planting in the City.” Neighborhood associations and residents interested in learning more about the City’s Street Tree Planting Partnership should visit the City’s Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general/forestry.cfm.

In addition to the tree planting event, Mayor Pro Tempore Cora Cole-McFadden, on behalf of Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell, will declare Saturday as “Arbor Day” in the City. All Durham residents and the media are invited to attend the tree planting.

In order to receive this year’s recognition, the City met the four standards to become a Tree City USA, including a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance. The City is one of only 68 “Tree Cities” in North Carolina.

“An effective community forestry program is an ongoing process of renewal and improvement that Durham has been recognized for over the past two decades,” said Chris Boyer, interim director of the City’s Department of General Services. “The Tree City USA award is another excellent example that there is a solid foundation for the process of improvement in the City of Durham.”

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by NADF in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. To learn more about the Tree City USA program, visit www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA.cfm.

About the City’s Department of General Services
The City of Durham’s Department of General Services provides timely, cost-effective and high quality services in eight core business functions: Administration, Cemeteries, Facilities Operations, Landscape Services, Parking Contract Administration, Project Management, Real Estate and Urban Forestry. Project Management procures, supervises and coordinates the design and construction of a wide range of City public improvements. Services provided include conducting feasibility studies, project planning, contract document review and construction administration for facility renovations, new facility construction and park renovations. For more information on this department, visit the City’s Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general.

About Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.
Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. (KDB) is a non-profit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City and County of Durham to bring private businesses, citizens and community organizations together to conserve and enhance the appearance and environment of Durham. To learn more about KDB, visit the City’s Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general/kdb.cfm or contact Dorothea Pierce, executive director of KDB, at (919) 560-4197, extension 260 or via e-mail at dorothea.pierce@durhamnc.gov.

Keep Durham Beautiful Teams Up With Cub Scouts
During Saturday’s Holiday Parade

Scouts to Help Spread Message About Litter’s Harmful Effects in Durham

Durham, N.C. – Each year, roadside litter costs City of Durham taxpayers more than $2 million dollars to clean up. Now, Keep Durham Beautiful (KDB) is teaming up with local cub scouts to remind people not to litter on Durham’s streets during this Saturday’s Annual Holiday Parade.

The KDB truck, a familiar site for many volunteers across Durham, will drive the parade route accompanied by 30 children from Cub Scout Pack 405 from St. Mathew’s Church in Durham. The Cub Scouts, ranging from ages 7 through 12, have recently taken part in recycling activities and are excited about joining KDB in the parade. “The boys really understand why littering is not good for the environment and why recycling really helps the community,” said Kevin Lilley, City employee and Cub Scout parent. “Cub Scouts rarely get a chance to walk in parades, so this is a great opportunity for them to show what they have learned to a larger audience.”

The Cub Scouts will be joined by another group of young people who support KDB’s mission in the community. Nathalie Williams, KDB supporter and City employee, has been working with a dozen young adults from her neighborhood. According to Williams, they have been working on KDB’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program and picked up over 6,000 cigarette butts during their recent campaign. “These young people can see in their own neighborhood how litter can change people’s perceptions,” Williams said. “Those cigarette butts may be small, but they make a big impression and these kids can really see what a difference they are making in their community.”

KDB is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City and County of Durham to bring private businesses, citizens and community organizations together to conserve and enhance the appearance and environment of Durham. To learn more about KDB, visit the City’s Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general/kdb.cfm or contact Dorothea Pierce, executive director of KDB, at (919) 560-4197, extension 260 or at dorothea.pierce@durhamnc.gov.

To learn more about Cub Scout Pack 405, visit http://www.pack405durham.org/.

To learn more about Keep America Beautiful’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, visit www.kab.org.

Durham’s “Tarp Day” To Help Combat Roadside Litter
Free Tarps Provided to Durham Residents September 29

Durham, N.C. – Each year, roadside litter costs City of Durham taxpayers more than $2 million to clean up. According to Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. (KDB), one of the biggest contributors to roadside litter comes from unsecured loads that allow debris to either blow or fall out of vehicles and trailers onto Durham’s streets and sidewalks.

To combat this problem, KDB is teaming up with the City, Durham County and the Durham Police Department to host “Tarp Day,” a new program sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the North Carolina Chapter of Keep America Beautiful. Tarp Day provides each county with a number of tarps to distribute to residents to help drive home the message that all vehicle loads must be secured when driving on North Carolina roads.

One tarp per household will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis at the entrance to the City’s Waste Disposal and Recycling Center, located at 2115 E. Club Blvd., Durham, on Saturday, September 29, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. or until all the tarps are distributed.

According to Joe Curtis, chairman of KDB, participation in “Tarp Day” is an easy way for Durham residents to help clean up roadsides and combat the harmful effects of litter. “People need to be aware that litter affects everyone,” Curtis said. “We are excited about this opportunity to work with our state affiliate and the NCDOT to help get the word out. Litter hurts every citizen in Durham. It hurts our economy, it encourages crime, it lowers the value of our homes and it discourages community unity.”
According to George Kapetanakis, litter programs coordinator for the NCDOT, the State spends $16.6 million each year picking up litter off roadways. He further estimates that 25,000 accidents every year are caused by litter on highways across America, with the majority of that litter coming from unsecured loads. “The harm that roadside litter causes, both in terms of the toll it takes on human life and taxpayer wallets, is very significant and cause for immediate action by our citizens to help combat this serious issue,” Kapetanakis said. “Keep Durham Beautiful is very active in educating the public about the harm litter causes and it’s great to know that the citizens of Durham have such a wonderful source of support for dealing with litter issues. I hope Durham has a great turn out for this event and shows community solidarity that litter will not be tolerated there.”

Durham County residents interested in participating in “Tarp Day” may also pick up a free tarp at any of the four solid waste convenience sites listed below.
• Parkwood, located at Highway 55 and T.W. Alexander Drive
• Bahama, located at Quail Roost and Ball Roads
• Redwood, located at Redwood Road and Electra Drive
• Rougemont, located at Highway 501 North and Bill Poole Road

KDB is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City and County of Durham to bring private businesses, citizens and community organizations together to conserve and enhance the appearance and environment of Durham. To learn more about KDB, visit the City’s Web site at http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/general/kdb.cfm or contact Dorothea Pierce, executive director of KDB, at (919) 560-4197, extension 260 or at dorothea.pierce@durhamnc.gov.