Join us on Monday, March 17 from 6:30-8:30PM for Bid For Better, a charity auction hosted by The Triangle Nonprofit and Volunteer Center. Discover unique gifts from Triangle-connected nonprofits while supporting their diverse missions.

The auction will feature curated items from 30 Triangle-connected nonprofits. Auction items include pieces from local artists, tickets area to Triangle events and other distinctive auction items and experiences.

Tickets are $35/person and cover one drink ticket, entertainment, and entry to the event. Food trucks will be available for attendees to purchase food as they wish.

Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase unique gifts and to help MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Learn more and purchase tickets here!

Looking for a way to give back to the Durham community? Become a Litter Leader!

Join us for an in-person Litter Leader Training on Tuesday, March 11th from 5:30PM-6:30PM at our offices at 2011 Fay Street. Parents with children are welcome to attend, and we will serve light refreshments.

We train litter leaders as part of our mission to build and maintain clean, green, and beautiful spaces. Litter Leaders are volunteers that are committed to litter prevention in Durham. Litter Leaders will be trained on litter cleanup safety, cleanup operating procedures, and the basics of volunteer leadership.

Once you have received training, we will provide the resources necessary to be a litter prevention advocate and lead KDB cleanup events. More information on the Litter Leaders Program can be found on our website at keepdurhambeautiful.org/litter-leaders.

What happens to rainwater once it disappears down a storm drain? How do we control pollution and erosion with the increasing development of Durham? What innovative strategies are being developed and implemented to tackle stormwater challenges? How can you get involved in protecting local waterways?

Leading up to Creek Week, get ready for an interactive panel discussion that dives deep into the world of stormwater management! Join a team of expert stormwater specialists to learn how stormwater is monitored, managed, and all about the various services provided by Durham County and the City of Durham. This panel will feature engineers, managers, and educators from both the County and City of Durham to provide useful and interesting information of the behind-the-scenes of all things stormwater!

This event will take place at 5:30PM on Monday, March 10 in the auditorium of the Durham County Main Library located at 300 North Roxboro St. This panel precedes Creek Week, which will take place from March 15 to 22. This event is great for all ages and levels of knowledge, and anyone with questions on local stormwater is encouraged to attend!

Registration is preferred in order to receive an email reminder about the event. 

Parking is available in the library parking lot or at the North Queen St Garage located at 115 North Queen St which is directly across the street from the library behind the apartments under construction.

Questions? Email mkoslofsky@dconc.gov

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup along N Mineral Springs Rd on Sunday, Mar 2 from 12-2PM.

Volunteers will meet at entrance of the Stonehill Estates neighborhood (100 Sapphire Dr) off of North Mineral Springs Rd. Gloves, vests, litter grabbers and trash bags will be provided.

This event is not suitable for volunteers under the age of 15.

Please contact Brittany Fechter at brittanyfechter@gmail.com with any questions.

Register to attend below!

Join us on Sunday, February 23rd at 10am for an Invasive Plant ID Walk with Matt Archibald, a Treecologist & Consultant with Leaf & Limb at Forest Hills Park.

Learn the basics of how to identify common invasive plants in our area. Attendance will be capped at 20 participants, so registration is required to attend.

Register to attend below!

Join us on Friday, Feb 21 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, Feb 22 from 10AM-12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from Old Chapel Hill Road Park (3791 SW Durham Dr).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Join us on Friday, Feb 21 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, Feb 22 from 10AM-12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from Old Chapel Hill Road Park (3791 SW Durham Dr).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Join the Durham Community Land Trustees (DCLT) on Saturday, February 8th from 10:30am-12:00pm to 'wakeup the garden' from the winter and replant garden beds for the spring. They will also have snacks, water, and an arts and crafts activity for the kiddos or when you want a break.

Location: 2502 Ashe St, Durham NC 27703

Click the link below for more info & to register!

REGISTER HERE!

Join us on Saturday, Jan 25th from 10AM to 12PM and/or Sunday, Jan 26th from 3PM to 5PM to remove harmful invasive plants from Hillside Park (1301 Roxboro St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Join us on Saturday, Jan 25 from 10-11:30AM to remove litter from Angier Avenue between Alston and Goley St. Volunteers may park anywhere in the 100 block of South Goley St

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided. Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, please email Naadii Salaam at nadera.salaam@gmail.com

REGISTER TO ATTEND BELOW!

Join us on Saturday, Jan 25th from 10AM to 12PM and/or Sunday, Jan 26th from 3PM to 5PM to remove harmful invasive plants from Hillside Park (1301 Roxboro St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Join one of our Litter Leaders for a roadside cleanup in Oak Grove!

When: 1/12/25 from 10-11:30AM

Where: Lakeside Grove Park neighborhood entrance at 102 Nichols Farm Drive, Durham NC 27703

Wear sturdy shoes and clothes that can get dirty, and bring a water bottle, hat, and a small backpack for any personal items. Contact Brittany Fechter at brittanyfechter@gmail.com with questions or concerns.

Register to attend below!

Looking for a way to give back to the Durham community? Become a Litter Leader!

Join us for a virtual Litter Leader Training on Tuesday, January 7th from 5:30PM-6:30PM via Zoom.

We train litter leaders as part of our mission to build and maintain clean, green, and beautiful spaces. Litter Leaders are volunteers that are committed to litter prevention in Durham. Litter Leaders will be trained on litter cleanup safety, cleanup operating procedures, and the basics of volunteer leadership.

Once you have received training, we will provide the resources necessary to be a litter prevention advocate and lead KDB cleanup events. More information on the Litter Leaders Program can be found on our website at keepdurhambeautiful.org/litter-leaders.

Join us on Sunday, Dec 22nd from 3PM to 5PM and/or Monday, Dec 23rd from 10AM to 12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from Rocky Creek Park (1014 N Elizabeth St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Join us on Sunday, Dec 22nd from 3PM to 5PM and/or Monday, Dec 23rd from 10AM to 12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from Rocky Creek Park (1014 N Elizabeth St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Come have a drink at Hi-Wire Brewing and meet other KDB volunteers and supporters in a casual setting. KDB will provide pizza and snacks - feel free to contribute your favorite holiday treat as well!

We will also make out Holiday cards to send to donors. Please RSVP below so we know how much pizza to order!

We’re partnering with Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association and Ambata Property to plant trees along Rand Street between Markham and Green St, adjacent to Pearl Mill Bioretention Area on Saturday December 14, from 1:30-4pm.

Register below to help us plant 25 native trees including: Serviceberry, American Hornbeam, Redbud, Sourwood and Red Buckeye.

KDB will provide shovels, gloves and other tools. Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. We encourage you to dress in layers for the weather, bring a refillable water bottle and snack. Park on Rand Street.

Keep Durham Beautiful is marching in the Durham Parks & Rec (DPR) Durham Holiday Parade again this year, and we'd love for you to join us! This year's parade is Saturday, December 14th at 10AM.

Volunteers will walk with a decorated City truck driven by KDB staff and pick up litter from along the parade route. This is a great opportunity for scouts or other groups who want to do service to Durham in a fun and festive way!

All ages and abilities are welcome to join us, and we encourage you to dress festively. In order to participate, everyone is also required by DPR to fill out and sign (or have a guardian sign for them) a waiver. This must be completed prior to participation that day. View the waiver here.

**PARTICIPANTS UNDER THE AGE OF 16 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN**

Register to join us in the parade here!

Join us and Partnership for a Healthy Durham for a workday to install a permanent StoryWalk® at Solite Park! Aluminum posts will be placed into the ground and a frame will be mounted on top to hold book pages. The length of the walk is ¼ mile.

Where: Solite Park (4704 Fayetteville Rd)

When: Monday, December 9th from 10AM-until completed.

Meeting place: Underneath the pavilion by the parking lot

Tasks will be:

• Digging holes for the posts using a post hole digger (16 total)

• Mounting the frames by bolts

• Placing the pages (inserting them into the frame and placing the clear, protective covering over them)

Please contact Krista Kicsak at kkicsak@dconc.gov with any questions or concerns.

Register here!

Keep Durham Beautiful will be giving away trees to Durham residents on December 7 from 10am-1pm in the parking lot of Hillside High School, located at 3727 Fayetteville Rd, Durham. Reserve a tree below!

our partners

• Funding for this Giveaway provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with the City of Durham. These institutions are equal opportunity providers.

• Special thanks to the Alpha Zeta Omega Durham Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for being our volunteer tree distribution partners

• Thanks to Hillside High School for providing the venue

About the Trees

These are outdoor trees and shrubs that will need to be planted outside as soon as possible. They are native trees that will provide habitat and food sources for birds and pollinators. They will add shade and beauty to your yard and neighborhood.

Species Available: Serviceberry — Black Chokeberry — Winterberry Holly — Blackhaw viburnum — Black Cherry — Virginia Sweetspire — Sweetbay Magnolia

The Fine Print

• One tree per household

• If you cannot pick up your reserved tree at the designated time and location, we regret that we are not able to hold it for you. It IS OK for someone else to pick up your tree for you.

• Planting Specifics:

  • Plant tree within Durham County

  • Must have permission from property owner to plant tree

  • Plant tree in the ground within a week of receipt for best success; water weekly until you can plant

  • Water tree weekly the first year, especially when hot or dry

Benefits of trees

• Oxygen: Trees produce oxygen that humans need to breathe. 

• Air quality: Trees help reduce air pollution. 

• Erosion control: Trees prevent soil erosion by catching water with their leaves and stabilizing the ground with their roots. 

• Water management: Trees reduce storm water runoff, which can help prevent flooding and pollution in waterways. 

• Wildlife habitat: Trees provide food, protection, and homes for many animals, including birds, squirrels, and pollinators like bees. 

• Biodiversity: A single tree can be home to hundreds of species of plants, fungi, moss, insects, and mammals. 

• Climate change: Trees help combat climate change. 

• Energy costs: Trees can reduce heating and cooling costs by countering the "heat island" effect in urban areas. 

• Property values: Homes with trees in their yards can sell for 5–10% more. 

• Jobs: Community trees support jobs in the urban forestry industry. 

Join us on Friday, Nov 29th from 3PM to 5PM and/or Saturday, Nov 30th from 10AM to 12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from White Oak Park (2504 Dallas St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Join us on Friday, Nov 29th from 3PM to 5PM and/or Saturday, Nov 30th from 10AM to 12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from White Oak Park (2504 Dallas St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Join one of our Litter Leaders and the North Street Community for a city street cleanup! Volunteers will meet at the corner of W Geer St & Madison St and clean up along several streets in the area.

All supplies will be provided, including grabbers, gloves, and trash bags. Younger volunteers practiced in sidewalk/street safety are welcome, but children under the age of 16 should be accompanied by an adult.

Please register by sending an email to Eve Meyerson at eemeyerson@gmail.com.

Panther Creek Forest Farm, in partnership with Keep Durham Beautiful and Leaf & Limb’s Project Pando, is a community-driven tree nursery that sustainably grows trees and gives them to the community for free through tree plantings, give away events, plant swaps and other community events. However, to grow these trees, we need your help! 

Come out to the farm and help us prepare the next crop of tree seedlings! 

Big Dig Tasks:

• Potting up 1 yr. old seedlings from planting boxes

• Building new air pruning boxes

• Moving spent pots, soil and failed plants to our composting area to make room for all the newly potted material

• Mixing planting material from compost and wood chips 

When: Sunday November 17th, 10AM-4PM (rain or shine, come and go as suits you!)

Where: Panther Creek Forest Farm, 4305 Redwood Road

We’ll provide:  tools, snacks, water, gloves

Not invited:   pets (we love them, but others may not)

Please wear closed-toed shoes or boots, and long pants. Bring a reusable water bottle, a hat, and something to tie up long hair if needed. You may also want to bring a small backpack for personal items.  

Other activities available while you are here:

• Kid-friendly goats

• Walkable access to three sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail

• Hickory Hill boat ramp is .25 mi away and a great put in for kayaking

• Tons of open space to explore

Let us know you’re coming below!

We're concluding Big Sweep with a private boaters' clean-up of Ellerbe Creek from Red Mill Road down to the trestle. The principal focus of this event is a large trash island at the trestle, which we want to tackle before it gets swept in to the lake.

Bring your own canoes, kayaks, rafts etc. Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) required for all boaters. Volunteers will meet at the put-in on Red Mill Road at 9AM and paddle down to the trestle. Assistance with put in and take out will be available. We'll need to move a fair bit of floating timber to access the trash so if you have a canoe, consider bringing a rake or similar for reaching with.

Gloves, bags and grabbers provided, bring your own drinks, snacks and bug spray. Consider layers if the weather is cool.

For questions, please contact Ian Pond at iandavid33@hotmail.com.

Register to attend below!

Help prevent food waste from going to the landfill by composting this year’s holiday pumpkins! Stations will be set up for residents to drop/smash/toss their post-Halloween jack-o'-lanterns and decorative pumpkins to be composted, not landfilled!

On Saturday, November 2nd, from 8AM - 12PM, drop off UNPAINTED and EMPTY jack-o'-lanterns or whole pumpkins at these locations:

• C.M. Herndon Park, 511 Scott King Rd.

• Valley Springs Park, 3805 Valley Springs Rd.

• Rock Quarry Park, 701 Stadium Dr.

• Southern Boundaries Park, 3400 Third Fork Rd.

• Bethesda Park, 1814 Stage Rd.

• Campus Hills 2000 S. Alston Ave. (parking lot)

• Waste Disposal and Recycling Center, 2115 E. Club Blvd.

Learn more about pumpkin drop-off options here.

Volunteer Roles: Volunteers will work in teams of 2-3 people for 2-hour shifts to greet customers and guide (or help them if they need it) to throw their pumpkins into a compost collection truck. Volunteers will have basic information about compositing that they can hand out in response to any questions. Sign up for a specific shift at specific park and consider inviting a friend to join you.

Click here to register!

For those who miss the November 2nd event, don’t be scared! Residents can continue to drop their pumpkins and Jack-o-lanterns at no charge at the Waste Disposal and Recycling Center, 2115 E. Club Blvd., from November 2 - December 7 during normal hours of operation.

Join staff and volunteers from the Durham Community Land Trustees for a creek cleanup in Historic Hayti! This cleanup is a part of an ongoing community creek restoration project in Hayti.

Volunteers will meet at 800 Simmons Street and continue to the creek from there.

Please contact Meixin Wang at meixin@dclt.org with any questions.

Register to attend below!

A community member needs help breaking down her garden due to issues with property management.

This event is perfect for those who are looking to fill out their own garden spaces with new plants.

Tasks for this event will include:

• digging up and finding new homes for bulbs and native plants

• moving two large piles of wood chips

• gifting plant starting containers and other plastic wares

• taking down the wooden garden beds

Keep Durham Beautiful will provide the necessary tools including gloves. Attendees may want to bring their own pots for transporting plants home. If you have a pickup truck and want to take some mulch with you, volunteers can help you load.

If you would like to help rehome some plants but can’t make this event, please reach out to Dawn Keyser at dawn@keepdurhambeautiful.org to arrange an alternate time to visit the property.

Let us know you’re coming!