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!

As of July 2024, our partners at Haw River Assembly have 6 operational "Trash Traps" in Durham Third Fork Creek, Durham Northeast Creek, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Pittsboro, and plan to add at least 2 within the next year. Learn more about the Trash Trap program.

Sign up to volunteer as part of the crew at any of the locations and you're welcome to join any (or all!!) of the clean outs at that location. They will typically have clean outs on the last Saturday of every month, and we'll send out emails 2 weeks before each clean out to remind everyone and confirm who will be able to make it. Remaining 2024 clean ups will be held on 11/23.

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup at Red Maple Park and Hinson Drive, hosted by the Bragtown Community Assocation.

Volunteers will meet at 3320 Hinson Dr. at 10AM. Gloves, vests, litter grabbers and trash bags will be provided.

Please contact Constance Wright at mggerald58@gmail.com with any questions.

Register to attend below!

Join the Durham Community Land Trustees (DCLT) on Saturday, Oct 26th from 8:30AM-12PM for their annual service event, Dig for DCLT!

Volunteers will go to selected properties from the DCLT rental portfolio and clean up hanging branches, shape bushes, plant flowers, and clean up trash. Board members, staff, and community can all get involved to help Keep Durham Beautiful.

There are 4 different locations to serve - click the link below for more info & to register!

REGISTER HERE!

Join us for a scent-sational DIY workshop with AR Workshop Durham to support Keep Durham Beautiful! A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated back to Keep Durham Beautiful to support beautification in Durham communities.

Create one-of-a-kind candle scents for your home or as the perfect hand-crafted gift. Enjoy their classic candle style as well as options to upgrade and add-on during your visit.

This is a paid event and pre-registration is required. Click here to register!

Join community members from the Burch Ave Neighborhood to clean up neighborhood streets (Chapel Hill St between Swan and Buchanan, and bordered on the north by Campus Drive and the Durham Freeway).

Volunteers will meet at meet at the Community Garden at 833 Wilkerson Ave.

Please contact Ryder Sammons at sammonsm@kenyon.edu with any questions.

Register to attend below!

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup in the Southside Neighborhood, hosted by the Southside Neighborhood Assocation.

Volunteers will meet at 201 W. Enterprise St. at 10AM. Gloves, vests, litter grabbers and trash bags will be provided.

Please contact Leanne Clark-Shirley at leanne.june@gmail.com with any questions.

Register to attend below!

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup at West Point on the Eno, hosted by the Northern High School Environmental Club.

Volunteers will meet at West Point on the Eno Park (5101 N Roxboro St). Gloves, vests, litter grabbers and trash bags will be provided.

Please contact Rachel Owens at nag4477@gmail.com with any questions.

This event is full!

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup with The Morehead Montessori PTA Saturday, October 19 at 9 am to pick up litter and spruce up the school grounds.

Please contact Blakely Hildebrand at blakely.hildebrand@gmail.com with any questions.

Register to attend below!

Join Keep Durham Beautiful and our parters for our quarterly garden tour and gathering.

Erin Holden, Executive Director of SEEDS has agreed to host the group on Thursday October 17th from 5:00-6:30 pm. Tour the garden, explore their initiatives, and discuss needs and collaboration opportunties. The gathering and tour will take place at 706 Gilbert St, Durham, NC 27701,

Agenda:  

4:45pm             Arrive, Light Refreshments
5:00pm             Introductions
5:15pm             Tour of SEEDS and Q&A
6:00 pm            Discussion: Next steps for Community Garden Network
6:30 pm            Conclude

Ready to roll up your sleeves and make a difference in our beautiful parks? Durham Parks & Recreation is hosting two volunteer days this October, and they need YOUR help to keep our community spaces looking their best!

Volunteers will cut back overgrown plants, weed, and mulch to help these parks thrive. Don’t worry – you won’t be alone! There will be two experienced Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGVs) on-site to show you the ropes and guide you through the work. No green thumb is required – just your energy and love for the outdoors! DPR will supply all the necessary equipment and supplies. Come for one or join us for both days. Let’s get these parks in tip-top shape for everyone to enjoy!

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup in Long Meadow Park and Goose Creek! This cleanup is suitable for ages 16 and older.

Please contact Hayley Blum at hayleyblum@gmail.com with any questions.

Register to attend below!

Join community members to clean up the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake!

The meeting location is at the intersection of Tom Clark Rd and Redwood Rd. Take I85N towards Falls Lake, take exit 183 Redwood Road, turn right and drive 0.7 miles to left-hand bend where Redwood meets Clark.  

Cleanup supplies such as litter grabbers, gloves, safety vests, and trash bags will be provided.

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

Register to attend below!