A brief round up of your Commission Programs
reports on four litter pick-up programs a year. Each commitment covers a road for at least two miles. The Commission supplies free safety vests, bags, gloves, and reachers to all these volunteers, along with invitations to at least two recognition events per year. Adopt-A-City Street only started this year, yet has areas throughout the city taken over by volunteers with a similar clean-up commitment to the above, over an area of at least two city blocks. Adopt-A-Shoreline is the sister program to the above road programs that enables the Commission to facilitate year-round lakeside clean-up operations now has adopted areas on Lake Catherine and Hamilton. Adopt-A-Spot is the Commission’s catchall program to facilitate not only clean-up operations within Garland County, but also beautification projects for any area not covered by the above programs. This program has many adoptions.
array of environmental subjects including multiple recycling modules, litter reduction, graffiti abatement, an environmentally targeted anti-smoking program, landfill reduction, and storm water awareness. These prepackaged programs are in addition to a unique custom educational package offered by the staff. Adult education packages are available to any group in Garland County on a similar system to the school programming.
program that provides free educational programming that is specifically designed to fit both Project Learning Tree and Arkansas Department of Education standards (home schooled students are also actively sought). This multi-faceted program features modules concerning forest management and products, the impact of forestry on the local economy, environmental importance of forests, and the forest wildlife and its management. These modules are presented in various ways including dramatic performances, walks, and more traditional presentations to enhance their appeal and retention by the students.
environmental education and access to ecologically sound products, services, and safe productive fun. The Storm Water Task Force was put together to meet a specific need of the Garland County Department of the Environment. They needed volunteers to assist in the environmental monitoring of the ever- increasing number of construction sites in the County. The Commission developed an educational package that creates a valuable cadre of informed volunteers to fulfill this need. Several classes have been completed and more are planned. In addition to this detailed educational material, flyers have been produced for the general public to add to the awareness of the importance of storm water management. A public seminar will be held every year to further this knowledge.
Beauty Spot project. This in-house developed project gives recognition to the common people who work hard to produce beauty throughout our community in yards and gardens.
involved the distribution of over 2,500 free ash receptacles ranging in size from pocket ashtrays to wall and floor mounted models, and participant recognition items to adult smokers. There have also been educational programs and presentations aimed at awareness in adult smokers and reducing smoking in youths.
we facilitate much of the actual clean-up activities in the County. This program provides volunteer clean-up services for Lake Catherine and Hamilton plus a focus for all our Adoption volunteers. The event also includes a significant recognition component that encourages new and current volunteers. There are also educational booths that assist in disseminating information.
lake clean-up program. It is unique in its approach to obtaining a viable volunteer force with minimal oversight through outsourcing management of the volunteers to participating community organizations. These organizations are attracted to the project because the Commission offers a bounty on the trash collected.
With our brand new e-waste pick-up and transfer system, we can now collect e-waste from any organization in the County and insure its correct recycling.
website, and at all our educational opportunities. We have both a general information sheet for both City and County and we have recently produced and distributed a new brochure specifically for the County that provides a complete overview of opportunities for recycling, waste reduction, and reuse. Discarde D’ Arte is an exciting annual event that showcases the artistic talent and creativity of area individuals, civic organizations, schools, places of worship, and other groups using recycled, and/or reused items as the media for art. The art was judged by popular vote at the city’s Art in the Park event producing real community involvement and awareness.
rather unique situation that has brought significant media performance experience to the Commission. The City and County each have had one 60-second recycling/litter reduction PSA produced and aired to date. One further lake litter PSA has just been produced, and a further storm drain PSA has been proposed. All of these have been produced at a remarkably low cost due to the staff writing, directing and co-producing them and utilizing contacts to provide volunteer actors.
today’s information generation, having almost 3000 visitors since February. Its topics cover all of the different clean-up and adoption programs, litter reduction and recycling alternatives, beautification and gardening programs, educational programs, and environmentally-friendly community events throughout the year. It also provides a means to register for adoptions and events, request educational materials, record volunteer hours, showcase results from those volunteer hours, and allows the Commission to accept donations through PayPal. The website also allows instant access to the very popular pirate recycling commercials, which are a big hit with the younger generation. Your Commission was also heavily involved in assisting with Spring Fling, the city and Countywide debris/waste depositing program and Hazardous Waste Processing Day this past October.
importance, such as the recent Rural nuisance abatement law. We provide services that produce a tangible benefit to our community. The Hot Springs/Garland County Beautification Commission for 2007 has been fiscally responsible by successfully keeping within overall budget parameters. If you wish to become part of the solution and would like to donate your time or funds to our efforts to clean up the environment, please call us at (501) 623-7871, or you can go to our donations page here. |
| Our volunteers have put in over 6,300 hours of volunteers time and collected over 2000 bags of trash in 2007 throughout our huge adoption program that now consists of over 100 sites. |
| This year almost two thousand students and four thousand adults were reached directly through our educational programs, not to mention the tens of thousands through our PSA program! |
| With over 350 students attending in 2007, Arbor Day is an educational program which is a vital component in the City and County’s development. |
| The Commission has mobilized volunteers to assist in the placement of storm drain markers at 360 sites to date. |
| To date 56 Beauty Spots are proudly displayed throughout the City and County. For more extensive beautification, the Commission also facilitates with the Master Gardeners' more traditional Yard of the Month, Business of the Month, and Campus of the Month. |
| The Environmentally Responsible Smoker program was developed in-house and has been recognized as such an innovative and successful tool for positive reinforcement and change in smoking habits that special funding was awarded. In addition, other states and cities have taken the program under review. This Program has been given a National Award by Keep America Beautiful. The Commission has also leased a bench with a strong cigarette litter prevention message. |
| Trash Bash has become one of the largest one-day litter reduction programs in Arkansas, with this years attendance of 350 volunteers. |
| The bounty money from Cash for Trash is recycled into the community through these organizations, producing a true win-win situation with $2,000.00 being “recycled” into our community through this program. |
| A crucial part of the E-Waste initiative is an education and awareness program based on our in-house designed and built robotic mascot, The Cyber Recycler. This one-of-a-kind educational tool will soon be touring schools and making media appearances to bring about greater awareness of E-waste recycling. In a very practical way, the Commission also accepts cell phones, ink and laser cartridges, and rechargeable batteries for recycling directly. |
| The Discarde D'Arte program has seen a massive increase in entries since it came under the auspices of the Commission. |
| The PSAs have garnered much praise and a nomination for a prestigious national award. They have received a special volunteer recognition commendation from Keep America Beautiful, and the prestigious President’s Circle Award. |
| Your Commission is a vital partner for the City and County that facilitates thousands of volunteer hours of work. In fact, the Commissioners put in almost 3,000 hours of volunteer time, and the staff averaged at least twenty five hours of donated time each month! |
| According to the Keep America Beautiful (KAB) report, the Commission has a cost/benefit ratio of at least 2.88 dollars for every dollar invested in the Commission. However, beyond the dollars and cents lies the real benefit of the Commission, providing environmental stewardship for future generations. |
| For programs that were implemented in 2007, almost 36% of the operating budget came from outside sources. |
 | |  |
.
| ||||||||||||||||
WOW!!! What we did in 2007 |