Spotlight on Liberty Gardens at Police and Fire Department Facilities

Beth and Charles Miller have long been associated with Houston area beautification projects, and as the sixth anniversary of September 11, 2001 approaches we remember two special gardens the Millers helped create to honor of those who perished that day.

The Entry Garden at the Houston Fire Department Logistics building at 1201 Dart Street and the Landscape Renewal & Tree Planting project at the Houston Police Academy at 17000 Aldine Westfield stand in solemn recognition of the hundreds of police and fire professionals who died trying to save others. Many interesting varieties of trees, grasses and shrubs were used at both locations to create an environment that our men and women in uniform can enjoy on a daily basis.

The Millers have been champions for Houston 's beautification for many years and they maintain the hope that others will gather inspiration from these and other gardens in our city's public spaces.

‘On the Trail of Trash' Event a Huge Success

Neither soggy conditions, snakes, nor poison ivy could deter the 211 volunteers who cleaned, pruned and beautified seven park sites in June as part of the annual “On the Trail of Trash” event. Volunteers were joined by KHB, The Park People, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and official program sponsors ExxonMobil and Shell Oil Company to spruce up 10 trails and remove 186 bags of litter and debris during the day-long event. Shell Oil spokesperson Debbie Breazeale said, “Shell Oil maintains a strong commitment to the beautification of our city's parks, and we were proud to be a part of the 2007 ‘On the Trail of Trash' activities.”

The parks involved in the clean-up were Cullen, Oyster Creek, N. MacGregor Way, Lake Houston, Stude/White Oak, Hermann Brown, and E.R. and Ann Taylor. Specific trail site sponsors were ConocoPhillips, LJA Surveying & Engineering, and Waste Management. Also involved were volunteers from TSU, Marathon Oil, and Halliburton.

The goal of this great event was to enhance the overall user experience at parks throughout the city, and the results were spectacular. KHB would like to thank everyone who volunteered their time and effort to keep Houston parks beautiful.

Campers Enjoy Great American Backyard Campout™ at Lake Houston Park

Campers from around the city gathered at Lake Houston Park on June 23rd for an afternoon of fun and learning in celebration of the  3rd Annual Great American Backyard Campout. Participants were treated to a wide variety of activities including tent setup demonstrations, cooking with camp stoves, games, nature hikes and more. The event was sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, KHB, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and supported by REI and Shell Oil.

City Council Cleanup

City Council Districts E, F, G, and H all recently had successful cleanups. The District F Community Cleanup in the Alief area had especially strong participation, with more than 300 volunteers representing several different businesses, schools, and community organizations. Ernie McGowen from Council Member Khan's office called the Alief area cleanup one of the most productive ever. “Our community really showed how much they care at the last City Council Cleanup,” McGowen said. “It's very rewarding to see all of the different organizations working together toward the common goal of making District F a cleaner, safer place to live.”

The District F event was sponsored by Council Member M.J. Khan, Houston Fire Department, Houston Police Department, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Keep Houston Beautiful, Mayor's Office, Mayor's Anti-Gang/Graffiti, Mayor's Citizens Assistance Office, Neighborhood Protection Corps, Planning and Development, Public Works and Engineering and Solid Waste Management. Refreshments were provided courtesy of Republic Waste Services.

ABC-13 Encourages Communities to Recycle

ABC-13 held its E-Cycling Drive to educate and encourage the community regarding the importance of recycling. The inaugural event took place on April 20, 2007 which coincided with World Earth Day. The station aired an hour long special to inform viewers on topics ranging from the basics of recycling to the environmental hazards of paints and batteries.  ABC-13 teamed up with the City of Houston, Halliburton, the Port of Houston, Toyota, and the Houston Zoo to encourage Houstonians to protect the environment, conserve energy, and recycle. Keep Houston Beautiful participated in the event along with the Houston Area Women's Center, Junior League of Houston, and Teekay Shipping. Starbucks Coffee also promoted the “Grounds for your garden” program. During the event, each sponsor setup booths outside the station's parking lot to provide information on their environmental programs. In one day, volunteers collected over 20 tons of E-Cycling material from over 700 viewers who drove through the station to deposit recyclable electronic items. ABC-13 promoted the event through email, news stories, and web-page promotions that generated 2 million impressions and over 5,000 page views.

Love You Lots! a Great Success

Mission Houston launched its Love You Lots! program on Saturday, May 12, 2007 with the help of Keep Houston Beautiful and the City of Houston. Mission Houston along with congregations and organizations volunteered to clean up lots in Acres Homes, Independence Heights, Settegast, Trinity Gardens, Fifth Ward, Clinton Park, Magnolia Park, Third Ward, and Sunnyside. Houston Mayor Bill White greeted volunteers and posed for pictures during the event.  Members from the Neighborhood Protection Corps, Keep Houston Beautiful, and Mayor's Volunteer Initiatives Program also attended the event which was a huge success. A total of 73 vacant lots surrounding schools, parks, and community centers were cleaned by volunteers during that day.

Trees for Efficiency Program Gives Cash Back

CenterPoint Energy and Trees for Houston are joining efforts in their Trees for Efficiency Program to offer customers shade trees along with planting assistance. Local non-profits and civic groups will have the opportunity to raise funds by selling selected trees to their members. Groups can choose from a variety of trees including Live Oak, Red Maple, and Magnolia. Civic groups and non-profits will receive $10 for every tree they sell. To receive this rebate, groups must make a copy of the original order form so that participating homeowners will sign both forms on planting day. Original forms will be collected by each group to be sent to Trees for Houston and the contractor will also keep a copy for their record. Trees for Houston will return rebate to non-profits and civic groups that participated in the program. This is a great opportunity to help the environment by planting more trees and reducing your energy bills by providing direct shade to your house. Contact Gary Woods at (281) 474-4507 for more information. Click on the Trees for Houston logo below to visit their site and to download an application.

Visit their website to learn more about the program.

Accenture Helps "Wipe Out Wireless Waste"

Employees from Accenture gathered at the Westin Galleria Hotel on Friday September 17, 2007 to collect recyclable goods in support of the Wipe Out Wireless Waste event hosted by Keep America Beautiful. Proceeds will be used for local community improvement and revitalization projects through Keep America Beautiful. Anyone interested in recycling their mobile equipment and in turn provide funds to Keep Houston Beautiful, the local Keep America Beautiful affiliate, can do so by mailing their old cell phones in a postage-paid mailing label. Please note that the value of phones, batteries and accessories recycled through the “Wipe Out Wireless Waste” program are not tax deductible. However, these contributions provide two important benefits: protecting the environment, and raising money for clean-up, green-up efforts in your community. Click on the link below to download and print a free, postage-paid mailing label and to learn more about the program.

Goldman Sachs Volunteers Beautify Eastwood Community Center Garden

Summer interns from Goldman Sachs rolled up their sleeves to beautify the Eastwood Community Center Garden in Houston 's east side on Friday, August 3, 2007. A group of 10 summer interns weeded, mulched, and planted citrus trees and a variety of ground cover plants. The group was lead by David Andrew, Houston Clean City Honorary Advisory Board member and an employee of Goldman Sachs. The group planted a total of 256 ground cover plants that included the Firetail Chenille (Acalypha pendula), an unusual and attractive groundcover that slowly carpets the ground; Goldflake (Mecardonia “Goldflake), a low growing perennial that produces yellow flowers all summer long; Pink Buttons (Polygonum sp. “Pink Buttons”), a beautiful carpeting groundcover with green-burgundy foliage and tiny pink button flowers blooming in heavy cycles spring through fall until the first breeze; and the Creeping Snake Herb (Dyschoriste decumbens), a low growing groundcover of small rounded leaves and lavender flowers. This is the second project that Goldman Sachs has been involved with Keep Houston Beautiful. We are always excited to work with this great group of people.

Recycle:"It's easier than jumping out of a plane!" Says Former President George Bush

Former President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush are featured in the new Stop Trashing Houston public service announcement. The PSA campaign was created in partnership with Keep Houston Beautiful and the Houston Galveston Area Council. In the announcement, the President and Mrs. Bush encourage Houstonian's to make recycling a daily habit. The First Lady says, "Recycle; it's easy". The president adds with humor,“It's easier than jumping out of a plane!” Suzy Hartgrove, Paul Varner, City of Houston Planning and Development along with Maria Joseph, Department of Solid Waste, and Robin Blut from Keep Houston Beautiful worked closely with Comcast Communications to create the spot. Comcast aired the public service announcement on numerous cable channels. Special thanks to Bill Fogarty at Fogarty and Klein for helping place the ad on area TV stations. Penny Butler, Keep Houston Beautiful Commissioner, invited the former President and First Lady to appear in the announcement.

We would like to thank the Bushes for reminding Houstonians to do their part to keep Houston beautiful.

New City Department Directors Named

Two city departments that play an integral role in most KHB activities are under new leadership. Harry Hayes has been named to replace Buck Buchanan in the Solid Waste Department and Dorothy Edwards will head up the Neighborhood Protection Corps.

We wish Harry and Dorothy luck in their new jobs and look forward to working with both of them.