Derek Sawvell - Winter Wonderland
December 2020 Newsletter
Applications Now Open for 2021 Keep Iowa Beautiful Scholarships
Keep Iowa Beautiful will award three $1,000 scholarships to Iowa high school seniors in 2021 who plan to enroll in an Iowa college or universityThe scholarships are in honor of three pioneers in Keep Iowa Beautiful’s 20-year history: Bob Byers, William Fultz, and Gerald Schnepf.

The Byers scholarship is supporting high school students who plan to enroll and study environmental science, community development, landscape architecture or architecture (historical emphasis) or community planning and sustainability.

The Fultz scholarship will be awarded to a senior planning on studying communications, public relations and/or marketing.  

The Schnepf scholarship will be awarded to a senior who has a record of community service and a desire to continue to support and contribute to the enhancement of the place they live and work.  College programs could include community & regional planning and volunteer management.

Keep Iowa Beautiful is proud to continue supporting Iowa students. Since the founding of the scholarship program, Keep Iowa Beautiful has awarded $48,000 to 58 students. Applications are due February 12, 2021 with notification in March.
Keep Iowa Beautiful PhotographY Contest
Keep Iowa Beautiful 20th Anniversary Photo Contest—Deadline Approaching!
Have you entered the KIB 20th Anniversary Photo Contest? Don’t wait! The deadline to submit your photo(s) is Friday, December 18th

Every year, Keep Iowa Beautiful aims to raise awareness of Iowa’s rural and urban beauty with our Annual Photography Contest.  To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of our founding this year, Keep Iowa Beautiful has created an EXPANDED photo contest that includes cash awards totaling over $2,000!

We’ve also introduced FIVE new categories to the contest: 
  • Iowa Landscape 
  • Iowa Water 
  • Iowa Cities 
  • Iowans in Action 
  • Iowa Wildlife
You don’t want to miss out. Grab your camera, explore the great state of Iowa, and take that winning shot! Remember, the deadline for photo submissions is Friday, December 18th!

For contest rules and details, and to submit your own photo, visit our website.  

We can’t wait to see Iowa’s beauty through your lens!
Every Day is “Iowa Recycles Day”
Last month, Governor Reynolds proclaimed November 15th as Iowa Recycles Day—a recognition of the work of Keep Iowa Beautiful and The Iowa Recycling Association and their commitment to the health and sustainability of Iowa. To read the Governor’s proclamation in full, you can find it here

The Governor’s proclamation affirms the state’s commitment to statewide recycling efforts, but at Keep Iowa Beautiful, we believe EVERY DAY should be Iowa Recycles Day! You don’t have to wait for November 15th to make a difference in your own community. Remember—reducing, reusing and recycling waste is vitally important to ensuring a cleaner, greener state for future generations. Do your part and help us celebrate Iowa Recycles Day every day!
Wheatland and Calamus Selected for Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program
Calamus and Wheatland, two communities in Clinton County, are two of 10 Iowa communities that have been selected to participate in the Iowa’s Living Roadways community Visioning Program in 2021! 

The award-winning program integrates technical landscape planning and design techniques with sustainable community action to assist community leaders and volunteers in making sound and meaningful decisions about the local landscape. The Community Visioning program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with Iowa State University Landscape Architecture Extension and Trees Forever.

Congratulations to Calamus and Wheatland on being selected for this unique community improvement program!
Milo’s New Signage Gives the Town a Fresh New Look
Milo’s Hometown Pride Committee unveiled their new community sign last month! The new signage could not have been completed without a collaborative community effort. Milo HTP received funding from nearly 10 other partners, including the Warren County Philanthropic Partnership, Warren County Economic Development, and the City of Milo. 

Congratulations to the Milo Hometown Pride Committee for bringing a fresh, new look to your community! For more updates, follow Milo Hometown Pride and Warren County Hometown Pride on Facebook!
Milo HTP Sign
Farragut Hometown Pride to Receive Awards for Leisure Hall and Public Library Improvements
The Farragut Community Endowment Fund through the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa is pleased to award $750 to Farragut Hometown Pride and the City of Farragut for Leisure Hall and Farragut Public Library improvements and extra supplies for protecting the public from COVID-19.  Previous projects the Farragut Community Endowment and the Fremont County Community Foundation have funded include:  Main Street Beautification with banners (pictured below), benches and decorative pots; City Park improvements with painting, the zip line, and the half-court basketball court (pictured below); computers at the Public Library and the Little Free Library.

All totaled, these grants, equal $38, 315 to the City of Farragut, the Farragut Public Library and Farragut Community to promote Hometown Pride over the past four years.  Beyond its grant programs, the Fremont County Community Foundation partners with the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa to assist charitable organizations in creating a permanent fund that addresses changing, vital community needs.  To inquire about donating to the Farragut Community Endowment Fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or [email protected]. Or you may contact any member of the Fremont County Board:  Jonna Loewe, Lindsey Carter, Staci Shearer, Teri Emberton, Tim Inman, or Darynn Ruiz
You Can Stop Litter!
When you see litter happening on Iowa’s roadways from a vehicle, Call 1-888-665-4887
Please provide as much detail about the incident as possible:
  • License plate number 
  • Time and specific location (street & city)
  • What was thrown from the vehicle
  • A vehicle description (color, make and model)

Call 1.888.NOLITTR (1-888-665-4887) to report littering from a vehicle.
Social Media Submissions
Keep Iowa Beautiful wants to share your community’s good news!
Are you proud of a completed project in your town? Do you want to show off a new mural in your downtown? Did you host a fun, exciting event for your community? We want to know about it!

Click on the button below to share short descriptions of events, projects, or news from your town! You can include pictures and captions as well. Keep Iowa Beautiful will share your post on our social media!
Your Support Matters!

Keep Iowa Beautiful is a non-profit organization and, as such, relies on your support to ensure the success of our environmental education and community outreach programs.

Donations will help KIB's efforts to support our community. Any amount is valued and appreciated. 

Donations can be made online or checks can be mailed to our office:
Keep Iowa Beautiful
2910 Westown Pkwy #302,
West Des Moines, IA 50266
KEEP IOWA BEAUTIFUL
2910 Westown Parkway, Suite 302 | West Des Moines, IA 50266