Keeping Iowa Beautiful is UP to you. A good place to start is with your own community. There are six ways you can get started “Up with Iowa”:
|
|
CLEAN UP!
Perhaps the easiest way to keep your community looking beautiful is to clean up!
- Check out the city entry/welcome signs and wash them—first impressions matter!
- Cut and remove the weeds in parking lots and vacant lots in your community.
- Taking down old signs, flyers and placards from poles and posts is an easy way to give your downtown a facelift.
|
|
PLANT UP!
Adding greenery to your community gives it a fresh, new breath of life!
- Contact the State Forester, County Conservation Board, your local Trees Forever representative or private plan nursery about tree planting and planning for your community. These resources can be helpful in obtaining free or low cost materials.
- Contact the Iowa Department of Transportation about roadside improvement programs and grants. Ask about the potential of obtaining grass and native flower seed for streets, country roads, and highways in your community.
- Involve your local service organizations, gardening clubs, community schools, churches, etc. Everyone has an interest in the beautification and sustainability of your community—and planting is more fun with friends and neighbors!
|
|
PICK UP!
Don’t let litter ruin the beauty of your community!
- Organize a community-wide pick up day! Partner with organizations in your community, such as service organizations, church groups, school clubs, etc. Encourage local stores to provide trash bags, rubber gloves, and other items needed for pick-up events.
- Develop “litter-free” events at school athletic games, recreation activities, and other sports/entertainment events. Work with city officials to develop litter free guidelines for parades and other events that require city permits.
- Set aside special times of the year to offer assistance to the most vulnerable in your community—seniors and persons with disabilities—with their home and yard projects.
|
|
FIX-UP!
Don’t push off community repairs any longer!
- Check areas for fencing that may be sagging or in disrepair. Redo the fencing or put in decorative fencing!
- Have organizations, school classes, or clubs contribute by building bird houses, benches, and other items during the winter months.
- Recruit the provision of supplies and materials from local stores and/or lumber yards.
|
|
PAINT UP!
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way!
- Conduct an inventory of the community for buildings and items that need painting. Develop a community action plan!
- Contact your local Diamond Vogel Paint store to learn how you can get FREE paint for your community beautification projects through the Paint Iowa Beautiful program.
- Evaluate homes in your community that need painting, where the owners may be financially limited.
|
|
GIVE UP!
We can all make small sacrifices in our everyday lives that can contribute to a more beautiful, sustainable Iowa.
- Walk more, drive less. Discourage paper waste by going electronic whenever possible.
- Recycle used clothing by collecting items and taking them to appropriate centers for re-sale or distribution. Athletic shoes can also be recycled! Check out the Nike “Reuse-A-Shoe” program.
- Encourage community members to donate old building materials, boards and lumber to your future community building projects.
|
|
You Can Help Reduce Litter in Iowa
|
|
When you see litter happening on Iowa’s roadways, call 1-888-NOLITTR (1-888-665-4887) to report littering from a vehicle. Reported offenders will receive a warning letter from Keep Iowa Beautiful drawing attention to their offense. Send the message that people like you are watching.
|
|
Win a Build with Bags Grant!
Application Deadline Extended: May 30, 2020
|
|
There is still time to apply for a Build with Bags grant provided by Iowa grocers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Build with Bags Grant deadline has been extended until Saturday, May 30, 2020. This will allow grocers additional time to complete requests for letters of endorsement and provide communities some extra time to submit their grant applications.
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
