Keep Carbondale Beautiful

Keep Carbondale Beautiful initiates, plans, and directs cooperative efforts in litter control, recycling, community beautification, and environmental education.

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that has been serving the Southern Illinois community since 1987 (initially as "Carbondale Clean & Green") and we are an affiliate of Keep Illinois Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.

SIU Football Team Helps Keep Evergreen Clean

Our local Salukis were out this last Saturday to help clean up Evergreen Park.
We love all our volunteers for showing up and putting in the time to Keep Carbondale Beautiful!
Go TEAM!!!

Restored Historic Home Wins June Bright Spot

509 Main St. has likely caught your eye driving west through Carbondale. It has certainly caught the attention of Keep Carbondale Beautiful. The Mize-Ashley family came together and made it a restoration project. Initially, neighbors were concerned with the building maintaining its integrity, but it became quickly apparent the renovation was staying as true to the historic original as much as possible. This five year long project involved restoring original hardwood floors and reusing bricks to reestablish other structures within the home. “The ceilings were falling down in the house” recounts Jaye Mize. While working through the architecture, the family found old newspapers from 1918-1919, boxes of photos from previous families and old coins. The striking sky and royal blue with white trim were very close to time period specific colors researched for the 1870’s era.

Outside, the front hosts beautiful landscaping thoughtfully arranged to compliment the colors and design. Large white planter pots hosts a bouquet of purple and white petunias. Wrapping around the front, are matching bricks, painted royal blue, trimming green striped hostas and crème lilies. A small white Crepe Myrtle tree was recently planted out front, to herald in, and oversee, the next chapter of this historic home’s new life.

If you would like to nominate a business or residence to receive the Award, please call the Keep Carbondale Beautiful office at 525-5525 or e-mail BrightSpotAward@gmail.com.

Historic Mural Wins Commercial Bright Spot Award

Gail and Linda White are the proud recipients of the Keep Carbondale Beautiful Commercial Bright Spot award. The east facing brick wall, right around the corner of Town Square Market, on N. Washington St, is a superb layer collage of graphics. Previously, fragments of faded paint still clung to the wall for years as upgrades to the building were being made. Expert repair masonry prepared the wall for the final design.

Mural artist Christine Brunk DeShazo was employed to make the dream come true. Met in 2019, Gail, Linda and Christine pieced together historical photographs of the building’s past. Vintage fonts and art styles were diligently researched for an amalgamation of layers. Various names, like “Siebert” was the name of the drugstore and building from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Old commercial art articulates the industry of the day. The brick warehouse building next door was a Coca-Cola bottling warehouse for many years before closure. The weathered texture is preserved and honored while being hand drawn/painted as close to the original as possible. A collection of 80 hours paint time in 2 full weeks, the beauty of the past is vibrant again along N. Washington St.

If you would like to nominate a business or residence to receive the Award, please call the Keep Carbondale Beautiful office at 525-5525 or e-mail BrightSpotAward@gmail.com. Archives of some past Bright Spot Award winners may be found at keepcb.org.

May Bright Spot

May’s Keep Carbondale Beautiful Bright Spot award recipient goes to 613 Skyline rd. Linda Ward has been tending this home and garden since 1978 when she and her husband moved to the area. Now retired, Linda participates in the
Evergreen Garden Club. Many of the flowers have been sourced from friends in the club. She smiles and says, “when the flowers bloom, I think of them.” The eye-catching variety of colorful irises initially caught the attention of the community, but many more blooming flowers and plants round out the beautiful array. A towering pin oak shades the west facing front yard and deck. Linda chuckles, “That was just a small guy when I moved here.” Landscaped around the front are small cacti, purple spiderwort, columbine and snap dragons. Threading up the deck and bird feeders are the magenta and orange native honey suckle vines,
rising just above pink azaleas. During the afternoons, hummingbirds are seen to frequent the area for nourishment. The flower garden is rounded out with red common roses and hydrangeas.

The Keep Carbondale Beautiful, Inc., Board selects businesses or residences to receive the Bright Spot Award for enhancing the beauty of our community by means of revitalization of property, new construction, plantings and beautification, upkeep and maintenance, or rehabilitation.

If you would like to nominate a business or residence to receive the Award, please call the Keep Carbondale Beautiful office at 525-5525 or email keepcb1326@gmail.com. Archives of some past Bright Spot Award winners may be found at keepcb.org.

Household Chemical Collection Event

Jackson County Health Department is hosting a free, IEPA sponsored household chemical collection

Where: At the Banterra Center (former SIU Arena), south parking lot on
When: Saturday, June 19.

This event helps safely dispose of old and unwanted household chemicals. Waste can be dropped off at the site on the date of the event between 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. This rain or shine event is open to ALL Illinois residents.

To participate in the event residents MUST:
· Register online at www.RecycleJacksonCounty.org or call 618-684-3143 ext. 128 to schedule an appointment drop-off time;
· Present valid state ID or recent utility bill to enter event.

Please contact Jackson County Health Department at 618-684-3143, ext. 128 for more information, or visit www.RecycleJacksonCounty.org.

A few shots from our Invasive Species Neighborhood Walk

Invasive Species Neighborhood Walk

KCB is in partnership with FRST, Forest Restoration Strike Team, to combat invasive plant species in town.
We came up with a plan to put out a call to homeowners to send in some pics of the invasive plants taking over and we would select 5 homes (keep it relatively small/not overwhelm ourselves with work) and go out together and treat them.
May is invasive species awareness month, as declared by Pat Quinn.
The idea is to be both a beautification project as well as educational.
This was planned for May 2 (a Sunday) and a rain date for May 15th.
"Invasive Species Neighborhood Walk” is to provide the public with beautification, help out native plants regain their territory and education to interested people who wish to take stewardship of their yards!
Contact us with pictures at keepcb1326@gmail.com

We will also be participating in the "Give Before You Go" event with the SIU sustainability office.
May 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th (skipping the 9th) 8 a.m. helping to clean Lentz Hall, in tandem with Rotary/and a ministry group.
--- This is to help keep waste out of the landfills ---
If you want to participate or let folks know, please contact Karen S at karens@siu.edu

We are still in the middle of the "30 Day Challenge"to pick up some litter every day for 30 days.
We've had some great volunteers!
Keep up the great work Carbondale!

SIU SCUBA Team Helps to Keep Carbondale Beautiful

SIU's SCUBA Team organized their own clean-up the other day.
They were able to fill 5 bags while focusing mainly on the water ways.
Way To Go!!!

Successful Clean-Up Events

Sat March 13th

SIU cleanup
meet 9 am to noon at Levels parking lot,
"KCB Litter Blast Morning" registration is on Saluki volunteer portal.

Sat March 20th

Conjunction event with Green Earth, Pyles Fork Cleanup,
9 am to noon, meet at Attucks park.
Event open to the public and SIU students with registration on Saluki Volunteer portal.

Check Out our most recent Bright Spot Award winners!

Grab N Go Litter Clean Up Kits

We have Litter Clean-Up Kits available! Read more about them below:

Instructions; Grab N Go Litter Pick up Kits are available at the screened in porch of Hickory Lodge, 1115 W. Sycamore.
Please do not enter the main building at this time.

Each Kit Contains: Bags/gloves/City Route highlighting high trash areas & parking, as well as the City number to collect orange bags (618.457.3275)

Kits are Labeled by size as Small, Medium or Large

Small kits: 1-2 volunteers, 2 orange bags, smaller shopping bags, 3 pair gloves

Medium kits: 3-5 volunteers, 4 orange bags, smaller shopping bags, 7 pair gloves

Large kits: 6-10 volunteers, 6 orange bags, smaller shopping bags, 12 pair gloves

KCB can also provide long handled litter grabbers, we ask volunteers to return them when done with litter clean ups.
Must be requested. Grabbers are labeled with our name and address.
*the hardcore litter-picker-upper may want their own grabber, they are generally available for sale at local hardware stores*

Suggested to follow highlighted route on map.
Always use caution in unknown areas.
Smaller single use shopping bags are included so volunteers can spread out and collect and return to orange bags to dump litter into.
A few extra pairs of gloves are added in case gloves rip while working.

When volunteers are finished please call, 618.457.3275, leave a voice mail where the location of orange bags are (and only within city limits)
Please email/call/text KCB as to where volunteers collected litter/how many bags/hours of volunteerism, we love to know where you went!

Also, tell us about any interesting finds (Money? Winning lottery ticket? Creepy dolls? See any unusual wildlife?)
Take pictures/selfies and post it to our Instagram/FB page, we can also add it to our website!

Large automotive parts/medical waste/appliances, DO NOT HANDLE!
Instead, report them to Keep Carbondale Beautiful or the city.

Our MLK Jr. Day Clean-Up Event was a HUGE SUCCESS!!!

Thanks EVERYONE who came out and helped us clean up on this beautiful Martin Luther King Jr. day.
While this event was geared towards SIU students, ANYONE could AND DID come out and join the collection effort.
Just look at how much we gathered in just a single sunny morning, WOW!
You all went above and beyond to Keep Carbondale Beautiful.

Official Release: On January 23rd, the Saturday following Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students and community members will carry out the annual litter clean-up day at Attucks Park, located 800 N. Wall St. This 15 year long tradition will convene at 9 a.m. and will operate until noon. Student Volunteers will fill out waivers issued by student coordinators that also serve as verification of work performed. Community members are encouraged to participate in this locally environmentally beneficial event. Orange litter bags, disposable gloves and litter grabbers will be available on site for the clean-up. Social distancing and mask wearing will be observed as recommended by CDC official guidelines.

New Year Trash Hike

Help us ring in the New Year by picking up some litter and maybe spotting some local bird life.

WHAT: Keep Carbondale Beautiful is hosting a Trash Hike event along with local ornithologist Mike Baltz.

WHERE: We'll be meeting up at the Arnold's Market parking lot

WHEN: We plan to head out around 9am, and go until 12 or 12:30

The area to be beautified is along RT 51 between The Reserves apartments to the Dollar General.
The area has been recently mowed and Mike will be helping with not only litter spotting, but bird spotting as well!
KCB will provide gloves, vests, grabbers, and bags.
We hope to see you there!

Our Executive Director, Anne Krippenstape l, has been interviewed again.
This time by Mike Baltz for his regular Southern Illinoisan section, Real Green People.
Thanks Mike, for shining a spotlight on beautiful natural spaces in and around Carbondale
and the people that help to keep them that way!
Check it out at the link below!
https://thesouthern.com/news/local/environment/real-green-people-keep-carbondale-beautiful-director-anne-krippenstapel/article_8d6712fb-4386-5a39-b088-771171945889.html

America Recycles Day (Nov 15) has come and gone, but we still wanted to reiterate the issue of single use plastics.

Single Use Plastics are generally only used ONE TIME.

This is horrible for the environment these single use plastics will be filling up landfills and the bellies of wild animals for years.

These are all examples of single use plastics.

We know that single use plastics are bad, but they're not going to go away anytime soon, so how can YOU help when it comes to single use plastics?

Always pack a reusable bag when shopping. (And yes—reusable totes are better for the environment than plastics, recent media claims aside.)
Cook more often, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers.
Buy in bulk. Avoid individually packaged goods, like snack packs.
Though buying online sometimes has a lower carbon footprint than shopping in a store (s kip the express delivery option, if you can), online shipments are still chock-full of plastic. Your best bet to reduce your footprint and plastic waste? Walk, bike, or take public transit to buy in-person.
Avoid plastic wrap altogether by storing leftovers in reusable containers. Try reusable and compostable beeswax wrap for an easy and decorative option.
Buy a metal or bamboo reusable straw. Pack it alongside reusable cutlery (like wood, bamboo, or metal chopsticks) for sustainable eating on the go.
Talk to the owners of the restaurants you frequent. Ask if they have nonplastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags.
Speak out in support of local plastic bans, whether by calling your local government representative, submitting an op-ed to your city’s newspaper, or simply starting conversations with neighbors.
Let companies that make your favorite products know that you care about the packaging. Tweet, call, or send letters to these companies to ask them to switch to more durable, recyclable, compostable, renewable, and/or recycled-content packaging with less fossil fuel–derived plastic.

You can also always go to https://berecycled.org/ to see where you can recycle various items safely near you.

Any kids, or adults that want to learn and have a little fun, can click here to play an informative "Super Sorter" browser-based, recycling game!

Knowing more about how plastics affect our environments and communities is a big first step towards helping.
Let's all do our part to Keep Carbondale Beautiful.

Recently, our Executive Director, Anne Krippenstapel,
was interviewed by Alee Quick of the Southern Illinoisan,
it appears in their free Life & Style magazine.
thesouthern.com/lifestyles/magazine/21-questions-getting-to-know-anne-krippenstapel-executive-director-of-keep-carbondale-beautiful/article_9d781f5b-35de-5a4b-9759-c66cf2b91ea7.html

THANK YOU,

CARBONDALE!!
for meeting Keep Carbondale
Beautiful’s 30-Day Challenge.
We heard from the following folks who reported on their group’s cleanup efforts. Liz, Brian, Sarah, Lee, Mike, Rockette, Trina, Dorcy, Clare, Bobbie, Carrie, Mark, Jerry, Darren, Greg, Richard, Fran, Dan, Beth, Jessica
:

Every little bit helps.

The KCB Challenge
Keep Carbondale Beautiful thanks all those in the Carbondale community who participated in their 30-Day Challenge. Nearly 50 people reported that they had been out and picking up litter, and most said that they are doing it on a regular basis.
Estimates are that hundreds of hours were put in. “But more importantly,” according to Executive Director Anne Krippenstapel, “the community came together. I am heartened by the stewardship of our citizens.” Some people were out every day, especially if walking a dog. Sunny warm days saw more participation, as recorded on Keep Carbondale Beautiful’s Facebook page.
Sponsors of the30-Day Challenge cleanup include Burris Disposal, CIMCO Recycling, and Southern Recycling. KCB also gets critical funding from the City of Carbondale. All participants are eligible to receive a T-shirt or a tote-bag. Contact Anne Krippenstapel for more information: 618-525-3075 or keepcb1326@gmail.com.

Get Involved
If you've ever asked yourself: Where do I recycle in or around Carbondale? How can I clean up my local neighborhood? What can I do to be more environmentally friendly? On this website, you will find information on our programs, ways you can help the local environment, useful links, and much more.

There are a number of ways you can help keep Carbondale beautiful:
Look for upcoming volunteer opportunities on the Calendar of Events
Learn more about student internship opportunities
Become a member
Serve on the board of directors
Check out our Help Wanted list for ideas
No time? Financial support is also involvement! Contribute here

Announcements

We expect by September we'll be able to make the trip to Forrest Keeling Nursery. Please check out the Tree Sale page and think about planting trees in the fall.

Carbondale uses See Click Fix so that citizens can report a concern, or see what issues have been reported and what's being done. You can also download the SeeClickFix app to your phone. Please help raise awareness about this wonderful addition to a responsive and transparent city hall.

Partnerships

We take our mission seriously, but interpret it broadly to include other aspects of community greening and – as Keep America Beautiful puts it – building vibrant communities. So we partner with other groups, such as

Built Environment Action Team to promote walkable and bikeable streets
City of Carbondale to educate the public on recycling
Illinois Native Plant Society, and U of I Extension to create guidelines for property owners wanting to create native habitat
Illinois Master Naturalists to develop Champion Tree Contest
Jackson County Healthy Communities Coalition in their grant
Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts on environmental programming
The Science Center to plan special exhibits
... and more to come, with your support.