litter clean up

Clean, Green Fun for Kids!

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Summer is just around the corner, although it may feel like it’s already started. Summer break is a great time to inspire your kids to appreciate our natural environment. Environmental activities help kids understand why the environment is important and provides them with the building blocks they need to live eco-friendly and sustainable lives. Check out these five simple eco-friendly activities for kids.

1-Recycle veggie scraps into compost

Did you know about 30% of our household trash is food waste? It’s easy to divert this “resource” away from the landfill through backyard composting. Composting is a fun and rewarding way for kids to watch natural processes in action and they’ll think twice about wasting their uneaten vegetables. Follow this easy guide and try out composting at home this summer.

2–Plant a butterfly garden

Kid or adult, who doesn’t enjoy having butterflies around! Your garden will also attract hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators who need our help. It’s a great way for children to learn about the cycle of life and explore the relationship between plants and animals. Here’s an easy guide to get started. For examples of great plants for The Woodlands, check out this list.

3-Turn trash into treasure by making recycled paper

Here’s a fun way to show kids how paper that’s recycled curbside turns into something new. All you need are a few supplies found at home to make a brand new sheet of paper from old newspaper. Follow the instructions here.

4-Litter cleanup day

Enjoy a walk outdoors and help keep our community beautiful at the same time by picking up litter. The Township has litter grabbers and bags available for loan any time of the year. Check out The Woodlands Litter Cleanup Guide here.

5-Eco-movie night with Jack Golden

Grab the popcorn and settle in for movie night with a special online viewing of Garbage is My Bag: The Movie starring Jack Golden!

What do you do when a trash bag is so full you can’t fit it into the garbage can — or a town landfill is overflowing and polluting water supplies? ……..Call a “trashologist”!

In “Garbage is My Bag“ – an award winning performance program for school kids – Jack Golden is the comedic “expert”, Dr. T, who delves into a mountain of trash — and an even bigger bag of vaudeville and circus tricks — in search of answers to these questions. With a “Ph.D. in Garbology”, a zany and irresistible personality, and a marvelous trash-to-treasure-o-matic recycling machine, he juggles and jokes his way through a world of waste. Dr. T will teach you that rubbish is a resource that is just too good to throw away. Find your ticket to the movie here or watch the video below.

For more fun activities, check out The Woodlands Township’s Summer Action Guide here for programs by Environmental Services or Parks and Recreation.

Earth Day GreenUp: Join the Clean Your Block-Party this Saturday!

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Join the green team of volunteers sweeping our community for litter this Saturday, March 26, 2022 at Earth Day GreenUp. Team up with family and friends to target litter in our parks and green spaces. Each year more than a thousand GreenUp volunteers remove over 4,500 pounds of litter - the equivalent of 76 of our curbside trash carts!    

On the day of the event, check in between 8 and 10 a.m. at one of eight Township parks. There you’ll receive disposable gloves, bags, a map to a nearby cleanup location and a limited supply of trash grabbers. Please bring your own reusable water bottle and work gloves. Once you’ve checked in it’s time to head out and clean up. The event runs until 11 a.m. but finishing earlier is fine.   

When you’ve returned bagged litter and equipment to the check-in site, it’s time to party! The Woodlands Township, your local Village Association, and event sponsors will host “clean your block parties” at each check-in site. Enjoy a pizza lunch and celebrate your efforts with your neighbors from 11 a.m to noon.  

On event day, remember:

* All participants will need to sign a waiver at check-in if they did not register online. Participants under the age of 18 must be signed in by a parent or legal guardian.

* Wear appropriate clothing – long pants and closed-toe shoes or boots are recommended.

* Remember hats, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, reusable gloves and water bottle.

Earth Day GreenUp is coordinated by The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department with support from Waste Management, Woodlands Water, H-E-B, Howard Hughes Corporation, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Papa John’s Pizza, Keep Texas Beautiful and The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. 

For more information, please email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call 281-210-3800.   

Join Earth Day GreenUp 2022  

Online registration is now closed, but walk up participation is welcome.   

Check-in:  Saturday, March 26, 8 to 10 a.m. at a location near you.  

  • Cleanup:  8 to 11 a.m.  
  • Check-out & Clean Your Block Party: 11 a.m. to noon   
  • More Info:  Call Environmental Services at 281-210-3800   

Earth Day GreenUp 2022

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Join the community-wide litter cleanup day!  

The 11th annual Earth Day GreenUp is nearly here. Team up with family and friends to target litter in our parks and green spaces. Each year more than a thousand GreenUp volunteers remove over 4,500 pounds of litter - the equivalent of 76 of our curbside trash carts!    

On the day of the event, check in between 8 and 10 a.m. at one of eight Township parks. There you’ll receive disposable gloves, bags, a map to a nearby cleanup location and a limited supply of trash grabbers. Please bring your own reusable water bottle and work gloves. Once you’ve checked in it’s time to head out and clean up. The event runs until 11 a.m. but finishing earlier is fine.   

When you’ve returned bagged litter and equipment to the check-in site, it’s time to party! The Woodlands Township, your local Village Association, and event sponsors will host “clean your block parties” at each check-in site. Enjoy a pizza lunch and celebrate your efforts with your neighbors from 11 a.m to noon.  

Earth Day GreenUp is coordinated by The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department with support from Waste Management, Woodlands Water, H-E-B, Howard Hughes Corporation, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Papa John’s Pizza, Keep Texas Beautiful and The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N.  For more information, please email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call 281-210-3800.   

Join Earth Day GreenUp 2022  

  • Register through Monday, March 21 at  www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/greenup      
  • Check-in:  Saturday, March 26, 8 to 10 a.m. at a location near you. Walk-ups welcome.   
  • Alden Bridge: Alden Bridge Park   
  • Cochran’s Crossing: Shadowbend Park    
  • College Park: Harper’s Landing Park   
  • Creekside Park: The Lodge at Rob Fleming Park    
  • Grogan’s Mill: Sawmill Park    
  • Indian Springs: Falconwing Park   
  • Panther Creek: Ridgewood Park   
  • Sterling Ridge: May Valley Park   
  • Cleanup:  8 to 11 a.m.  
  • Check-out & Clean Your Block Party: 11 a.m. to noon   
  • More Info:  Call Environmental Services at 281-210-3800   

On event day, remember:   

  • Walk ups are welcome    
  • All participants will need to sign a waiver at check-in.  Participants under the age of 18 must be signed in by a parent or legal guardian.    
  • Wear appropriate clothing – long pants and closed-toe shoes or boots are recommended    
  • Remember hats, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, reusable gloves and water bottle   
  • Disposable gloves and bags will be provided   
  • A limited number of grabbers and vests will be available for groups that register  
Register Here

GreenUp: Fall Sweep

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Every litter bit counts! Help keep The Woodlands clean by joining the next community litter cleanup day.

Gather family, friends, and neighbors for the next community litter cleanup day, GreenUp: Fall Sweep on Saturday, September 4, 2021. GreenUp: Fall Sweep is a self-guided 1-day volunteer opportunity that targest litter along pathways, waterways, and natural areas. No registration is required. Bags, gloves, and trash grabbers are available by appointment only.

How Fall Sweep Works

  1. Gather your group and ready your gloves, bags, and outdoor gear for an hour or two of community beautification (the amount of time you spend is up to you).
  2. Cleanup litter at any location you like.  The link below offers some suggested sites.
  3. Report large or hazardous items to the Township through the 311 App or by calling 281-210-3800 during normal business hours.
  4. Dispose of full bags at home or in a park trash can. Tie your trash bags tightly to protect sanitation workers. Please avoid causing more litter by not overstuffing park trash cans.
  5. Share your success by posting a photo on social media using #GreenUpFallSweep

For suggested cleanup sites and safety tips or to schedule equipment pickup, visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/fallsweep

http://www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/adoptapath

Earth Day GreenUp 2021: Thank you volunteers!

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Over 700 volunteers worked together to remove an incredible 8,000 lbs of litter from our community at the 10th annual Earth Day GreenUp community litter cleanup day on Saturday, March 20,2021. The amount of litter collected is the equivalent of 125 of our curbside trash carts.

  • Volunteers at the 10th annual Earth Day GreenUp. Photo by Teri MacArthur
  • Volunteers removed 8,000 lbs of litter from greenbelts and waterways. Photo by Zoe Killian
  • Volunteers received a special 10th anniversary t-shirt as a thank you for cleaning our community. Photo by Teri MacArthur

Single-use plastics, such as grocery bags, disposable cutlery and cups, fast food containers and straws, were the most common type of litter collected at GreenUp. These items are blown from parking lots, picnic areas and trash barrels into forested areas. Choosing reusable alternatives and refusing single-use plastics reduces this type of harmful litter. Volunteers also collected larger items such as construction debris, discarded lawn furniture, used tires and more.

Help keep The Woodlands looking beautiful by continuing the litter pick up habit. Consider organizing your own cleanup any time of the year or adopting a pathway through the Adopt-a-path program. Trash grabbers are available for loan through the Environmental Services Department. For more information or to reserve grabbers, contact The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

Scouts seeking their Soil & Water Conservation badge or the It’s Your Planet – Love It Journey badge can receive free equipment to organize their own cleanups from Keep Texas Beautiful. Check out their website for more information.

Earth Day GreenUp is hosted by The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department with support from the following sponsors: Waste Management, Keep Texas Beautiful, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Yellowstone Landscape, Woodlands Water, Howard Hughes Corporation, The Woodlands GREEN, and Papa John’s Pizza. 

Questions or comments? Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

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