Annual event all about litter control
Green spaces a top priority for Keep Polk Beautiful during Great American Cleanup 2018
Keep Polk Beautiful got out in the community with volunteers over the weekend working in several areas to help keep trailheads, waterways and much more free of trash and unwanted waste.
Executive Director Randy Cook said volunteers from local organizations like the scouts participated in the May 5 clean-up around Cedartown and Rockmart, but also one local treasure he said local residents should appreciate more. Those include the J.L. Lester Wildlife Management Area out on Antioch Road, and the Pinhoti Trialhead among others.
He said when more clean-ups come up, the idea is to help ensure those areas that people like to use the most for recreation will be a top focus of Keep Polk Beautiful.
“We’re really going to put an emphasis on the green spaces that we have in Polk County, because they are a treasure we need to protect,” Cook said.
He also wants people to start realizing these spaces can be utilized at little to no cost to the public, and at least in the case of the J.L. Lester WMA, provide both hiking and
Local scouts were part of the weekend event, which saw 30 bags of trash collected up from areas like the Silver Comet Trailheads in Cedartown and Rockmart, along park areas in Cedartown and Rockmart.
The dray wrapped up with a special treat for those volunteers: a free lunch provided by Nora Cook of the Cook Farm, who has in the past several weeks and months provided meals for those helping in clean-up efforts across Polk County.
The Great American Cleanup in Polk County was part of a national day of volunteer efforts organized by Keep America Beautiful, which has been ongoing for 20 years.
Just last year alone on a national level, the cleanup pulled 186 million pounds of litter and debris out of communities across the country. In Polk County, hundreds of pounds of trash have been removed from parks, public spaces, and local streams and creeks through the efforts of Keep Polk Beautiful on an annual basis, including their partnership with Rivers Alive, the national cleanup day and events on Arbor and Earth Day.
Local efforts to improve litter control and keep Polk County clean are growing, Cook said. Among the programs he’s starting this coming year in schools is visits to classrooms with a triplet goats, who will help by acting as mascots for an education campaign he hopes will provide
Cook is seeking to organize local groups to help with keeping green spaces free of litter, and will be presenting more information about a plan and cleaning schedule in the months to come.
Those interested in helping Keep Polk Beautiful can contact Cook at rcook@cedartowngeorgia.gov.