The 2024 Great American Cleanup (GAC) is underway, and Keep Pickens Beautiful has been busy! Historically, all GAC activities have been focused in April, but because there’s so much to be done, we have projects spanning both March and April. We invite the entire community to join the KPB Team as we clean up and beautify our county.
The theme for March has been roadside cleanups through the March Miles program. Our goal was removing 2,024 gallons of roadside trash in 2024, so we scheduled four Pickup Pickens events while simultaneously encouraging community members to participate by picking up trash on their own roads as well. The scheduled cleanups were spread throughout the county – AW Lawson, Old Talking Rock Highway, Salem Church Road, and Yellow Creek Road. If residents could not participate in one of these events, we encourage them to take the March Miles pledge to join the effort by reducing litter in their local neighborhoods.
To date, more than 2,500 gallons have been collected! While we have surpassed our goal, but KPB encourages everyone to keep up the effort for the final week of March. Register today, log your pick-up, feel good about yourself, get some exercise, and get a free t-shirt. To learn more about March Miles and to join the mission, visit https://keeppickensbeautiful.org/events/great-american-cleanup/
April brings many more Great American Cleanup activities. To promote recycling, it is tire amnesty month. Each resident of Pickens County can take up to four tires (off the rim) to the central Pickens Recycling Center on Appalachian Court, for free. If you have spare tires cluttering up your yard or garage, now’s the time to recycle them.
While March has focused on litter removal, our focus for April is functional beautification. Edible Pickens activities will include prepping existing gardens for Spring plantings, partnering with the Pickens County Library to install a new ‘pizza garden,’ and partnering with CARES to build a large raised bed garden to provide free, organic produce for the community.
Mark your calendar for these dates (with more to come, so watch our calender):
- April 6 – Clean up and prep the gardens behind the Kirby Quinton Cabin and in the Pickens Progress parking lot
- April 13 – Build the raised beds at CARES
- April 20 – Earth Day on Main
- April 27 – Install the pizza garden at the Pickens County Library
The 3rd Annual Earth Day on Main is shaping up to be an exciting event, and KPB is looking for educators and vendors to join in the celebration. This year, Earth Day on Main is moving to Perrow Park (across from the KPB office at South Main) and will offer a wide range of activities. On the schedule are kids’ crafts, live music, seed give-aways, workshops, and more.
If you are interested in participating in Earth Day on Main, KPB is looking for:
- Eco-minded vendors (local honey suppliers, upcycled art, natural beauty products, local produce, etc.)
- Musicians to entertain the crowd – low key and acoustic preferred
- Educators to host fun workshops to educate the community on topics such as gardening, composting, recycling, eco-crafting, and more
KPB has a form on our website for those interested in helping to celebrate Earth Day:
https://keeppickensbeautiful.org/events/gac/earth-day-on-main
As the Great American Cleanup continues in Pickens County, join the Keep Pickens Beautiful team to make a positive impact in the community. Meet new friends, do good, learn new things, and feel good.
To learn more about the Great American Cleanup and Earth Day on Main, visit https://keeppickensbeautiful.org/ or stop by the little green cabin at the south end of Main Street between 11-3:00 to chat with the staff about all the exciting activities KPB is sponsoring.
