When was the last time you planted a tree? If the answer is “never,” it’s time for you to start digging in the dirt.
A local organization has been hard at work promoting awareness of the benefits of keeping our environment “green” and clean. The group is called Keep Orange County Beautiful (KOCB), and it began in 1997 as a division of “Keep Texas Beautiful,” the state-level beautification campaign of “Keep America Beautiful.” KOCB is a non-profit, volunteer organization that includes a board of directors with representatives from the cities of Orange, West Orange, Pinehurst, and the Texas Forest Service as well as area business leaders and experts in the gardening industry.
The group aims to educate the community on ways to keep the area beautiful and organize and implement programs to achieve that goal, with a focus on trees and trash – that is, planting trees and removing trash.
Replanting trees in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita has been a top priority of KOCB, as trees not only support the environment but also help beautify the city. You may have seen their “Trees Please: Keep Orange Green” signs around town or noticed the trees they planted on MacArthur Drive. They also plant a tree at a local school each Arbor Day and distribute brochures to construction companies encouraging them to protect trees during the construction process. In addition, they have formed a close partnership with the Texas Forest Service, which has supplied hundreds of trees for homeowners as well as public sites.
In an effort to encourage others to get involved, KOCB hands out quarterly beautification awards to one resident and one business with exceptional landscaping. Winners receive a sign announcing the award and an announcement in the newspaper.
There are other ways for you to get involved with the effort to enhance the beauty of your community, such as picking up litter from your property. You can also donate your time by volunteering with KOCB. For those of you with no time to spare, you can make a financial contribution to the organization. Donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of the funds are used for beautification – none are used for administrative costs. To volunteer or make a donation, call Sandra Cash at 409.886.3389 or Dr. Dennis Franklin at 409.882.4123.
It’s so easy to get involved, no matter how you choose to do it. You will not only help keep Orange County beautiful, but also improve the state of the environment, ensuring Orange will be around for many years to come. That’s reason enough for me.
This message was also printed in the February 6, 2008, issue of The Orange Leader by guest columnist Nikki Sumrow. You can read a new column each Wednesday in The Orange Leader discussing the latest Orange events and activities. If you would like to suggest a topic for a future column, please contact me at nikki.sumrow@imaginuity.com.
