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Litter has nowhere to hide!
Cowtown Great American Cleanup is Keep Fort Worth Beautiful's (KFWB) largest annual litter cleanup and beautification event of the year. On Saturday, March 23, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., help combat litter in our beautiful city. This a great opportunity to give back to the community.?Free event t-shirts are provided to the first 4,500 registrants.?
Schools, churches, businesses, community groups, and individuals are all welcome to sign up. In 2023, Cowtown Cleanup volunteers removed over 174,000 pounds of trash?from our city in just one day!?
Join us for Earth Party! After the cleanup, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers are invited to Sycamore Park (2400 E. Vickery Blvd.) for live music and entertainment, animal adoptions, earth-themed vendor exhibits, the Trashion Fashion Show, and a complimentary hot dog lunch, courtesy of Bassham Foods. This celebration is a show of appreciation to all event volunteers for their hard work and cleanup efforts.?
Click here and sign up today!
Feeling?creative? Enter our Trashion Fashion Show!
What do bubble wrap, plastic bags, old newspapers, leftover fabric, and soda can tabs have in common? Trash and recyclable materials can all be reused to create a cool outfit that may win a prize! Design on your own or with friends, and be showcased at the Trashion Fashion Show during the 2024 Earth Party on March 23.?
Entries must be submitted by March 20, 2024.?Click here for details!
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Many residents are getting ready to spruce up their gardens for spring by replacing old water hoses. Did you know that garden hoses can get tangled in the sorting equipment at recycling facilities, damaging the machinery and creating safety hazards for workers? Old water hoses, and other tanglers, belong in your brown garbage cart. Check out the Waste Wizard to check which items can and cannot be recycled.
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Ozone season begins
March marks the beginning of ozone season, which means it is time to consider how our everyday habits and actions can make a positive impact on reducing ozone pollution.
The ozone layer acts like a shield, protecting us from ultraviolet rays from the sun. However, when ozone is found at ground level, it can be harmful to our health, especially during the warmer, sunnier months in our area. Ozone forms when sunlight interacts with certain pollutants, often produced by vehicles? engines. Visit the EPA website to learn more about how ozone affects us.
Even simple activities, such as walking or biking to lunch, using public transit, or carpooling to work, can help improve our local air quality. Check out these tips from Air North Texas for reducing pollution. By making small changes, we can all contribute to cleaner air in our community.
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Smart irrigation is here
Flowers and sprinkler heads are popping up across Fort Worth! In case you have ?mist? the news, rotary nozzles are the upgrade your yard needs this season.
Unlike traditional misting spray heads, rotary nozzles promise effortless installation and significant water conservation. By emitting heavier droplets in longer streams, they combat water loss through evaporation reduction, minimize mold growth on plants, and boost water efficiency by up to 30%. These innovative replacements for traditional misting sprinkler spray heads can be found at all major home improvement stores, are compatible with existing sprinkler systems, and seamlessly integrate into current setups. The return on investment for upgrading to these nozzles is undeniable.??
Say goodbye to wasteful watering practices and hello to a greener, more sustainable approach to landscaping maintenance, coupled with substantial water conservation benefits. It is a small switch with big environmental benefits, making this spring a season of vibrant blooms and sustainable irrigation solutions in Fort Worth.
For help with sprinkler systems, click here.
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Lower your lights, save migrating birds
The birds are on their way! As part of a nationwide initiative called Lights Out, everyone is encouraged to turn off nonessential lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the spring migration, March 1 to June 15, allowing birds to safely proceed with their migratory journeys.
Every year, hundreds of millions of migratory birds travel over the skies of Texas as they undergo the spring bird migration. The goal is to protect the birds as they cross through the United States ? one of the largest migrations on the planet, that occurs primarily at night.
Keep Fort Worth Beautiful is counting on you to also turn off all lights that could attract and disorient migrating birds, making them vulnerable to collisions with buildings.
Learn more from the National Audubon Society.
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City moving to a new volunteer management system
In an effort to grow volunteer programs and support the amazing work of City volunteers, the City of Fort Worth is moving to a new volunteer management system.
What is a volunteer management system? This is the system that houses all volunteer records for the City. It is used by volunteers to register for volunteer opportunities, track their hours and and trainings, and communicate with the City's volunteer coordinators.
What system are we moving to? The City will transition from Better Impact, Inc. to?GetConnected by Galaxy Digital, LLC. This comprehensive platform provides an accessible, enjoyable experience for users, and will allow the City to better serve the thousands of volunteers that we work with each year.??
Questions? Questions about the transition can be directed to your program's coordinator or to?[email protected].
To receive updates on this or other City news, click here to sign up for The Cowtown Volunteer Connection - a newsletter for City of Fort Worth volunteers.
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Composting Corner
Looking for a fun project to do with the kids? Use seasonal citrus to make a compostable bird feeder! The best part ? it?s sustainable and the unused food scraps can be conveniently composted with the City's Residential Food Waste Composting Program.
Instructions:
(1) large orange, (4) wood skewers, (1) cup of birdseed, twine, (1) tablespoon of peanut butter (optional)
- Cut the orange in half and scoop out all the fruit until just the orange peel bowls are left.
- Take a skewer and poke it through one side of the orange and out the other side crossing through the middle. Poke the other skewer through the opposite sides crossing over the first through the middle.
- Cut 4 pieces of twine about 18 inches long each. Tie each end of the twine to each end of a dowel. Each orange bowl now has 2 loops to hang the bird feeders from.
- In a bowl, mix birdseed with peanut butter until combined.
- Fill the orange bowls with birdseed mix, hang outside in your favorite spot and watch the birds dine in.
Credit: Natural Beach Living.
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