May 5-9 is Air Quality Awareness Week, an annual awareness campaign by the US EPA. It encourages people to stay aware of their air quality and incorporate air quality knowledge into daily living, not just the month of May. 

Every breath connects us, and stands as a reminder that the quality of that air is a shared responsibility. Let's take this month to reflect on how our daily choices, from transportation to energy use, impact our local atmosphere and commit to actions that contribute to a healthier environment for all.

Take action against mosquitoes

Wetter weather and taller grass are prime conditions for mosquito breeding grounds. Mosquito season is upon us once again, and the City of Fort Worth started its annual monitoring of mosquito activity by trapping and testing for mosquito-borne viruses across our city. Last year, Fort Worth saw one of the largest West Nile Virus occurrences in a decade, with 262 positive mosquito traps and 56 spray missions.

As we enter another active mosquito season, residents can take proactive steps to safeguard themselves and our community. This includes regularly removing standing water from containers, outdoor furniture, toys, hoses, or bird baths in your yard; using insect repellent with DEET; and maintaining trimmed lawns to minimize potential breeding sites. The City of Fort Worth provides free supplies for mosquito control and prevention, such as mosquito dunks and insect repellent containing DEET. 

Find more resources visit the Environmental Services Mosquitoes webpage or contact the Environmental Services Consumer Health Division, at [email protected].

Keep your lawn clean
and green this spring

April showers are carrying over into May! This is good news for our lawns, but can also mean more maintenance, like mowing and edging. Remember that while spring is the perfect time to get outside and tend to your yard, it is also important to practice responsible lawn maintenance. Grass clippings, leaves, and other yard debris left on streets not only look bad - they are bad for the environment and could lead to fines for you or your lawncare provider. These materials can clog the City's stormwater drain system, block stormwater flow, and potentially cause flooding in streets, sidewalks, properties, and even homes. Visit the Stormwater Quality website for more information.

See a stormwater violation?

Report it and other issues direct from your mobile device using the MyFW App, or call the City Call Center at 817-392-1234.

Be Cardboard Conscious!

Be cardboard conscious, Fort Worth! From shipping boxes to food packaging, we use cardboard items constantly. Day in and day out, most people do not realize how much cardboard is actually being utilized.

Do you like a challenge? Start collecting all your cardboard items for a specific period of time (Start small: one day, one week, etc.). After that time has elapsed, see how many cardboard items you have used. It can be a fun, and eye-opening, way to educate yourself and your family about the importance of recycling and waste reduction.

Share photos of the types of items you collected and your overall results with us! Contact Keep Fort Worth Beautiful at [email protected] for more information.

Afterwards, don’t forget to place those cardboard items, properly, in your blue recycling cart. Make sure cardboard is not accidently mixed with your bulk items, as it will not get recycled if placed in your bulk pile. If your cardboard is too large to fit in the blue recycling cart, flatten/fold it, cut it up, or take your oversized cardboard to one of the City's four Drop-Off Stations. For more information about recycling, visit the COFW Recycling website.

Rolling out change: Fort Worth residents round up tires for a win

Fort Worth’s Environmental Services Department kicked illegal dumping to the curb — literally — with a series of four Scrap Tire Collection events across the city.

Headed by the department’s Environmental Investigations Unit (EIU), these events gave residents a free and easy option to dispose of their used tires rather than taking them to the landfill, paying disposal fees to a private hauler/company or illegally dumping them. With a cleaner, greener Fort Worth as the primary goal, the events also helped discourage illegal dumping, reduce fire and environmental hazards and promote reuse of materials.

All four events saw great participation from Fort Worth residents. They brought used tires and rims from cars, trucks, motorcycles, SUVs and more. Together, from all the tire collection events, residents brought over 1,200 used tires for proper disposal. These numbers are proof that when a community comes together, great things can happen. Visit the COFW City News for the full article.

Lights Out, Fort Worth

It’s critical peak migratory season! This means hundreds of millions of birds are currently migrating through Texas and are subject to light pollution. The simple act of turning off lights can help make their journey more safe. The City of Fort Worth encourages you to participate by turning off nonessential lights, both business and residential, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the Spring migration from now through June 15, especially during the critical peak period, April 22 – May 12, when birds travel most.