Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Liberty County celebrated Earth Day this past Friday and Saturday with a beautiful celebration and four cleanups — but this does not mean we should forget to take care of our planet. It is our responsibility to take care of it all year and forever!
Last Friday was perfect for the 2023 Earth Day Celebration and Tree Giveaway. We conducted KLB’s sneaky way of having fun while educating and bringing community awareness about recycling, litter prevention, water conservation and beautification.
Keep Liberty Beautiful also had online activities via social media throughout April. We had a successful event with the help of HDDA and the Bryant Commons Foundation. I also have to mention that our Liberty County Earth Day event took months of planning. The dedicated KLB staff, Earth Day committee members, community partners, and KLB advisory board members worked long hours to ensure this year’s event would be a great celebration for the whole community!
We had seven sponsors: Liberty County Chamber of Commerce, The First Bank, Jimmy Shanken with Coldwell Banker Southern Coast, Chatham Parkway Subaru, TR Long Engineering, Canoochee EMC, Yates Astro, and the City of Flemington. We also had support from Liberty County and its Solid Waste, Road and Recycling departments, as well as Long County, the City of Flemington, the City of Hinesville, the City of Walthourville, the City of Allenhurst, the City of Riceboro, the City of GumBranch and the City of Midway.
We had 48 booths hosted by organizations, businesses, agencies and churches that partner with us at Keep Liberty Beautiful. The booths offered various crafts, displays and activities in our biggest educational event of the year.
KLB gave away 120 trees and plants on Earth Day. We had 256 volunteers throughout the day who gave up their time to accomplish our mission of undercover environmental education disguised as fun. There were over 500 children and adults who came out throughout the event.
Right now, on social media, Facebook and Instagram, we have engaged with more than 2,050 people and reached over 8,773 in our community about the importance of our Earth.
April may be over, but we still must care for our Earth. Here is a short list of ways we can make a difference:
• Conserve water at home by taking shorter showers, watering yards only as needed, and turning off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Properly dispose of toxic waste, such as paint, motor oil and a host of other chemicals, which should not be poured down the drain or directly into the ecosystem.
• Prevent litter by placing trash in the correct locations.
• Try to use less electricity by shutting off electrical equipment when it’s not needed.
• Drive your vehicle less by walking, riding a bike or carpooling more often.
• Buy local, which helps our area businesses and combats air pollution by limiting the amount of travel.
• Plant trees and plants to help the environment.
Our next Recycle it!
Fairs are scheduled for May 6, from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., at two locations: the Walthourville City Hall and the Liberty County Community Complex in Midway. We will also have a Shred It!
Day at the Liberty County Community Complex location only. Two more cleanups are scheduled for April 29 in the City of Hinesville and Liberty County. Go to www. keeplibertybeautiufl.org to sign up.
To learn more about our mission and KLB events, contact us at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@liberty countyga.com. Also, be sure to follow Keep Liberty Beautiful on Facebook and Instagram.