Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Last year, Keep Liberty Beautiful, with the invaluable support of several community partners like the Girl Scouts, the Morning Glory Garden Club, the Liberty Chamber, Target, and our KLB Advisory Board, provided 560 mobile gardens to Liberty County community members.
We are excited to expand our partnership to include other community organizations, such as Infinity Garden Consulting, to provide 1,000 mobile gardens and help establish community gardens in Liberty County, Long County, and Fort Stewart. Your involvement is crucial to the success of this initiative, and it’s this collective effort that makes our community stronger and more beautiful. We can’t wait to work with Infinity Garden Consulting, whose primary goal is to educate our community about the numerous benefits of having a personal garden. They help anyone, whether they are just starting out, have some gardening experience, or consider themselves an expert. Infinity Garden is here to help everyone bring their gardening space to life.
Having a garden close to home is not just a hobby; it’s a powerful tool for health and sustainability. The benefits of a fresh vegetable garden are numerous. It provides you with direct access to nutritious food, often fresher and more nutrient-rich than store-bought produce due to shorter transport and storage times.
Growing your own vegetables is also a more sustainable practice. It lessens your dependence on industrial agriculture, which can have considerable environmental consequences. By minimizing transportation needs and reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides, particularly when opting for organic gardening, home gardening can help lower your carbon footprint.
Furthermore, a fresh vegetable garden can contribute to your food security and lead to savings on your grocery bills, especially if you grow a significant portion of your own produce.
Beyond the nutritional and environmental aspects, gardening can be an enriching and educational experience. It connects you to the natural processes of food cultivation, offers continuous learning opportunities, and can be a great source of physical activity and stress relief. The more you learn about gardening, the more you’ll appreciate the intricate balance of nature and the satisfaction of growing your food.
We will host the first Mobile Garden Workshop, a hands-on training session, on June 21 at the Farmers Natural Foods store, 754 Elma G. Miles Pkwy, Hinesville, another great community partner, from 9-11 a.m.
Last year, we had volunteers assemble the mobile gardens and distribute them. This year, we will travel throughout Liberty County and conduct workshops where participants will learn about the process and construct their own mobile gardens.
We are also looking to increase youth involvement in the process. This is one project that the Green Leaders in the KLB program will surely be involved in. You can use this link to sign up and learn more about the Green Leaders program https://bit.ly/3DyZ1Ae. You can also contact KLB by phone at (912) 8804888 or email at klcb@libertycountyga.gov to register and obtain more information.
Keep Liberty Beautiful is now accepting applications from youth who want to lead in environmental education. KLB’s Youth Leadership Program, Green Leaders, will accept up to four applicants this year. Applicants must be entering the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and have a good academic standing at their school.
Green Leaders is not just a leadership opportunity, but also a chance to learn and grow. It’s an opportunity to serve in leadership roles at environmental events during the 2025-2026 academic year, while earning community service hours for involvement in KLB activities.
Green Leaders will assist in implementing community activities while building leadership skills and gaining valuable insights into environmental issues. This program is designed to inspire and empower our youth to become leaders in environmental conservation.
A maximum of 100 volunteer hours can be earned during the year by participating in a variety of environmental activities, including:
• Environmental education displays at community events
• Community litter cleanup events
• Earth Day
• America Recycles Day
• Recycling events and collections
• Community awareness activities at parades and other community events
• Community improvement/ beautification projects
• Feedback on Youth Involvement for the organization advisory board Many KLB programs are held on Saturday Mornings (a maximum of eight to 10 Saturday mornings during the year). A minimum of 70 hours must be completed to be eligible for a $500 award stipend in May 2026 and for possible nominations to local and state award recognition programs. To apply, visit the KLB website at www. keeplibertybeautiful.org and submit your application by August 8, 2025.