Keep Smyrna Beautiful submitted the following news release:
Keep Smyrna Beautiful recently received a $2,500 Sandra Webb Legacy Grant from the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, a statewide organization that leads more than 70 city and county affiliates in their efforts to end litter, reduce waste, promote recycling, and beautify communities.
The grant program, now in its fourth year, was made possible by the Webb family, and allocates funding for projects that address sustainability needs. It also honors the memory of Sandra Webb, who founded Keep Madison County Beautiful in the early 1990s and spent more than three decades championing environmental initiatives.
“At Keep Smyrna Beautiful, we’re passionate about protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for our residents. This grant will do both by helping us expand our new Pollinator Pockets program,” said Julie Barwig, executive director of Keep Smyrna Beautiful and director of Environmental Services for the City of Smyrna.
Pollinator Pockets is a community-driven environmental program that supports native pollinators by creating small, sustainable gardens throughout the city. The first garden, located at the Smyrna Recycling Center, is thriving and will be formally introduced during a grand opening on June 16. This grant will fund a second garden in Ward 7, advancing the goal of placing a pollinator pocket in every ward of the city. Each garden is pesticide-free, 100–200 square feet, and made up of at least 75% native plants. The program also includes educational outreach, resident resource guides, and a plan to create a large demonstration garden to be built in a public park. Our ultimate goal is to create a pollinator corridor through Smyrna while uniting residents around a shared commitment to environmental stewardship.
“When we invest in the environment, we invest in the well-being of communities,” said Natalie Johnston-Russell, executive director of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity of the Webb family, our affiliates can continue creating cleaner, greener, more vibrant spaces across Georgia.”
About Keep Smyrna Beautiful
Keep Smyrna Beautiful’s missionis to inspire our community to be clean, green, and beautiful. Our vision is a community where every person is a responsible steward of the environment. KSB is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a local affiliate of both Keep America Beautiful and the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. To learn more about our work in the community, visit keepsmyrnabeautiful.com.
About the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation has a 47-year history of doing the little things that make a big difference in Georgia’s communities. Established in 1978, we aim to educate and inspire Georgians to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environments. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation supports more than 70 local affiliates across the state, and its programs represent 80% of Georgia’s population. We also strive to engage new communities and individuals in our efforts to end littering, promote recycling and waste reduction, and beautify communities. For more information, visit www.kgbf.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
