Keep Temple Beautiful proudly sponsors programs throughout the community, and works with local businesses and organizations to promote other projects in honor of the Great American Cleanup.

In 2010, KTB invites local companies and organizations to develop their own GAC events. Tell us what you are doing this year! Email Us.

Great American Cleanup

Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement program, takes place annually from March 1 through May 31, and involves an estimated 3 million volunteers and attendees nationwide. Hardworking volunteers donated more than 5.2 million hours in 2009 to clean, beautify and improve more than 32,000 communities during more than 30,000 events in all 50 states and beyond.

Earth Day

Earth Day -- April 22 -- each year marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Earth Day was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, who proposed a nationwide environmental protest "to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda." On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

In 1990, Denis Hayes organized another big campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues on to the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. For 2000, Earth Day had the Internet to help link activists around the world. By the time April 22 rolled around, 5,000 environmental groups around the world were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries.

Earth Day gives the Temple-Belton community an opportunity to focus attention on environmental issues in our area. In the past, KTB members have been involved in 70 tree plantings for TISD campuses.

2011 marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. Tell us what you intend to do for your “Earth Day” activity.

Arbor Day

Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care throughout the country. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, it's celebrated on the last Friday in April. Sponsored by the national Arbor Day Foundation, Arbor Day activities promote not only tree planting, but also outdoor activities, educational programs and more.

KTB was instrumental in helping Temple become a Tree City USA. The Tree City USA^® program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of towns and cities. 3,400 communities where 135 million people live are currently designated Tree City USA.

Each year, KTB sponsors an Arbor Day poster contest in schools, intended to draw attention to the importance of trees in our community. If your school would like to participate please contact us.