BY ROBERT TRACY
neighborsgo editor

Coralee Lennert and Greta Snow sure do know how to talk trash.

As executive director and treasurer of Keep Lewisville Beautiful, respectively, they know Lewisville could be a lot cleaner, and they’re not content to sit around and do nothing. Their passion for the community and environment pushes them and the rest of KLB to educate others and create programs that get people involved in improving their city.

But you don’t have to wait until April for the annual Spring Clean-up or sign up for the nonprofit’s Adopt-a-Spot program to make a difference around here. There are small, easy steps that you can take today to impact your community.

“We should feel proud of our community,” Lennert said. “Volunteering improves people’s lives and instills pride in their community.”

So, get to it today. Make a difference and feel better about your city and yourself by taking these simple steps:

1. Recycle: Both Lennert and Snow agree that there’s no better thing individuals, families and employers can do to cut down on waste. Aluminum, glass, certain plastics and electronics such as computers are ripe for recycling.

“Buying recycled paper is such a vogue thing,” Snow said. But don’t stop there — “turn that paper over and print on both sides.”

2. Don’t litter: Not throwing garbage on the ground seems very simple, but as Snow pointed out, people do it all the time, and Lewisville “has a horrible problem with cigarette litter.

“Lewisville is getting better, but it’s still a work in progress,” Lennert said.

In addition to curbing your littering, citizens can go a step further and report litterers. Lennert said a 9-year-old volunteer writes down license plate numbers of litterers and reports them on the Don’t Mess With Texas Web site — dontmesswithtexas.org/reportlitterer. Texas Department of Transportation matches the litterer with the car and sends a litterbag and letter in the mail.

3. Plant a garden and/or flowers: Snow said that native plants and grasses are the way to go. She especially recommends zinnias and lantanas as hearty flowers that are beautiful and require little care. This style of landscaping, called xeriscaping, beautifies your neighborhood, conserves water and saves money.

“You don’t have to have sod everywhere,” Snow said. “You can have a ring of mulch around a shaded tree.”

Snow also said it’s important to avoid using chemicals on lawns because they run off and pollute the area’s water supply.

KLB PROGRAMS

∙ City-wide clean-ups

∙ Lakeshore clean-ups

∙ Adopt-a-Spot

∙ Arbor Day plantings

∙ Texas Recycles Day

∙ Youth grant programs

∙ Teacher grant programs

∙ Yard of the Month

∙ Habitat landscaping

∙ Christmas tree recycling

UPCOMING EVENTS

Garden Secrets Classes: Master gardener Barbara Gollman will be the guest speaker at “Herbs in the Waterwise Garden,” from 7 to 8 p.m. Sept.18, and master gardener Eric Larner will be the guest speaker at “Trees Conserve Water,” from 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 16. Both classes will be held at the Lewisville Public Library, 1197. W. Main St. Space is limited for the free classes. Call 972-436-5100 for more information.

Oct. 18: KLB’s Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

Oct. 25: Join KLB in planting daffodil bulbs on Keep Lewisville Beautiful Day (formerly known as Make A Difference Day)

For more information about volunteering and KLB programs and events, call 972-436-5100, email info@keeplewisvillebeautiful.org or visit keeplewisvillebeautiful.org.