Magnolia Tree Project
Thomas Williamson
Created and led by three Duke undergraduates, the Magnolia Tree Project is a free two-week summer program which teaches rising fifth graders selected from Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership elementary schools that each person can make a unique and lasting impact on his or her community. Specific projects we undertook this year include planting gardens and a Magnolia Tree at Pettigrew Rehabilitation Center and EK Powe Elementary, testing a local stream, and conduction a stream cleanup project. Other activities included volunteering at Urban Hope Ministries Homeless Shelter, writing poems for pillowcases, exploring the Walltown community through a scavenger hunt, and fundraising for a charity of the students' choice.
Bulb Blitz
Nancy L. Averette
I won some spring bulbs from the KDB Bulb Blitz in December 2009. I planted some of them in a garden bed where an old tree used to grow. This garden is pretty full now, and I have to admit, I get a lot of complements from people walking down the street. It looks super in the spring! Thanks KDB!!
Managment Academy Project
Laura Clayton
The City of Durham Management Academy’s Bull City Blitz put together a project to help the Durham Rescue Mission’s Good Samaritan Inn improve the appearance of their property on the side that faces I-85. People traveling I-85 go by there every day. We wanted it to look attractive, get people’s attention and remind them of the good works going on behind the scenes.
Street Tree Inventory
Alex Johnson
The City of Durham Urban Forestry Division is conduction a tree inventory and canopy analysis for Durham. Volunteers are counting, measuring, identifying, and evaluating the health and maintenance needs of trees on city property as well as taking note of places where trees are absent but could be planted when there are resources available. Learn More....
Park Beautification
Laurie Renard
Neighborhood children help prepare their local park for its annual park fundraiser. The neighborhood was given permission to beautify the park stumps in preparation for the July 25th neighborhood yard sale to benefit Holt School Road Park.
Holt School Park
Laurie Renard
Since 2007, the residents of Argonne Hills have worked with Keep Durham Beautiful, Durham Parks and Recreation, and Durham General Services to make improvements to Holt School Park. The park has been made more visible by clearing overgrown vegetation, painting the picnic shelter and tables, replacing BBQ grills, and enlarging the flower beds. During this workday we added snapdragons, liriope, coreopsis, plus other plants, and used rails to border the plantings.
Helping a Park
Triangle Kesher
When searching for a community service project, Triangle Kesher, which means “connections” in Hebrew, looked no further than Keep Durham Beautiful for the group’s first project. In May 2009, nine members of Triangle Kesher planted more than 50 shrubs at the entrance of Durham’s Herndon Park to make this highly visible area more inviting for the community. According to Triangle Kesher, this will not be their last service project with Keep Durham Beautiful and they hope to help again in the near future.
Street Trees
Larry Apple
Many of the trees along Durham's streets are dying from old age and disease. Especially in the older neighborhoods. The City of Durham Urban Forestry Street Tree Program is a great way to replace them and to keep the neighborhood cool and green. This tree was planted in front of my house in the Trinity Park Neighborhood recently for my pleasure and the enjoyment of future generations as well. Click here for more pictures of the planting process.
Northgate Neighbors
Dorothea Pierce
Friends from nearby Northgate Park neighborhood gathered to do a hard days work in the jungles of vines and weeds overtaking the well-known Dinosaur living near the Museum of Life & Science. His outlook is considerably better now, thanks to his Northgate buddies.
Southside Flowers
Dorothea Pierce
Some neighborhood kids are taking responsibility for their environement like kids in this Southside community. They will enjoy the beauty come spring!
Bulbs On Roxboro
Dorothea Pierce
Volunteers from the City/County Appearance Commission and the Ecclesia House of Prayer planted over 1500 bulbs on the overpass at the corner of Roxboro and Jackie Robinson near downtown Durham. Every spring the daffodils multiply and the view gets more breathtaking!
