Join community members to clean up the woods along Meridian Parkway!

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. All necessary tools, including gloves, will be provided.

Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not suitable for volunteers under the age of 14.

Parking location will be shared in advance.

Please contact Courtney McGuire at cm.mcguire17@gmail.com with any questions.

On Saturday, June 6th, the Beaver Lodge Local 1504 will proudly host the 22nd Annual Beaver Queen Pageant, Durham’s special mix of folly, pageantry, and humor. Contestants take on beaver personalities and compete for the title of Beaver Queen with their fashion, talent, and stage presence.

The theme of the 22nd annual Beaver Queen Pageant is "Beaver Rivalry," a celebration of friendly pageant rivalry, fierce love of wetlands, and our deep admiration of Canada’s original lumberjacks. Join the fun on June 6th in Duke Park with a preshow at 4pm and the pageant at 5pm; wearing a costume and/or crafted beaver tail is optional but encouraged.  There will be music, the Poetry Fox, a Scrap Exchange craft table, food trucks, and much more!  This free, family-friendly event raises funds for Keep Durham Beautiful and Friends of Ellerbe Creek. 

Vote for your favorite contestants - or bribe a judge - at www.beaverqueen.org. You do not want to miss this truly unique and delightful Durham experience.  The Duke Park meadow is located at 1600 Acadia Street in Durham.

Volunteers are needed to staff the waste stations and sell LocoPops (for fundraising). Click here to volunteer!

Join community members to clean up Industry Lane! A small group of volunteers tackled this dumping spot on May 3 and pulled out almost 1,000 lbs of trash from the woods.  But we still have quite a bit more to tackle!

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. All necessary tools, including gloves, will be provided.

Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not suitable for volunteers under the age of 14.

The cleanup site is on the northern side of Industry Lane, just off of E Cornwallis Rd.

Please contact Courtney McGuire at cm.mcguire17@gmail.com with any questions.

Join Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail for their National Trails Day workday. Volunteers will meet at 9AM at 4404 Guess Road and continue trail and bridge repair work in the area.

Please wear boots or solid shoes and dress accordingly for the weather. Please bring water, work gloves, and sunscreen. Tools will be provided.

RSVP to fred.dietrich@duke.edu

Join us on Sunday May 31 from 2-5PM to remove harmful invasive plants from behind Oak Church (2020 Chapel Hill Rd. Ste 33).

“Oak Church is a small, local, and weird church in Durham’s Lakewood neighborhood, participating in the slow work of God through weekly worship, potluck, and communion." And part of their “weirdness” is that they want to reclaim a narrow strip of nature behind their church that is under attack by Chinese wisteria and kudzu. We'll meet in the parking lot near the church.

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend Here with our parnter rewild NC!

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup along Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy starting from Lowes Home Improvement, hosted by a KDB Litter Leader.

Volunteers will meet at the Lowes Home Improvement at MLK and Fayetteville St (4402 Fayetteville St). Gloves, vests, litter grabbers and trash bags will be provided. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12. Volunteers under the age of 16 MUST be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event.

Please contact Courtney McGuire at cm.mcguire17@gmail.com with any questions.

Join us on Friday, May 22 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, May 23 from 9-11AM to remove harmful invasive plants from Forest Hills Park (1639 University Dr).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Join us on Friday, May 22 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, May 23 from 9-11AM to remove harmful invasive plants from Forest Hills Park (1639 University Dr).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Join KDB and the Burch Avenue community in removing invasive species and planting native trees in their place! We will focus on the street-facing side of Burch Avenue Park.

Gloves and tools will be provided, as well as water, but please bring a refillable container to keep this event low waste. Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves.

If you'd like to get more involved: Tree Keepers are volunteers who have accumulated the knowledge and skills to assist and serve a leadership role in volunteer tree planting events. Tree Keepers oversee small groups of volunteers, provide quality control, and teach others how to plant trees. More information on the Tree Keepers Program can be found on our website.

Our plant and seed swap is back for another Spring Saturday in the beer garden! Stop by and see what's growing, in collaboration with Glass Jug RTP on Saturday, May 16 from 11AM-1PM.

What can you bring? Seeds or rooted plants grown from seed, cuttings, or divisions including vegetable plants, herbs, annuals, perennials, houseplants, succulents, or shrubs and trees. Even gardening books and tools are welcome.

Try to label in advance but if you don't get a chance, we'll have blank labels on site for you. Please avoid NC invasive species. We always love to see natives and pollinator-friendly species.

Don't have much to contribute? No problem. There will be plenty of extra plants and seeds on hand. Just come pick some things up and enjoy yourself!

Join us on Friday, May 15 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, May 16 from 9AM-11AM to remove harmful invasive plants from Lakeview Park (3500 Dearborn).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Join us on Friday, May 15 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, May 16 from 9AM-11AM to remove harmful invasive plants from Lakeview Park (3500 Dearborn).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Come out to Glass Jug RTP (5410 NC Hwy 55) on Friday, May 15 from 9AM-12PM to do some spring maintenance on the pollinator garden behind the brewery, including:

• Trash pick-up in the area

• Digging up and moving some plants that have outgrown their current location

• Mulching the garden

• Minor weeding

There will be tasks for people of all ages and abilities!

Volunteers will also receive a complimentary beverage after the workday as a thank you from Glass Jug. There will also be lots of mountain mint, bee balm, and beauty berry to take home.

Come out the next day, Saturday May 16 from 11AM-1PM, for our annual Plant Swap with Glass Jug!

Join us on Friday, May 8th from 2:30-5PM to remove harmful invasive plants from the campus of the Museum of Life & Science (433 W Murray Ave) with ReWild NC!

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Join community members to clean up along E Cornwallis Road starting from the Hillside High School ATT Trailhead. The parking and meeting point will be at the Hillside HS ATT Trailhead.

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. All necessary tools, including gloves, will be provided.

Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

Please contact Courtney McGuire at cm.mcguire17@gmail.com with any questions.

Panther Creek Forest Farm, in partnership with Keep Durham Beautiful and Leaf & Limb’s Project Pando, is a community-driven tree nursery that sustainably grows trees and gives them to the community for free through tree plantings, give away events, plant swaps and other community events. However, to grow these trees, we need your help! 

Come out to the farm and help us prepare the next crop of tree seedlings! 

Tasks:

• Constructing a shade structure for seed boxes

• Flipping compost piles

• Weeding potted trees

• Checking for and removing any "duds"

We’ll provide:  tools, snacks, water, gloves

Not invited:  pets (we love them, but others may not)

Please wear closed-toed shoes or boots, and long pants. Bring a reusable water bottle, a hat, and something to tie up long hair if needed. You may also want to bring a small backpack for personal items.  

Other activities available while you are here:

• Kid-friendly goats

• Walkable access to three sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail

• Hickory Hill boat ramp is .25 mi away and a great put in for kayaking

• Tons of open space to explore

Join the ATT Facebook Friends for a Spring Trail Workday on the American Tobacco Trail on Saturday, April 25 starting at 9AM. Celebrate the beauty of spring by giving back to our community!

Trash bags, gloves, and supplies will be provided. Families, friends, and neighbors are welcome, but this event is not recommended for volunteers under 12 years due to the kinds of trash that may be encountered.

Parking is available at the Food Lion lot (3022 Fayetteville Street). Please park in the side lot facing the trail. Email Alison with questions: alison54@aol.com

KDB is participating in the national Greatest American Cleanup campaign along with hundreds of other NC-based Keep America Beautiful affiliates this Spring. Join us for a day of massive impact during the largest cleanup in US history!

Join us on Saturday, April 25 from 9-11AM to clean up E Geer St from Cheek Rd to Tobacco Rd, and Cheek Rd from E Geer to Center St. If enough volunteers sign up, we will expand the project area to accomodate.

Volunteers will be split up into at least 3 starting locations for this event, which will be assigned prior to the event.

All supplies will be provided. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 10. Please wear closed-toed shoes that are comfortable for walking, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Pants and long sleeves are strongly recommended. Bring a water bottle, hat, sunscreen, and a small backpack for carrying personal items.

Join us on Friday, April 24 from 3-5PM to remove harmful invasive plants from Elmira Ave Park (540 Elmira Ave).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Join us for a creek cleanup in a new location! Goose Creek is an important tributary to Ellerbe Creek from East/Central Durham. Keeping this waterway clean protects the drinking water supply in Falls Lake!

We will meet behind the Speedway Gas Station at 803 E Geer St. This cleanup will require a short hike through a brushy, wooded area to get to the creek. Closed-toed shoes, long pants, and sleeves are required attire. This event is not suitable for children under the age of 16.

Register to attend below!

Celebrate environmental awareness and sustainability at Durham Parks and Recreation’s annual Earth Day Festival at Durham Central Park. Enjoy a day filled with earth-friendly activities, educational resources, a host of vendors, good music, and even better food! See the vendor list and learn more here.

Keep Durham Beautiful will have a table with kid-friendly activities, information about how to get involved, and tips on how to be more green! Come see us to meet our staff and get KDB swag.

Volunteers are needed to help setup/breakdown, and staff the information table. Register to volunteer here!

Join fellow volunteers and community members to participate in a litter cleanup along Martin Luther King Jr Blvd starting from Lowes Home Improvement, hosted by a KDB Litter Leader.

Volunteers will meet at the Lowes Home Improvement at MLK and Fayetteville St (4402 Fayetteville St). Gloves, vests, litter grabbers and trash bags will be provided. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12. Volunteers under the age of 16 MUST be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event.

Please contact Courtney McGuire at cm.mcguire17@gmail.com with any questions.

Join the Friends of Ellerbe Creek to remove trash from the waters of the Beaver Marsh Preserve! Volunteers will don waders or use boats to collect trash - some of these will be supplied, but please bring your own if you have them!

Meeting point is behind Compare Foods (2000 Avondale Dr) on Cascadilla Street. Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

Email Ian Pond at iandavid33@hotmail.com for additional details or questions.

Register to attend below!

Join us on Friday, April 17 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, April 18 from 10AM-12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from CR Wood Park (417 Commonwealth St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Join us for street tree pruning with the Southside Neighborhood Association! We'll review proper pruning techniques, how to decide which branches to cut and why, and what kinds of tools are needed for the job. Then we'll have a guided pruning session to practice what we've learned while we walk through the neighborhood. We will focus on street trees, which are city-planted trees in the right-of-way.

This event is for anyone interested in learning how to care for trees; being a Tree Keeper or having prior training is not required.

Note: Tree Keepers are volunteers who have accumulated the knowledge and skills to assist and serve a leadership role in volunteer tree planting events. Tree Keepers oversee small groups of volunteers, provide quality control, and teach others how to plant trees. More information on the Tree Keepers Program can be found on our website at https://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/tree-keepers.

Join us on Friday, April 17 from 3-5PM and/or Saturday, April 18 from 10AM-12PM to remove harmful invasive plants from CR Wood Park (417 Commonwealth St).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the event. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

More information including specific meeting spot and parking details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the event.

register to attend below!

Join community members on Saturday, April 4 from 9-11AM to remove harmful invasive plants from Cornwallis Rd Park (2830 Wade Rd).

Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants, tall socks, and long sleeves, and bring a reusable water bottle. Tools and gloves will be provided but we encourage volunteers with their own labeled pruners and saws to bring them along.

Volunteers between the ages of 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. This event is not recommended for volunteers under the age of 12.

register to attend below!

Looking for a way to give back to the Durham community? Become a Litter Leader!

Join us for an in-person Litter Leader Training on Tuesday, March 31 from 5:30-7PM at 2011 Fay St.

We train litter leaders as part of our mission to build and maintain clean, green, and beautiful spaces. Litter Leaders are volunteers that are committed to litter prevention in Durham. Litter Leaders will be trained on litter cleanup safety, cleanup operating procedures, and the basics of volunteer leadership.

Once you have received training, we will provide the resources necessary to be a litter prevention advocate and lead KDB cleanup events. More information on the Litter Leaders Program can be found on our website at keepdurhambeautiful.org/litter-leaders.

Join Durham County’s Sustainability Office and Trees for the Triangle in planting 40 trees at the Durham Memorial Stadium - the more the merrier!

Gloves and tools will be provided, as well as water, but please bring a refillable container to keep this event low waste. Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots, pants and long sleeves.

This is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and contribute to the preservation of our natural heritage!