Local initiatives play a crucial role in our communities. As global warming escalates and concerns for our environment’s future grow, local efforts to protect our ecosystem and promote sustainability have become increasingly important.
Cuyahoga Recycles has created “Green Teams,” which vary for different communities but all share one common goal: organizing individuals to clean up and promote sustainable lifestyles in their neighborhoods. Lakewood’s Green Team consists of hardworking, passionate individuals, including Melissa Meehan, who has been a member for over 20 years and dedicates much of her time to caring for the environment.
“Keep Lakewood Beautiful actually started out a long time ago as the Green Team, we became Keep Lakewood Beautiful, a board within the city of Lakewood in 1982,” Meehan said. “KLB’s mission statement is to promote civic involvement, to enhance the beauty of Lakewood through green space activity, litter prevention, and recycling efforts; and to encourage individual education and investment in the overall environment of the city.”
Keep Lakewood Beautiful (KLB) also recognizes Lakewood residents’ efforts through the annual Beautiful Home Awards. Nominations are accepted from May 1st to July 15th each year, and awards are distributed in the fall. A nomination form can be found on Lakewood’s website.
Local college student Sofia Gallaway, who is familiar with the Lakewood Community, has noticed the positive effects of KLB’s initiatives.
“I have heard of the Beautiful Home Awards,” Gallaway said. “I think it’s great that people can be recognized for taking such good care of their homes.”
Keep Lakewood Beautiful also has many other projects, both in the past and future, with the goal of improving the local environment.
“KLB many years ago initiated the Adopt-A-Spot program,” Meehan said. “This was an effort to engage and support residents to create gardens where areas may have been targeted for cement. We now help these volunteers manage over 50 gardens which not only create space for rain to be absorbed, flowers for insects and bees, but beauty in our neighborhoods.”
Several initiatives have turned into annual traditions such as Clean-Up Earth Day and monthly traditions like the Pop Up, Pick Up, Pour Up event. Each meeting and event helps bring the community and the environment closer to a greener future. Functions are an excellent opportunity to meet and connect with others in the neighborhood.
“Our big annual Spring Event is a city Clean-Up Earth Day event every April,” Meehan said. “During this event, we encourage the community to come pick up litter and help to beautify the area that we are targeting. We also give away 50 trees every year at this event, and we are thrilled to partner with the Horticulture Class of LHS each year. They are a huge help by potting these trees and helping us with the giveaway by providing information about the tree, proper planting, and care.”
The partnership between KLB and Lakewood High School extends beyond the tree giveaway. The organizations also collaborate on gardens and fundraisers.
“A Monarch Waystation Garden has also been designated at Lakewood Park, where we are trying to grow native flowers and Milkweed to help the Monarch butterfly population,” Meehan said. “This has been a challenge, and the AP Environmental Studies class with Ms. Chanda-Gonzalez is going to work with us on this garden this coming year.”
Also, an annual fundraiser benefits from the football teams’ muscle, who helps to shovel, bag, and lift humus into customers’ cars.
“We could not do it without their muscle!” Meehan said.
The Pop Up, Pick Up, Pour Up event, which began about two years ago, is another great opportunity to get involved. The event meets the last Wednesday of every month starting in March. Participants “pop up” somewhere in Lakewood, pick up trash for an hour, and then “pour up” at a local establishment for a beverage of choice, Meehan explained.
Sustainability is a massive aspect of KLB, regularly hosting seminars regarding composting opinions and impacts, the schedule of which can be found on the Keep Lakewood Beautiful website. These compost seminars grew the business of The Rust Belt Riders, a compost company now a huge part of Lakewood’s environmental protection.
The team has done a fantastic job connecting our town and moving us in the right direction for our environment’s future. Despite KLB’s success, there is room for growth in spreading awareness.
“Signage and advertisements would be helpful/encouraging in general,” resident Bailey Shipley said. She also believes getting middle and elementary schools involved would be fabulous.
Through their hard work, the Lakewood Green Team, Keep Lakewood Beautiful, has maintained a dedication to preserving the city’s community pride and natural beauty. The hands-on projects they offer improve the local environment, benefiting plant and societal life. With each event, KLB continues to make Lakewood a greener, more sustainable place for everyone to enjoy.
