America Recycles Day

October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

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Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. More than a celebration, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. One day to inform and educate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.

Don’t wait: Organize or RSVP to attend an event; spread the word via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter; and let your family, friends and neighbors know where you stand:

Take the I Recycle Pledge

Filed Under: Keep Texas Beautiful

Interested in a KTB License Plate?

August 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

As fall approaches and many of you look to renew your vehicle registration, why not go the extra mile and purchase a personalized Keep Texas Beautiful license plate? The specialty plate is only $30 in addition to your regular car registration fee; more than half that cost goes directly to KTB to benefit our wide array of environmenta programs!

These plates are available online for purchase from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and serve as one of the most visible ways you can show your commitment to making Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation. With the simple act of renewing your license plate, you can commit to keeping Texas beautiful!

You can call 1-800-CLEAN-TX for more information.

Filed Under: Keep Texas Beautiful

KTB Seeks Communication Interns

August 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Do you have a unique outlook and strong writing skills? Do you want to maximize your background in copyediting and graphic design? Are you interested in the environmental or non-profit world? If so, don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

Keep Texas Beautiful, a statewide grassroots environmental organization, is seeking several communication interns for the fall, for a variety of writing, design and social media projects. We don’t look at interns as coffee runners and copy geeks — this is an unpaid position, but you’ll have the opportunity to take the lead in your work, offer your opinion, contribute to the outcome of major projects and leave with tangible items for your portfolio. This is an ideal position for individuals looking to diversify and enhance their writing skills, make an impact on the community and learn more about the world of non-profits. Feel free to visit www.ktb.org to learn more about our organization (or pass this along to those who might be interested!)

In additional to the professional skills, you will need a good sense of humor, a thick skin, the ability to be flexible and an entrepreneurial spirit. We laugh just as hard as we work in our office, while fostering an environment of mutual respect and excellence.

Job responsibilities include:

    *Drafting press releases and/or articles for internal and external publications
    *Maintaining and expanding our social networking footprint (blogs, Twitter & Facebook)
    *Editing and writing web/marketing copy
    *Identifying and spearheading media relations opportunities
    *Assisting with the design and layout of internal brochures and e-newsletters
    *Internet research and data entry
    *Assisting in identifying opportunities for increased branding and public awareness
    *Other communications/writing duties as assigned

Qualifications:

    *Some education or experience in public relations/marketing/media relations/writing (preferably a major in one of these areas, but someone with a strong interest and solid skills may be considered)
    *Strong writing and research skills
    *A high degree of web savvy, with experience in social media (required) and website content management systems (preferred)
    *Detail-oriented
    *Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel
    *Interest and/or experience in audio and video editing is a plus
    *A positive attitude is a must, along with flexibility, creativity and the ability to bring new ideas to the table
    *An interest in environmental issues and/or non-profits is helpful
    *A proficiency in Adobe Illustrator/InDesign/Photoshop and strong graphic design principles will move you to the head of the line!

We are looking for individuals to start late September/early October, with an anticipated work load of 8-12 hours/week. If things work out, one or more individuals may be asked to return in the spring, which has the potential for as many as 20 hours/week.

Submit your resume via email to bronwen@ktb.org by end of business September 10 with ‘2010 Communication Intern’ in the subject line. Include a cover letter detailing what you bring to the table and why you are an ideal match for this internship – show us your personality! Include a minimum of two writing samples, along with anything you feel reflects your design chops and/or social media skills.

Filed Under: Keep Texas Beautiful

Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off Volunteers Asked to Photograph Weirdest Trash Finds

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Largest one-day cleanup in the U.S. is April 10

AUSTIN, Texas—Every year, Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off volunteers uncover random — and sometimes strange — items discarded on Texas roads.

This year, Don’t Mess with Texas is asking volunteers to take pictures of their unusual trash finds and e-mail their photos to Don’t Mess with Texas, where they’ll be displayed in a photo gallery on www.dontmesswithtexas.org.

The photo collection will be visual documentation of an embarrassing problem: Texas roadside litter.

Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off volunteers can send in interesting photos of their group collecting trash, the most common type of trash they pick up, or the weirdest litter they come across on April 10 — the largest one-day statewide cleanup in the United States.

Anyone who submits a photo by April 24 has the chance to receive a Don’t Mess with Texas prize pack —three prize packs will be awarded via a random selection process.

“This is a fun, creative way for our volunteers to share their Trash-Off experience with Texas,” said Doris Howdeshell, Travel Information Division Director for TxDOT. “It will be interesting to see all the photos from Trash-Off events around the state showcasing the efforts of our volunteers. We appreciate all they do to keep our roadways litter-free.”

To enter, volunteers simply e-mail the photo, location where it was taken, and photo caption to trashoff@dontmesswithtexas.org. Additional details are available at dontmesswithtexas.org. Photos from across the state will be shown in an online gallery on the Don’t Mess with Texas Facebook page and on dontmesswithtexas.org.

To participate in the Trash-Off on April 10, volunteers need to sign up now. The Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off is a partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB). The event brings together KTB volunteers and Adopt-a-Highway groups from across the state to clean up roadways and their communities on one designated day. The public can sign up online at www.ktb.org or call 1-800-CLEAN-TX.

At the 2009 Trash-Off, more than 25,200 bags of trash were collected, totaling more than 158 tons of waste.

About Don’t Mess with Texas
Don’t Mess with Texas has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. TxDOT’s litter prevention program includes Adopt-a-Highway and a grassroots partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful. Don’t Mess with Texas activities include Trash-Off, community outreach, a student litter prevention contest and a corporate partner program. For more information, visit www.dontmesswithtexas.org. TxDOT’s goals are to reduce congestion, enhance safety, expand economic opportunity, improve air quality and increase the value of transportation assets. For more information, visit www.txdot.gov.

Filed Under: Keep Texas Beautiful