Massachusetts Beautification Bulletin | April 3, 2025

Dear Friend,

As the new administration in Washington, D.C., takes a "chain saw" to many federal environmental protection programs, it's more important than ever for Massachusetts residents to step up to volunteer and advocate for our planet. Scroll down for ideas on how you can get involved, as well as updates on upcoming events.

Donate to Support a Cleaner, Greener Massachusetts!

Sign Our Litter Prevention Taskforce Petition

Targeting "Flyaway" Litter from Trucks

Litter and debris that fly out the back of truck beds is one of the biggest sources of roadside litter in Massachusetts. A recent study by Litter Free Falmouth and The Cape Cod Anti-Litter Coalition found that 36% of roadside litter on Route 28 in Falmouth comes from improperly secured truck bed loads.

A new public awareness campaign on Cape Cod seeks to educate commercial and personal truck owners about the need to secure their truck bed loads. The poster depicted here is being shared with Cape Cod landscaping and construction companies, as well as local departments of public works. If more truck drivers took greater care with their truck bed loads, that would significantly reduce the volume of “flyaway” litter on our roadsides.

If you’d like a copy of this poster, please email us and we’ll share the image file with you.

Request a Copy of the Flyaway Litter Poster

Cathy Horn of Keep Hyde Park Beautiful

Announcing KMB's Chapter Leader of the Year: Cathy Horn

We’re pleased to announce that Cathy Horn, the founder of Keep Hyde Park Beautiful, has been named our Chapter Leader of the Year.

Cathy joined forces with other residents in her neighborhood to start a litter patrol group in 2014 and went on to launch Keep Hyde Park Beautiful in May 2017. In 2024, Cathy and Keep Hyde Park Beautiful coordinated 16 community litter cleanups, one fix-it clinic, four classes on pollination, beekeeping and native plants, and hosted two fundraising events. She has been instrumental in applying for grants to support the upkeep of local pocket parks and beautifying the Readville and Fairmount fire station landscape.

You can celebrate along with Cathy and the Keep Hyde Park Beautiful crew on May 15 at our Massachusetts Clean Community Awards gala. Tickets are going fast, so please reserve your tickets now.

Reserve Your Awards Tickets Now!

Join a Great Massachusetts Cleanup Event in April

April “spring cleaning” is the busiest month of the year for community cleanups. As Earth Day (April 22) approaches, you can make a positive impact in your community by joining a local cleanup. Here is a partial list of upcoming events, but check our event calendar for the full list:

April 1-April 30: Great Plainville Cleanup
April 5-6: Nantucket Litter Derby
April 5: Great Canton Cleanup
April 6-13: Litter-Free to the Finish Boston Marathon Cleanup
April 12: Wilbraham Earth Day Cleanup
April 12: Wrentham Springtime Cleanup
April 12: Greenwood Spring Cleanup (Wakefield)
April 12: Yarmouth Annual Community Cleanup
April 26: Mass DCR Park Serve Day

Find a Cleanup Near You in April

Sponsor the Clean Community Awards

Thank you to Reworld for signing up as a Zero Waste Innovator-level sponsor for our Clean Community Awards Celebration on May 15.

If your business would like to celebrate our volunteers and the incredible work being done to clean up and green up Massachusetts, please contact us to sign up as a Business Sponsor.

Show Mother Earth Some Love on Earth Day

The launch of the 2025 Great Massachusetts Clean up coincides with Earth Month and Earth Day on April 22. Please help us reach our $5,000 Earth Month fundraising goal by April 30. No donation amount is too small and every dollar gets us closer to achieving our vision of a cleaner, greener, litter-free Massachusetts!

Donate Today

Quotable: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors—we borrow it from our children."

— Source unknown

Enviro-Newsworthy Developments...

Thank you for reading our newsletter and please contact me if I can answer any questions you may have about our programs, launching a local KMB chapter in your community, or sponsorship opportunities.

Sincerely,

Neil Rhein, Founder & Executive Director