Parks & Recreation Department - CEIC

Spring & Summer Projects

"Keep Chesapeake Beautiful" Month - You can help "Keep Chesapeake Beautiful" and earn a pin by volunteering during April. Former Mayor William E. Ward declared April to be "Keep Chesapeake Beautiful" Month. You can . . . register your tree planting team for Arbor Day . . . register your group for the GLAD Bag-A-Thon Cleanup Campaign . . . participate in the Earth Day Birthday Celebration . . . or reserve one of the City of Chesapeake Locality License Plates for Beautification and Conservation.

Great American Clean Up - The BIGGEST clean-up campaign of the year. All of Chesapeake's organizations are invited to register to get involved in cleaning up litter some time during the month of April. Our short-term goal is to clean-up Chesapeake. In year 2000, 7,813 volunteers cleaned up 153,568 pounds of debris. Our long-term goal is to influence people's attitudes about littering.

Arbor Day Tree Planting Teams - You can organize your tree planting team to plant trees at parks and public locations on a Saturday in early April. Funds are needed to help pay for trees. Volunteer groups (such as civic leagues, scounts, civic organizations, etc.) are needed to plant the trees. Last year over 80 trees were planted at the Chesapeake Arboretum, Broadmoor Play Area, City Park, Dunedin Park, Etheridge Lakes Park, IndianRiver Park, Lakeside Park, and Oakgrove Lake Park. Arbor Day is sponsored by the Chesapeake Arboretum, Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council, Chesapeake Inspections Department, Chesapeake Public Libraries and Chesapeake Master Gardeners, and the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Chesapeake's Notable Yards Contest - Open to all citizens in Chesapeake communities. Individuals nominate beautiful yards -- either their own or a neighbor's yard. The deadline for nominations is May 28. Judging takes place during the month of June. Winners are announced in July for the following sections of the city: Deep Creek, Great Bridge, Hickory, Indian River, Oscar Smith, and Western Branch. Yards are judged by the neighborhood's high school district. A $50 gift certificate from White's Old Mill Garden Center is presented to each district winner.

Clean the Bay Day - Hosted by the City of Chesapeake and other Hampton Roads' cities during the month of June. Individuals, groups, and organizations are encouraged to register to help to clean-up Chesapeake's waterways. Boaters and businesses along the waterway are especially needed to help with the clean-up. For more information, see the Chesapeake Bay Foundation web site.

For information or questions about the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council or its projects, call the Special Programs Office in the Parks and Recreation Department at 757-382-6411.