Springfield is a beautiful city, but due to the effects of the pandemic and other factors, it noticeably needs some love.

The City of Springfield is launching “Clean Green Springfield,” a series of City-wide cleanup activities, conducted during the months of April and May. The City departments of Public Information & Civic Engagement, Public Works, Environmental Services, Quality of Place and Planning are working with community partners to issue a challenge to clean up and green up. More than 50 partners and over 600 individuals responded to a March survey conducted by the City, indicating they like the idea and were willing to help.

Environmental Services staff members are currently creating a litter index and have completed a trash assessment analyzing Springfield streams. They found on average 155 pieces of trash in a 100-foot stream section (628,324 total in Springfield area streams). Nearly 60% of trash found in streams is plastic and on average there were 14 cigarette butts found in the stream (57,797 cigarette butts in Springfield area streams).

Citizens reported to the Citizen Resource Center more than 1,000 complaints about trash and debris in the right-of-way and more than 2,000 trash-related nuisances on private property in 2019.

“We want to be known as the cleanest city in the state,” said Cora Scott, director of Public Information & Civic Engagement. “Our citizens are incredibly giving of their time and once they become aware of a problem, they want to be a part of the solution.”

Both individuals and groups are encouraged to participate in one or more cleanup and beautification opportunities, including neighborhood cleanups, roadside trash pickups, plantings, stream cleanups and more.

Scott hopes that efforts will serve as a catalyst for deeper, broader community discussions about community beautification, ownership and pride; new and improved, smarter municipal regulations and practices around trash and the environment; increased numbers of registered neighborhoods; and increased numbers of citizen groups or members of groups dedicated to the beautification cause.

“At the very least, we hope that these activities remind us all to simply not litter. I see children encouraging their families to help pick up trash and more importantly, to not litter in the first place. Maybe we should learn from that. We may also uncover additional challenges to the affordability of waste disposal. At any rate, we have been blown away by the early positive response to this idea and are excited about the project,” she said.

Director of Quality of Place Initiatives Tim Rosenbury is heading up the beautification efforts, which will include adding plantings and other aesthetically pleasing elements on public rights-of-way. “There’s plenty of research correlating civic beauty and economic success in communities. This initiative is Springfield’s chance to impact its future, through citizen involvement,” Rosenbury said.

City Manager Jason Gage is encouraged by the initial reaction to the Clean Green Springfield plans and has dedicated approximately $80,000 to the effort.

“Springfield is known as the Queen City of the Ozarks. As the region’s largest city, we are the hub for all things.  In addition, other communities look to us to be the example,” Gage said. “A high level of cleanliness is something that our residents, businesses and visitors expect. It is an extension of pride and an example of vibrancy.”

In addition to the funding of 11 regularly scheduled cleanups hosted by Community Partnership of the Ozarks in registered neighborhoods, the City is encouraging individuals, families and groups to assist with roadside and stream cleanups during April and is hosting point-of-pride cleanups in four locations, beautification projects in several areas of public right-of-way and is partnering with Watershed Committee of the Ozarks to provide free native plants. In May, the City will offer opportunities for no-cost disposal of hard-to-dispose of items such as tires, mattresses, appliances, televisions, computer, electronics and household chemicals.

How to get involved

Visit CleanGreenSGF.com for details and registration.

Activities

Individual and family activities
Sign up as an individual or volunteer with your family to help clean up litter from roadways, streams and significant sites around Springfield. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and experience a part of Springfield that may be near and dear to your heart or new to you. The below activities are ideal for people of all ages and physical abilities.

• Point of Pride Cleanups
  Each Saturday in April, the City will host a cleanup at a location significant to Springfield. Bring your family or team to lend a hand to make these locations the point of pride they are.
• Roadway & Stream Cleanups
  Through the City’s Adopt-a-Street and Adopt-a-Stream programs, committed volunteers keep our city’s roadways free from litter and debris. The City provides the trash bags, you tell us when and where to pick them up when filled!

Team activities
Sign up to help as a club, group or organization. Great for team building! Perfect for civic groups, school clubs, social circles and other volunteer groups, register as a team to show your community pride and give back by cleaning up and greening up Springfield. These activities are a mix of lighter, all-ages work as well as opportunities that may require more physical activity, a slight amount of training or a green thumb.

• Support Neighborhood Cleanups
  Eleven of the City’s registered Neighborhood Associations are hosting Neighborhood Cleanup days throughout the Spring. Sign up to help with a variety of activities, including helping neighbors unload items, bulky item pickup throughout the neighborhood, and cleaning up alleyways and other neighborhood sites.
• Dump Site Cleanups
  Volunteer to help crews from Springfield Public Works clean up one of a large number of illegal dumping sites across the city. Ideal for smaller teams of adults who are up for a challenge.
• Beautification Projects
  Green thumb encouraged!  A number of tree planting and beautification events will be held throughout the month of April, including landscaping in roadway medians and in the City’s rights of way.

Businesses
CleanGreenSGF.com provides helpful hints on what businesses can do to get involved and spiff up their properties. Businesses are encouraged to get involved by registering a volunteer team of employees to participate in any cleanup event or by choosing to help clean up the roadways and public right-of-way areas nearby their properties. The City will provide the trash bags, you tell us when and where to pick them up when filled!

Packet Pickup and Kickoff

Between 11 a.m.  and 6 p.m., Friday, April 2 at the Busch Municipal Building (840 N. Boonville) parking lot on the west side of Boonville. Register at CleanGreenSGF.com and receive a free Clean Green Springfield T-shirt.

Clean Green Springfield is a program of the City of Springfield and is presented by: Community Partnership of the Ozarks, KY3/KSPR/CW, KOLR 10 News/Ozarks Fox and iHeart Radio. Partners include Missouri Department of Transportation, Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and Community Foundation of the Ozarks.