Trash-off Competition Targets Litter

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- During the month of April, the annual Feed the Dragon Village Challenge focuses on litter, linking efforts in The Woodlands to the Great American Cleanup involving 2.8 million volunteers in more than 17,000 communities across the country.

The local trash-off campaign is a friendly competition among the eight villages in The Woodlands organized by Community Associations of The Woodlands and The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N.

“Participating in the challenge is as easy as taking a walk and picking up the bits of trash that we usually pass by,” said Kathie Herrick, Adopt-a-Path coordinator for the Community Associations of The Woodlands.

Pledging to keep The Woodlands litter-free, individuals and groups—families, schools, clubs and businesses—are conducting cleanups in neighborhoods, on school grounds, along pathways and in natural areas of the community.

Citing national data, challenge organizers say that everyone pays when someone litters. “Litter does more than impact the aesthetics of our community; it harms wildlife, blocks drainage and creates breeding sites for mosquitoes,” explained Herrick.

Twenty percent of litter ends up in waterways, reducing water quality and threatening aquatic life and fisheries. "To top it off, there is the financial burden. Litter reduces property values, and we all pay for litter pick-up,” Herrick said.

To kick off the month-long competition, the first 200 individuals who accomplish a clean-up and turn in a completed log at The Woodlands Earth Day Festival on April 12 will receive a gift. Everyone participating in the trash-off during April will be entered in a drawing for over $1000 in prizes sponsored by Bikeland.

Additionally, the village with the highest participation rate wins possession of the coveted Dragon Trophy and a bonus check for their scholarship fund. April 30 is the deadline for all entries.

Herrick says, “It’s about making ours the best community that it can be!”

View guidelines for the Feed the Dragon Village Challenge and print a clean-up log at the Community Associations website, click on the Earth Day link and go to Village Challenge. Logs are also available at local libraries and Community Association offices. For more information, please call Lynne Aldrich at 281.210.3900.