EDUCATION & AWARENESS

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Outdoor Land Lab

Program sponsored each spring by the Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District.  5th grade students from Jefferson County meet to learn about the environment. Our focus is on Solid Waste, Litter & Waste, and Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle activities.  Our goal is to make students, teachers and parents more environmentally conscious citizens and involve 5th grade students with hands on projects pertaining to the environment.

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Fernwood State Forest Outdoor Days - Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District (jeffersonswcd.org

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Trashy Art Contest

Students create outstanding art and fashion through recycled items.  The Annual contest is open to all Jefferson and Belmont County students in grades K-12.  Participants complete their projects using only materials from home that would otherwise be disposed of or recycled.

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Adopt-A-Spot 

The Adopt-A-Spot program accommodates a wide array of volunteer interests and goals.  Participants adopt public spaces and make a commitment twice a year to clean and beautify the area.  Volunteers plant flowers, remove graffiti, pick up litter, weeding, gardening and other forms of general cleanup.  Volunteers do make a difference in our community!

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Interested in this program? Download the PDF form: Adopt-A-Spot.

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Annual River Sweep Poster Contest & Cleanup

We participate in this poster contest sponsored by ORSANCO each winter. The top winners are used for posters and t-shirts for the next summers River Sweep Cleanup. (Visit ORSANCO for more information).

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The Ohio River Sweep is the annual, volunteer cleanup that extends the entire length of the Ohio River.  Volunteers from 6 states, which border the Ohio River, remove litter at multiple locations along the Ohio River and many of its tributaries.

The Ohio River Sweep Program will provide supplies:  t-shirts, gloves, and trash bags. 

​Please contact your closest office 740-266-6899 (Jefferson County) or 740-296-5376 (Belmont County) for more details or to sign up! 

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The Great American Cleanup 

Volunteers, groups, beautification committees, students, 4-H, Girl/Boy Scouts join in the nation’s largest organized cleanup, beautification and community volunteer improvement program. The volunteers know that they really make a difference, and the results are dramatic! When our area is clean of unsightly litter, residents have a sense of hometown pride and accomplishment!  Runs from March 1st – May 31st annually.

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   Event Tips:

• Pick a spot; visit the site to plan your event.

• Set a date and time and have a rain date planned.

• Recruit volunteers.

• Request trash bags from us.
   

   Event Safety Tips:

• Wear gloves, thick-soled shoes, vest and gloves.

• Wear long pant and long-sleeved shirts.

• Wear sunscreen and/or bug repellent.

• Drink plenty of fluids.

• Don’t overstuff litter collection bags.

• NEVER pick up hypodermic needles or sharp objects.

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Paper Recycling Tour

Tours are taken by school students, teachers and parents at the Valley Converting Paper Mill located in Toronto, Ohio.  Mike Biasi, President, and Rich Brandt, Purchasing Agent, educate students on how paper is recycled from the beginning.  They start with 100% scrap paper and walk them through the manufacturing process showing them how the end product cardboard is made. The students learn how the paper is converted to different sizes and shipped to the end user who makes legal paper, paper hard back books, and desk calendars, just to name a few. 

The tour lasts approximately forty-five minutes. Any school interested in this educational tour can contact us to learn more.

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Plant Pride - Not Litter

This activity takes place each Spring in both counties.  Children and parents participate by painting and decorating flower pots.  After decorating their pots they also plant flowers and/or vegetables to take home.  Materials are donated by the Ft. Steuben Mall and other local businesses.  This activity teaches students community participation and promotes individual pride.

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Stock the Pantries 

Jefferson and Belmont Counties have taken America Recycles Day one step further.  All of our paper proceeds from recycling at Valley Converting go to local Food Pantries to help out with purchasing food for the holidays.  The program runs in the month of November with a public drop off site at the Ft. Steuben Mall and Ohio Valley Mall.

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Christmas Ornament Making

Children and parents can participate by making a Christmas Ornament for their tree with recycled items.  This activity teaches students that you don't need to spend a lot of money on ornaments and also how ornaments were made in past years. All materials are donated by local businesses.

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Recycled Christmas Tree Art Contest

Belmont County students in grades K -12 can participate by creating a Christmas Tree can be made from a wide range of materials, including newspaper, aluminum cans, cardboard, plastic water bottles, paper products and other waste products destined for the recycling or a landfill.  The tree must be shorter than 6 feet tall and brought to the Ohio Valley Mall during drop-off hours.     

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Presentations

Our staff conducts environmental educational presentations reaching both adults and youths alike.  Learn how easy it is to do your part for the environment by “going green” through recycling, cleaning up our community and beautification projects.

 Visit our Presentations page for more info!

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If you want to join the fun or are part of a group looking for a creative reuse project to get started, please contact one of our Educators  at (740) 296-5376 for Belmont County or  (740) 266-6899 for Jefferson County.