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Trash Free Texas
Monthly News & Updates

March 2021
You are receiving this newsletter because we thought you'd be interested in learning more about Trash Free Texas, an initiative by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and partners aimed at reducing or eliminating litter along area waterways.

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This Month's Spotlight
Bering Ditch. Photo by Nathan Shead.
Bayou Preservation Association
Through partnerships with H-GAC, the Plastic Prevention Partnership, and annual Trash Summit meetings, the Bayou Preservation Association's Trash Free Bayous Committee has listed two cleanup sites--Little White Oak Bayou and Bering Ditch.

Bayou Preservation encourages volunteer groups to clean up sites at least quarterly because they "fundamentally believe a single project done well will outlast projects designed to get big numbers quickly" and will ultimately lead to "true litter prevention and the long-term health of a community and environment."
Adopt-A-Spot Training
The Trash Free Texas Adopt-a-Spot site and Online Mapping Tool was created to foster a litter-free environment in Texas watersheds and track trash removal activities.

On February 25, we held an online training detailing how you can become an Adopt-A-Spot Coordinator in the Houston-Galveston region. For those unable to attend, a recording of that training can be found online.

Still have questions? E-mail [email protected] for more details
adopt a spot screenshot
Would you like to see your Adopt-A-Spot Story featured in a future Spotlight? Click on the button below to complete a form and we'll share your story with the community.
Program Updates
About the Trash Free Texas Project
Trash Free Texas logo
In Texas, over 435 million pieces of visible litter accumulate on roadways each year, costing taxpayers and local governments lots of time and money. This project aims to address this issue.  
 
The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) has partnered with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to establish a unified, coordinated approach to litter abatement and community engagement in the six river basins in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Galveston regions. Learn more about this project on our website. 
Partner Updates
Virtual Trash Bash Event, March 25 - 28
Join us for the first-ever virtual River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash, re-imagined for 2021 to protect volunteers and their families.  

Cleanups are encouraged on an individual family level but will not be hosted at our normal Trash Bash sites. The event will begin on Thursday, featuring educational videos about watersheds, sources of pollution, and ways to keep our waterways clean. Cleanups will occur Friday – Sunday and will be searchable through the Facebook hashtag #BackyardToBay. Register in advance and learn more. 

Trash Bash hopes to welcome everyone back in person in 2022! 
Save the Date: 2021 TRASH SUMMIT 
The next annual Houston-Galveston Regional Trash and Marine Debris Trash Summit, presented by the Partners in Litter Prevention, will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 5, hosted via Zoom. 

Details and a registration link will be distributed closer to the meeting date! 
Do you have a trash clean-up or litter reduction project that’s coming up, ongoing, or recently completed? Ask for help or share your success with the Trash Free Texas Community by sharing in our monthly update.