As we move into Spring in Tulsa we begin facing the inevitable growing season and with it un-mowed medians, weeds along the highways, and a general unkempt look to the city. This year is going to be the worst seeing as the city only has enough money to mow once before July and I know they are also saving money by not cleaning up trash in these areas either. I love the city of Tulsa, but every year I see it draw further away from being "America's Most Beautiful City." I've noticed in cities like Fort Worth they have begun city wide campaigns to get groups within the city to mow and clean up trash all over the city rather than the city itself doing it. Where is this kind of vision for Tulsa? Why can't the city instead of complaining about it having no money, actually get creative and initiate some ideas like this? I want to see our city thrive and I want visitors and even those of us who live here to be proud of our city from an aesthtic standpoint. I wish our city government officials could find ways to get churches, neighborhoods, businesses, and other volunteer committees to somehow volunteer to take care of different parts of the city and together keep it beautiful. I would love to help spearhead some kind of effort to do this, but where would I even begin? We have the people that care enough, we just need a way to get it organized. I thought I might be able to write on here and get some opinions of how we can encourage our community to go out and take care of it.
I have seen the volunteers from GUTS out doing work on weekends.
Good suggestion.
Just don't let the PWD coordinate the volunteers...
I'm in.
I have no idea where you'd start but I'll help mow/edge/whatever.
Operation Clean Sweep
http://www.cityoftulsa.org/environmental-programs/recycling/operation-cleansweep.aspx
I'm not completely sure on this since I heard it in passing, but I could swear that they were talking about using inmates from Moss to do this work on the news this morning. I think this would be great thing.
TYPros should get more involved with this as well.
Quote from: custosnox on April 08, 2010, 03:55:23 PM
I'm not completely sure on this since I heard it in passing, but I could swear that they were talking about using inmates from Moss to do this work on the news this morning. I think this would be great thing.
I heard inmates as well but I wasn't sure from where.
Quote from: Townsend on April 08, 2010, 04:23:34 PM
I heard inmates as well but I wasn't sure from where.
The Mayor. They were talking about it on KRMG Tuesday morning on my drive to work.
Get your mower and pick your own little corner of paradise and keep it neat looking.
That is a great idea you had, and I think I will start looking for a "claim" to stake out. Kind of like a "grass roots" version of the Keep it Beautiful campaign where organizations get together to pick up trash on highways and plant trees to make pretty.
Push mower will work. Rider would be better. I have a friend with a lawn business that uses Skag zero turn mowers and he says they are great - very tough and hold up better than average for commercial work.
Don't do the median between double lanes, though. Too dangerous.
Somebody come to 51st & Harvard and clean up all this dirt! :D
You're SOL on that one. Wait a few more years and construction will be done. Then moved 1/4 mile down the road and started again.
And just a thought, you could always start a facebook page. It's amazing how many groups network that way.
I am involved in organizing litter cleanups. We still do at least four per year, but frankly, it is getting harder and harder to get volunteers. Today's green volunteers simply prefer doing more high profile things like planting trees, building community gardens and organizing green festivals.
I have supplies to help. I have free gloves and free trash bags. We have taken a bunch of them to selected park centers where they can be picked up seven days a week. I can even loan safety vests and arrange to pick up the collected bags afterward.
Any group that wants to pick up litter has me as a friend.
Call my office at 584-0584.
I find that at the Salvation Army, too. Everyone wants to be near the cameras when they show up, but very few like to push the broom. Or clean out the restrooms.
Fair weather greenies....
These are great suggestions. I'll be away this weekend in Fort Worth actually taking part in one of their clean-up days. Should be a great chance to better see how they do this and hopefully bring back some great ideas. I'll definitely start making some phone calls and sending out some e-mails on Monday to see if I can't start finding local groups that would be willing to help me get things organized. RecycleMichael thanks for your willingness to offer some free supplies and services, we'll be i touch. Hopefully I can have some more news next week and would love to even just begin some smaller areas along roadways and local parks within the next couple of weeks. If anyone knows of other people I may be able to contact, I was going to start with TYPros, Mayor, and some other area agencies, but am sort of new to this concept and unsure who could help me get the most momentum going the fastest.
Just a random thought, I try to take my kids with me when I can to do volunteer stuff like this because I think it teaches them to care more about their community. If you could figure out a way to get the kids more involved it could be a really great thing. Maybe Michaels better half can help in this.
From lots of past experience, I can strongly recommend you start out small and see how it goes. Accumulate as you go.
Have seen this cycle of startup, enthusiasm, growth, and crash many times in the last 40 years.
Pace yourself.
Tell friends and neighbors.
Inspire by example to build a strong core group.
Avoid biting off too big a chunk at a time. Think about what YOU can reasonably expect to do over and over all summer, and next year, and the next year. How do you like mowing your own lawn? Do you complain about that to the wife? Begrudge the time, money, gas, equipment??
That's why I said to go find a little place where there will be a visible difference and start caring for it. Preferably close to your house. With parking. Example - one of possibly millions - on 91st where 169 crosses, there is a little access point to the bike path system. There is a strip of grass a couple dozen feet wide, the length of the path from 91st on. There is parking right there. Could mow and pick up trash starting at 91st, going south for as long as you could stand - even to Riverside. Start with 200 feet length. Or 100. That will keep you busy, guaranteed.
And it should be easy to find many of those kind of places around Tulsa and Broken Arrow.
Tulsa - pick a piece of Riverside that is not well kept. Seems like there are a few places on east side near intersections that aren't owned by houses, but not really attended to by city. Pick one.
Just some random thoughts.
My youngest is in the Young Marines, and I just found out that they will be doing a "Trash Bash" next weekend on Elm in B.A. So contacting other groups like this might be an idea as well to get people, especially our children, involved.
You know the city could always use a PGR (plant growth regulator) like other cities, golf courses and parks. Chlorsulfuron, Metsulfuron, or Mefluidide will slow the growth of bermuda and fescue, as well as a host of other grassy plants. They are not expensive (when compared to mowing) and would reduce labor significantly. They also make the grass look better, more dense and even.
There was one I used to use on shrubs that made them really dense and trim-free for the whole summer, I think it was called Benin, great stuff.
Tulsa inmates helping with mowing among first city-county issues
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100409_11_0_Oeohis289061 (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100409_11_0_Oeohis289061)
Quote from: Gaspar on April 09, 2010, 04:07:28 PM
You know the city could always use a PGR (plant growth regulator) like other cities, golf courses and parks. Chlorsulfuron, Metsulfuron, or Mefluidide will slow the growth of bermuda and fescue, as well as a host of other grassy plants. They are not expensive (when compared to mowing) and would reduce labor significantly. They also make the grass look better, more dense and even.
There was one I used to use on shrubs that made them really dense and trim-free for the whole summer, I think it was called Benin, great stuff.
Just wait till the tort lawyers get their hands on that, babies are being born bald and naked because of that stuff...
Maybe we could move away from using grass as ground cover and use ivy's, plantation lily's, wild flowers, wild graces, and/or any other ground coverings that use less maintenance and in allot of cases look more beautiful.
As for any groups that form to do projects please PM me with dates and info so I can post about it on Tulsa Finds.
PS: Don't forget groups like the boy scouts, big brothers and sisters, church groups, middle schools, high schools, and any other groups that do lots of community work.
Here is our April Clean up poster...
http://www.metrecycle.com/news/operation-clean-sweep/
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100413_11_0_PJLass339944&rss_lnk=11
Quote
Volunteer mowing, graffiti removal encouraged by Tulsa Public Works
By P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Published: 4/13/2010 10:20 AM
Last Modified: 4/13/2010 12:14 PM
City councilors were told Tuesday that the Public Works Department encourages individuals and groups to help in graffiti removal and mowing.
City Councilor Chris Trail initiated the discussion during a council committee meeting. Trail said he's received correspondence from some neighborhood associations wanting to help clean up areas of the city.
"They're excited and want to know what they can and can't do," he said. The council was told to direct anyone wanting to help to the Mayor's Action Center at 596-2100.
The city will work with interested parties on materials for graffiti removal and mowing sites.
Read more in Wednesday's Tulsa world.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100413_11_0_PJLass339944&rss_lnk=11
QuoteThe council was told to direct anyone wanting to help to the Mayor's Action Center at 596-2100.
I would like to know what they think that would accomplish.