2016-poster-scan-Copy-799x1024The first Green Up Day occurred in 1970, when Governor Deane C. Davis decided there should be a day dedicated to citizen-powered state cleanup. On that first Green Up Day, over 4,000 garbage truck loads were required to haul the trash that was picked up by Vermonters. Now, 46 years later, the tradition is still going strong with over 40,000 bags of trash collected annually!

Green Up Vermont, like NorthWoods, is a 503(c) non-profit organization. It was started in 1979 to organize the annual litter gathering and distribute special trash bags. The people of Green Up Vermont are devoted to helping preserve the natural beauty of Vermont’s landscape by encouraging residents to collect litter found by roadsides and in waterways. Green Up Vermont provides a volunteer coordinator from each town with the recognizable green bags which people are encouraged to fill with any litter they find. These bags are left by the roadside to be picked up by waste management services.

There are many ways to be involved in Green Up Day. Some individuals and families participate in Green Up Day as an annual spring tradition, some people vote on Town Meeting Day to pay appropriations to Green Up Vermont, some donate directly to the non-profit, and some people have chosen to support the Green Up effort on their taxes. Whatever your level of involvement, nature and your NorthWoods neighbors thank you!

If you have questions about getting yourself or a group involved in Green Up Day, visit the website at greenupvermont.org.