The 2023 Oyster Roast fundraiser was a great success in spite of the blustery weather. As usual, the wonderful fire-grilled oysters and barbeque were enjoyed by all.
A big thank you to our sponsors, Chairman Jody Martin, Co-Chair Brandi Gaydos, our host of volunteers, our remarkable photographer, Bob Claxton, the marvelous music and dancing with Michael Hulett, and to all at the beautiful Hudson Creek Lodge.
A very special thank you to all of you who purchased tickets. Your investment in McIntosh County is greatly appreciated.
We now invite you to join us this year in activities to continue to Keep McIntosh green, clean and beautiful!
OUR ANNUAL OYSTER ROAST FUNDRAISER IS KEEP MCINTOSH BEAUTIFUL’S MAIN SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR OUR…
1) ABANDONED BUILDINGS PROGRAM
2) LITTER PREVENTION AND CONTROL
3) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT AND BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS
On December 7th, Executive Director Natale Adorni of Keep McIntosh Beautiful presented a check in the amount of $500.00 to the Spartina Garden Club. The funds will be applied toward the beautification of one of McIntosh County’s sweetest treasures, the Smallest Church in America.
Thanks we had 51 vehicles drive in , thanks to all who dropped off, so much saved from our land fill!
THANKS!
“Participating in Keep McIntosh Beautiful’s Rivers Alive waterway clean-up was a wonderful experience. We had beautiful weather, and getting out on the North River was absolutely breathtaking. I’m grateful that we were able to remove a significant amount of litter and debris from the area. We’re so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place, and I think it’s imperative that we are all responsible and caring stewards of the environment. Kudos to KMB & all of the volunteers who made a difference!”
Marci De Sart
“The River Alive Event was a great way to introduce folks to what is offered In McIntosh County. The canoe was an added pleasure. Being able to see firsthand the beauty of the river and the wildlife along with the feeling of being a tiny bobber could not have made a better way to spend Saturday morning. Great way to give back.”
Thanks
Selso Tello
River’s Alive Event October 15 at North River at the Blue N Hall Marina
What an absolutely gorgeous day for a River Clean up!! Much Appreciation to the Volunteers and “new” Friends of Keep McIntosh Beautiful’s River’s Alive Event. We were 27 strong for KMB’s Annual River Clean up !! Thank you to all who came out to share in the spirit of Litter Clean up.
Many Thanks to all who made the Keep McIntosh Beautiful Open House a success!! A BIG thanks to Harris Neck ACE Hardware for donating plants given away as door prizes. We are excited about the outpouring of the McIntosh community’s response to future Litter Prevention, Recycling events, and Conservation education.
Drink Coasters Coast into Coastal Georgia this August
“Together We Make a “Difference.”
In the continued promotion of cigarette litter prevention, THE GEORGIA’S COAST IS NOT AN ASHTRAY “drink coaster outreach effort” coasts into McIntosh County this August. Look for these “Coasters” at local retailers and restaurants.
Cigarette receptacles and coasters can be found at Hunter’s Café in Shellman Bluff, Altman’sRestaurant in Eulonia, The Fish Docks in Crescent, Chamber of Commerce/McIntosh Welcome Center in Darien, The Studio and The Local Exchange in Darien, and Skipper’s Fish Camp in Darien. Made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic, cigarette butts do not easily biodegrade and are the nation’s most littered item.
Did you know that pollinators deliver ⅓ of the food we eat?
Or that approximately 75% of all flowering plant species need them to survive?
In Rome, Georgia you can attend a Bee Fest each June, or visit over 50 acres of pollinator plots sown with wildflower seeds.
The city of Warner Robins recently planted native flowers on two central medians, reducing roadway flooding and the need to mow. Learn more at beecityusa.org.
Pictured from left to right. Darlene Fuller, Executive Director, Molly McClellan, Barbara Hawthorne, President Keep McIntosh Beautiful
Congratulations to Molly McClellan 2022 KMB Scholarship in the amount of $500.
Molly McClellan will be attending Coastal College in the Fall.
We send our best wishes for her success in her future career
Children of a wide range of ages listen as Darlene Garner-Fuller, Executive Director of Keep McIntosh Beautiful, talks about the importance of recycling and reuse, then each of them made a tote bag from an old T-shirt during the “Make it and Take it” activity. The June 14 program was part of Ida Hilton Public Library’s Summer Reading Program for kids of all ages with a theme this year of “Oceans of Possibilities.”
Celebration for our newest Adopt-A-Highway Community Members – “Spartina Garden Club” and “FERST Readers !!”
Thank you for your hard work, commitment, and dedication to keeping our McIntosh roads beautiful and litter-free in Shellman Bluff.
Spartina Garden Club and FERST Readers have Adopted Miles from the intersection of Shellman Bluff Rd and Williamson Rd to Sutherland Bluff Rd
Celebration for our newest Adopt-A-Highway Community Members – “Spartina Garden Club” and “FERST Readers !!”
Thank you for your hard work, commitment, and dedication to keeping our McIntosh roads beautiful and litter-free in Shellman Bluff.
Spartina Garden Club and FERST Readers have Adopted Miles from the intersection of Shellman Bluff Rd and Williamson Rd to Sutherland Bluff Rd
“Many thanks to all the volunteers who participated in our Earth Day Clean up with Altamaha Riverkeepers.”
” Our Earth is the one thing we all have in common.”
“Together we are growing a culture of Beautification and Appreciation.”
Thank you to everyone who volunteered at our Darien Waterfront Park Cleanup on Saturday.
Together, we were able to clean up 17 big bags of trash!
Keep McIntosh Beautiful Organization Statement
RE: McIntosh County Roadside Chemical Herbicide Spraying
Whereas the chemical herbicides spraying approved in 2022 by the McIntosh County Commissioners is an environmental hazard and could put McIntosh County’s residents, vegetation, pollinators, and wildlife at risk. KMB is opposed to the spraying of chemical herbicides for the purpose of roadside vegetation control
McIntosh County is a vast landscape of pristine marshlands and waterways and home to all manner of mammal, bird, fish, and insect life. Citizens and tourists alike, call our county “paradise.” In keeping with the KMB Mission, we are here to provide beautification awareness, conservation resources and protect our homelands and wildlife.
Chemical herbicide could put shrimping, beekeeping, blueberry and row crop farming and household gardens at risk. McIntosh County is home to a notable array of wildlife consisting of shrimp, oysters, crabs, wood storks, dolphins, gators, pollinators and other birds and fish life. We need to act in a prudent manner for the conservation of our McIntosh “home.”
Our Recommendation:
Continue mowing our roadsides through this 2022 season.
Order a full Dept of Agricultural environmental land study.
Investigate the legal ramifications of using a widespread chemical herbicide.
Present the completed studies to the citizens of McIntosh County before choosing how to proceed.
Darlene Garner-Fuller
Executive Director, KMB
and
Board Members, KMB
Keep McIntosh Beautiful was founded in 2009. Its mission is to engage individuals, businesses, and organizations to take responsibility for improving our community’s surroundings. KMB activities include an Adopt-a-Highway program, beautification projects, roadside, waterway, and beach clean-ups, recycling events and educational programs, and an abandoned building removal assistance program.
The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation has launched the Litter Awareness Campaign. The campaign is a statewide public service campaign designed to bring attention to the issue of litter in Georgia with the use of digital and print media, local programs, and community outreach activities, including an online pledge component. In addition to harming wildlife and the environment, litter negatively impacts economic development, health, and safety across our state. Throughout this campaign, targeted messaging, programs, and initiatives will highlight these impact areas and provide resources for everyday actions to help reduce—and ultimately eliminate—litter in Georgia.
Why We Need This Campaign: National Statistics on Litter & Blight:
• The direct cost of cleaning up litter: $11.5 billion nationally; $10 million in Georgia
• When litter is present, property value decreases by 7%.
• 93% of homeowners say that the presence of litter would influence their purchasing decision.
• 36% of business development officials say that litter impacts their decision to locate to a community.
• The number of people stealing doubles when litter and illegal graffiti are present.
• Plastic trash in our environment is valued at $7.2 trillion, including 2% that is incinerated.
• 80% of ocean plastic comes from land-based sources.
• Areas with beautified vacant lots have seen a 27.5% reduction in depression.
• There is a 12% lower mortality rate associated with exposure to outdoor green areas.
• There are more than 50 billion pieces of litter on our nation’s roadways, with 4.6 billion pieces larger than four inches in size.
• Most roadway litter—76%–originates from motorists and pedestrians. • 15% of litter occurs in already blighted environments.
• Approximately 85% of littering results from individual attitudes. Changing individual behavior is key to preventing litter.
• 83% of litter near storm drains consist of smaller items under 4 inches.
• Motorists not properly securing truck or cargo loads, including collection vehicles, representing 20.7% of roadway litter 4 inches-plus. Vehicle debris and improperly secured containers, dumpsters, trashcans or residential waste/recycling bins represent another 8.1% of litter over 4 inches.
KMB had a wonderful 11th Anniversary Oyster Roast and BBQ Fundraiser Saturday-great attendance, delicious oysters, clams, BBQ and desserts and beverages, music and lots of dancing with Michael Hulett Entertainment., a Silent Auction full of great items, 3 Drawings for 25 pounds of shrimp from Shell Creek Seafood, and Wine Toss fun – all at beautiful Hudson Creek Lodge! Please send photos we can post, or if you post, mark #keepmcintoshbeautiful.
Thanks to all who organized, helped, cooked and attended and to all our generous Sponsors and Contributors. All of you made this year’s Fundraiser a big success! We hope you had a wonderful time!
Thanks to all of our Platinum and Gold Oyster Roast Sponsors for 2020
Thanks to our Silver Sponsors
Southeast Georgia Health System, Southeastern Bank and Crescent Equipment
KMBreceived a $3,500 Think Green Grant from Waste Management. Russ Hightower presented this to KMB Director Brandi Fisher November 12th at the County Commission meeting.
It’s the mission of KMB to engage residents, businesses and organizations in working together for a clean, green environment that enhances economic activity and helps make Darien and McIntosh County a great place to live, work, play and visit. And together, we are making a difference!
Community involvement and support are what make possible Adopt-A-Highway, land and water cleanups, beautification projects, recycling and waste reduction events, our award-winning Abandoned Buildings Program and other activities.
KMB was named Non-Profit of the Year for 2017 by the Darien-McIntosh Chamber of Commerce.
Join us TODAY during our Summer Membership Drive. Your membership donation is 100% tax deductible.
KMB is already into an exciting new year. There are so many ways to be involved in Keeping McIntosh Beautiful.
Cigarette Butts are America’s single most littered item!
Georgia’s Coast is Not An Ashtray is a Coast-wide awareness campaign funded by a grant from Keep America Beautiful that will have activities all summer long focused on proper disposal of cigarette butts and the problems caused by cigarette litter. READ MORE
