Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful was founded in 1989 under the name “Western Nevada Clean Communities.” It was started by members of the ‘Biggest Little City Committee’ who determined a clean community was one of the Committee’s major priorities. This group began the Adopt-A-Park program to involve citizens in hands-on volunteer activities that would spruce up parks and the Truckee River. Based on the success of the Adopt-A-Park program, and realizing the entire community would benefit from a year-round focus on the issue of cleanliness, the members set about to develop a new, separate organization affiliated with Keep America Beautiful.
In January 1989 Western Nevada Clean Communities (WNCC) officially became the organization we know and love today: Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful (KTMB). KTMB was certified by Keep America Beautiful in November 1990. Adopt-A-Park remains a key program, and was joined by the Phone Book Recycling Roundup in 1991, the kick-off of the Nevada Keep it Clean Campaign in 1992, Christmas Tree Recycling in 1993, and Adopt-A-Spot roadside litter cleanup in 1994. In 1997, WNCC partnered with the City of Reno to develop the “Graffiti Hotline” which later evolved into Reno Direct and the “329-DUMP” Hotline.
KTMB is dedicated to creating a cleaner, more beautiful region through education and active community involvement. KTMB’s ten programs include: Adopt-A-Spot, Adopt-A-Park, Christmas Tree Recycling, Phone Book Recycling, the Annual Litter Index, Neighborhood, Open Space and River Cleanups, and educational hands-on EcoArt projects that include paper making workshops, and the “Trash Lady™” now known as “Waste Warriors™.”
KTMB regularly engages over 2,500 volunteers annually. For more information on how you can get involved e-mail morgan@ktmb.org or call 775.851.5185.
