The History of KTMB

Started by the Biggest Little City Committee, KTMB was founded in 1989 as Western Nevada Clean Communities (WNCC). A clean community was one of the Committee’s major priorities, and they began the Adopt-A-Park program to involve citizens in hands-on volunteer activities to spruce up parks and the Truckee River. Realizing the entire community would benefit from a year-round focus on the issue of cleanliness, the Committee set about developing a new, separate organization affiliated with Keep America Beautiful and that is how WNCC officially became Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful (KTMB).

Adopt-A-Park (now part of our Adopt-A-Spot program), was joined by Phone Book Recycling in 1991, the kick-off of the Nevada Keep it Clean Campaign in 1992, KTMB’s Christmas Tree Recycling in 1993, and Adopt-A-Spot roadside litter cleanup in 1994. In 1997, KTMB partnered with the City of Reno to develop a Graffiti Hotline, which later evolved into Reno Direct, and the 329-DUMP illegal dumping hotline. A presentation for children developed first by “The Trash Lady”, Beth Isaef, morphed over the years into the Waste Warriors™ education program, which has grown into three standards-aligned learning modules collectively called Warriors Youth Education.

KTMB continues its efforts to keep our area beautiful through education, cleanup events and community engagement. For more information on how you can get involved as a volunteer or donate to our community-funded organization, please contact us!