Put Trash in its Place
By Michelle Williams, Deputy Clerk / Senior Administrative Assistant
Adopt a Highway Program
The Virginia Department of Transportation ’ s (VDOT) Adopt - a - Highway (AAH) is a volunteer program that requires participants to pick up litter at least two times a year, for three years over a two - mile stretch of highway. In return, the VDOT provides trash bags, vests, safety information, and after two pickups have been documented, highway signs that recognize your group. Currently, there are only 17 active AAH groups.
The VDOT website states that “ each year, more than 23,000 Adopt - a - Highway volunteers collect more than 44,000 bags of waste along Virginia ’ s highways. ” For more information about the Adopt - a - Highway program, contact the local AAH Coordinator, Monica Mallory, at (540) 967 - 3723 or go to the How to Adopt page on the Virginia Department of Transportation website. An Adopt a Highway application can be found here.
Adopt a Highway (AAH) Participant
Thirteen - year - old Faith Wilson and her mom, Annie Wilson, began the Adopt a Highway (AAH) program in May 2019. Faith was inspired to pick up trash when “ my mom asked me for help because there was so much trash. ” The Wilson ’ s attempt to pick up roadside litter twice a month during the winter and weekly during the summer. On their latest pickup in March, Faith and Annie worked for 6 hours over the course of 2 days and picked up 11 bags of trash on a mile of their road. When asked what her hope for the County ’ s future for litter control was, Faith simply stated, “ that people will stop littering and know that it ’ s bad. ”
Litter Control Committee
The Orange County Litter Control Committee manages the litter control initiatives on behalf of the Orange County Department of Public Works. The committee is funded through a non - competitive grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. For citizens who are interested in litter collection but lack the proper supplies, Trash Pick - Up Kits are available for checkout at the Orange County Parks and Recreation Department, located at 146 N. Madison Road, Suite 205,
Page 11 | April, 2021
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