Q&A with Amanda Clements, Executive Director of Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful
Have you ever thought about how enjoyable sustainability can be? We spoke with Amanda about upcycled furniture, drive-through litter cleanups, and how to show off your green thumb online.
What inspired you to get involved with Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful (KSBB)? Have you always been passionate about the environment?
Growing up, I remember doing projects around the house, and a lot of them had to do with refurbishing old furniture or repurposing things. I grew up with that mindset of, Okay, if this doesn’t work, let’s reuse it in a different way; let’s make it work. It was fun for me, and I’m very thankful for it, especially because I grew up in a very rural area where we didn’t have access to recycling.
I first became familiar with Keep America Beautiful, the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, and KSBB when I came to Statesboro after graduating from college. I jumped at the chance to be part of something so similar to my own mindset, and thankfully, I got the job. Being in this position and seeing the challenges our community faces from the back end has been very eye opening. I love finding innovative ways to practice sustainability. I’ve grown a lot, and I enjoy finding fun new ways to keep our city clean and beautiful and get the community involved. I have a passion for it, and it doesn’t even feel like work most of the time.
What have been some of your favorite projects this far?
I’ve really enjoyed running Bring One for the Chipper (KGBF’s statewide Christmas tree recycling program) here in Statesboro. This past winter, we saw our local numbers rise significantly, which was very encouraging to me, as I’d just gotten started in this position. We tripled the number of trees we recycled compared to previous years the city participated in the program, and people all around the community seemed excited to bring their trees to us. It was impressive to see.
We also recently partnered with the Ogeechee Riverkeeper to install a litter trap in our local creek, which has a big litter problem once rain comes through and water exits the city. This trap, created by Osprey Initiative, is one of the first of its kind in the area, and we are hoping it can cut down the litter getting dumped into our bigger waterways, which ultimately affects the ocean. This trap will also be a great way to gather litter data that is trapped so we can use it to educate our community and showcase the importance of litter abatement.
Lotts Creek Litter Trap
You’ve been engaging your community during the pandemic through online contests like Get Caught GreenThumbed. Tell our readers more—are there other ways you’ve adapted your activities?
Before KSBB, our community had Keep Bulloch Beautiful, and that earlier version of our organization highlighted different yards for their curb appeal, whether they belonged to individuals or businesses, every other month. I loved that idea, and I wanted to bring it back but put a little spin on it so people with gardens, houseplants, or anything beautification-related could show off what they’d been working hard on. We made it into a competition with a gift basket full of local Statesboro items—we have beans from a local coffee shop, a gift card to a local boutique, handmade soaps, and some sustainability items like metal straws, a reusable cup, and that kind of thing. We wanted to promote sustainability and local businesses at the same time. The contest was entirely online so people didn’t have to meet in person with anybody or go anywhere during COVID-19. It’s been fun to partner with local shops and see people take pride in their beautification projects.
We also have our first drive-through cleanup scheduled for October 24. Usually in the past for events like this, volunteers would come to one central location and pick up their items—gloves, trash bags, disposable vests—and we’d hand them a map of a specific area that needed to be picked up. Now, we don’t want people gathering in one location because of social distancing guidelines, so we brainstormed and came up with this new idea. When people drive up, we’ll hand them pre-packaged supplies and one map per car, and they’ll be ready to head onto their cleanup location. We’ll be doing a similar setup for an electronic waste drop-off later this fall for America Recycles Day, and we’re excited to be getting back into this work.
What does your affiliate look forward to in the future? What further impact do you hope to see in Bulloch County?
I would love to see our community come together more. It’s been a slow start, especially with the pandemic hitting right when we were trying to get the bulk of our events going. Now that we’ve found a way to pick things back up again, I’m really aiming to get our name and mission out to the public. I hope to convey the importance of understanding litter and its impact on wildlife, our watershed, and our general health. I want people to get passionate about that, and understand the little things you can do to practice sustainability at home. That’s my first step, to see more mindsets change so we can have a cleaner Statesboro and a cleaner Bulloch County.
Any advice for people looking to make their communities cleaner, greener, or more beautiful?
I would definitely say to have fun with it. Make sure it’s something you enjoy doing. For me, of course, it’s my job, but I also still love to refurbish furniture in my spare time. I have so many different colors of paint in my garage, and items I grab on the fly at Goodwill or local community thrift stores. I love giving them life again and putting them in my house—it’s fun for me, but it helps the community at the same time. It’s easier if you don’t turn it into a burden. If you love running, for example, take a bag with you and pick up trash along the way. Be proud of yourself, enjoy it, and know you’re making an impact.