Q&A with Asha Ellen, Executive Director of Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful
If you’re passionate about beautification, you’re going to love the latest projects this affiliate has to offer. Join us for a conversation about youth cleanups, the city’s famous cherry blossom trees, and the power we all have to learn something new at any age.
We’d love to hear a little more about how you came to be in this role. Have you always been passionate about improving the environment?
I started this role in April, and six months prior to that, our mayor appointed me to serve on the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful board. That was in the fall of 2021, and my first real introduction to the organization. Even before that though, I had participated in various community cleanups here in Macon. I even coordinated one with the district attorney’s office when I worked as the director of outreach, engagement, and diversity for the Macon Judicial Circuit. For me, picking up litter was always just a common decency, to be honest, and something that was embedded in me early on as a child. It’s just the right thing to do.
I feel blessed as the executive director to have committed board members that feel the same way, and strong relationships with our mayor and county commissioners. They, along with our volunteers, are the reason I’m able to successfully run this organization. No one person can do it alone!
What have some of your favorite projects or events been so far?
I love all the projects that we do, but those that involve working with our young people are the most fulfilling for me. Whether they’re with the Boys & Girls Club, a local school, or another youth organization, we try to go beyond just doing cleanups. I try to be present at all of them, and I talk to the kids before, during, and after about why we’re doing what we’re doing, and the importance of preserving our environment. It sounds cliché, but they are our future. Most recently, I did a cleanup with a group of young men from the Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia. It was a smaller group, so I had the opportunity to talk to them one-on-one and get to know a little more about their interests. Some were athletes, some were into theater, but on that particular day, we all had the common goal of cleaning the neighborhood together. We originally planned to clean the area around their building, but we noticed litter and debris on the playground at the elementary school across the street, so we headed over there. This was on a Saturday, so some neighborhood families were able to witness what these young men were doing. I like to think that we planted a seed, even subconsciously, in the minds of those six-year-olds playing on the swings or the slide, as they watched these teens making their playground a better place.
Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful volunteers after a weekend cleanup
What a great opportunity! And of course, we’re chatting right in the middle of December. What are some things Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful does to make the holiday season more sustainable?
Of course, we’re all familiar with Bring One for the Chipper, the statewide Christmas tree recycling initiative. We’re already in the mode of advertising and soliciting volunteers for it. This will be my first one as executive director, but I know from conversations with our board and local officials that we always get good engagement with our community. I’m definitely anticipating a great turnout this year. We’re also focusing on some of our partnership initiatives this month, and meeting with local school officials to kick off the coming year. It’s a great time, as other events slow down a bit, to get ready for what’s coming next.
What does your affiliate look forward to in the future? What further impact do you hope to see?
It’s interesting that you ask that, because right now we’re on the eve of having our big strategic planning meeting with our board. We’re focusing on moving from the transactional to the transformative, and really expanding our outreach and relationships within the Macon-Bibb community. We currently do a lot in terms of education, and that often correlates with youth, but really, people of any age can learn more about how they can improve our environment. In January, I’m meeting with some of our senior citizens, or as I like to call them, “seasoned citizens”, at a local community center to talk about ways in which they can get involved. I’ll be going to neighborhood watch meetings as well, and looking for more opportunities to partner with other organizations.
Beautification is another big focus of ours. Many people are probably familiar with Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival. Its founder, Carolyn Crayton, also founded Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful, and we’re housed in the same building and have a very close relationship. Just a couple of days ago, we partnered on a tree planting event at Carolyn Crayton Park. For over 40 years, everyone has been accustomed to Yoshino cherry trees, which is what we started with, but there are actually over 100 varieties available, and we’ve introduced several more here in Macon. Expanding that and educating our community about it has been a huge initiative, and now you’ll see these new varieties at the park along with pink signs, of course, to identify them. We’re also happy to be working with others in the area, like garden clubs, the local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and schools that have community gardens on their grounds.
Any advice for people looking to make their communities cleaner, greener, or more beautiful?
Well, not everyone might be able to plant a tree or flowers—not everyone has a green thumb—but what we can all do is not litter. It’s the simplest thing to dispose of trash in the proper place. If you’re driving in a car, or on a walk, just hold on to it. Wherever you’re going, there is going to be some type of trash receptacle. That’s the easiest thing we can all do.