Keep Santa Fe Beautiful Receives
$25K NM Tourism Grant for
Tree Giveaway Program, Pollinator Garden
August 3, 2021 – Keep Santa Fe Beautiful received $25,000 in funding from the New Mexico Tourism Department’s “Clean and Beautiful” Grant program for environmental/beautification projects in Santa Fe. The Clean and Beautiful grant program funds projects and initiatives that contribute to ending littering, reducing waste, beautifying communities and empowering youth. KSFB applied and received funding for two projects that meet the program’s criteria: a pilot “Neighborhood Tree Giveaway” program; and construction and installation of a pollinator garden with an interpretive sign and bee sculpture.
“Keep Santa Fe Beautiful is dedicated to protecting the environment, educating youth and beautifying our community,” said Carol Branch, Executive Director of Keep Santa Fe Beautiful. “These projects are the perfect intersection of those goals, and, with the help of the community, we are looking forward to accomplishing them in the upcoming year.”
The Tree Giveaway pilot program will officially launch on Arbor Day, April 29, 2022. KSFB is working with partners in the City of Santa Fe’s Water Conservation Office and Parks Department to ensure the program aligns with the City’s “Tree Smart Santa Fe” initiative that began in early 2021 to “plant the right tree, in the right place, at the right time, with the right resources.” KSFB’s new program will prioritize drought-tolerant species for the giveaway, as well as provide recipients with water-saving tips and resources, including rain barrels, when they receive their one-gallon tree.
The pollinator garden will be installed at Calle Alvarado Park (2234 Calle Alvarado) in late spring 2022. Local high school students will help with the construction and planting as part of KSFB’s partnership with the MASTERS Program – Early College Charter High School, which provides hands-on education for students about caring for public lands and being an environmental steward.
The bee sculpture will be commissioned from a local Santa Fe artist. The garden also supports the commitments required by the City of Santa Fe’s new designation as a Bee City USA®, which brings communities together to protect pollinators “…by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides.”
Previous projects KSFB has completed under the Clean and Beautiful grant program include the design and construction of the Santa Fe Welcome Sign, rain garden installations, anti-graffiti mural projects, and more. The grant funding also supports Keep Santa Fe Beautiful’s two annual neighborhood litter cleanups, the Great American Clean-Up in spring and Toss No Mas Clean-Up day in fall, scheduled this year on Saturday, Sept. 18. Registration is open for residents who wish to participate and help keep Santa Fe beautiful.
About KSFB: Keep Santa Fe Beautiful is a 501(c)3 non-profit that partners with the City of Santa Fe’s Environmental Services Division on environmental education, litter prevention, beautification projects and more. Learn more at keepsantafebeautiful.org
