Adopt A Street Or Trail

If you walk our streets or trails you might see trash that needs collecting. Removing it keeps it from being unsightly, of course, but it also helps keep it from going out to sea in rainwater runoff.

And you can help! The DNV’s Adopt A Street Program provides residents with supplies for cleaning up litter in exchange for a regular commitment to do so. You can also adopt a trail in the same way. Regularly collecting litter comes with benefits. Obviously it improves the neighbourhood for everyone, but it can also be a family affair, including kids in the process. You’ll even get a bit of exercise as well. It’s easy to do, and you are sure to meet a few appreciative neighbours while you are out doing the job.

But which streets need to be adopted? The DNV maintains the official list, but here’s a recent map showing the streets (in blue) currently adopted in Blueridge:

Map by the BCA. Data from DNV, last updated March 2024.
If your adopted street is not included, contact the DNV at infoweb@dnv.org and ask that they update their adopt a street records.

If you’d like to adopt your street, the District supplies trash grabbers, hi-vis vests, and some garbage bags to get you started. The minimum commitment is only once a month, but you can do it more often. Unless you find something large or awkward, you simply dispose of the trash with your regular, weekly garbage collection. Volunteers should not handle anything hazardous or lift something heavy. Those items get reported to the District for handling by paid employees. There is even insurance in case something happens while you are out doing the job.

Adopting is simple. There is a form to fill out and some basic information to provide, like which street or trail you’d like to adopt and how many people will be involved. Once those formalities are taken care of you can pick up your supplies and off you go. After each collection their is a short online survey to take about the collection itself, so they can track how things get done.

All the information can be found here: https://www.dnv.org/programs-and-services/adopt-street-program

Your webmaster has adopted one of the streets shown on the map, and it makes a big difference.

Please consider adopting the street you live on, or a trail you hike regularly.