Top 21 Things KTMB did in 2021!
It's hard to believe this year is coming to a close already. It seemed like just yesterday we were gathering up volunteers for KTMB's Great Community Clean-up, finally being able to gather with friends for our annual Raise the River Fundraiser and create a cleaner river corridor with KTMB's Truckee River Clean-up. There was so much more that happened we couldn't fit it in, so we decided to make a list and give a quick, fun read of 21 things KTMB accomplished in 2021. Enjoy, thank you, and cheers to a Sustainable New Year in 2022!
In our Sustainability Education Department
Aaron of Patagonia Outlet Reno with their Green Business Certificate.
KTMB certified 19 businesses as a Green Business in 2021!
Our Earth Month educational efforts were expanded to include dynamic videos from several partners with over 230 views on KTMB's website!
We provided resource support to two local organizations called Future Kind and Ecolution Studio for their flexible plastic community collection event. KTMB's recycling bins are being used to collect plastic film for an upcycled bench by Trex for the new Nevada Cares Campus Safe Camp.
KTMB’s community educational outreach efforts, such as KTMB's Quarterly River Walks and Service Learning events, helped to educate over 400 individuals about the Truckee Meadows Watershed and it’s function in our community.
This year, our Truckee River Clean-up volunteer appreciation picnic generated a total of 2.5 bags of trash for an event attended by 200 volunteers!
In our Development, Business, and Communication Department
Raise the River 2021 at Idlewild Park in the Sensory Garden.
KTMB was grateful to work with a number of partners this year who assisted in advancing our work and mission in the community. This included 30 major donors, who provided funds for KTMB programs and operations; 24 major partners, who assisted KTMB in coordinating and implementing programs and services; and 25 major in-kind supporters, who donated time, food, drinks, supplies, equipment, and more to make KTMB's work and mission possible. Thank you KTMB partners!
KTMB successfully renewed its Platinum Guidestar Seal of Approval this year. This platform connects nonprofits and potential funders. The Platinum Seal is the highest level of transparency of four possible seals (bronze, silver, gold, platinum).
KTMB also received the 100% Giving Board Award from the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada for the tenth year in a row in 2021!
KTMB made an in-person return to the Sensory Garden for KTMB's Annual Raise the River fundraising event
KTMB successfully navigated the pandemic while maintaining our mission and full staffing levels thanks to our community's generosity.
In our Youth Education Department
KTMB’s Youth Educator, Caitlin in the classroom with a Weed Warrior lesson to 3rd grade students.
KTMB kicked off our first summer teaching Waste Warriors, Weed Warriors, and Watershed Warriors to Washoe County School District summer school classes.
Expanded our Waste Warriors lessons to include developmentally appropriate activities for each elementary school grade.
Created striking new visuals for many of our Warriors lessons with help from our dedicated AmeriCorps.
Contributed to the Governor's Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology's development of an evaluation resource for informal STEM programs.
Collaborated with Pitch Black Printing and local artists on an interactive exhibit about plastic pollution in the Truckee River, at which we engaged children and adults alike in a Watershed Warriors lesson.
KTMB ditched the virtual world and hosted two COVID-safe in-person Teacher Training events in which teachers learned how to foster environmental stewardship amongst their students by speaking with experts in the field and participating in hands-on activities about waste reduction, weed mitigation, and watershed protection in the Truckee Meadows.
In our Community Programs Department
TMCC Student Government Association with a clean-up at Sun Valley Park.
Huge illegal dumpsite cleanup in partnership with the BLM, Hill's Angels, Reno Area Dirtriders, and more at the Great Community Cleanup on May 1st. Volunteers filled seven 40 yard dumpsters near Chimney Drive in Sun Valley, this equates to around 35 tons of trash removed from the desert in one day.
KTMB has been helping Washoe County Regional Park and Open Space clean-up and rehabilitate the Carcione Open Space in Mogul. Volunteers have now filled at least 5 full dumpsters with debris from this site and Washoe County has started the planning process to make this location a new trailhead in the years to come.
KTMB worked with the Downtown Reno Partnership and the City of Reno to complete one of the biggest beautification projects Downtown Reno has seen recently with the parkification of Locomotion Plaza. KTMB Volunteers planted all of the landscaping around the new park and its mural.
KTMB’s Christmas Tree Recycling program recycled over 10,200 trees last year, and we’re hoping to do even more this year!
KTMB’s Adopt-A-Spot program saw over 3,500 volunteers perform nearly 300 clean-ups at area parks, open spaces, and neighborhoods removing over 45 tons of trash and well over 50 tons of green waste and weeds.
Thank you all for your donations, support, and time volunteering in 2021! We look forward to continuing the growth in the new year and finding more ways to Keep the Truckee Meadows Beautiful!