The Mississippi Renaissance Garden Foundation is committed to helping bring back the beauty of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina caused incomprehensible damage to our landscaping, our trees and our environment. It will take the efforts of nearly everyone to recover, and it will take time and commitment.
The MRG wants people to care about their communities. We want them to become involved in cleanup projects, in planting projects and in anti-littering campaigns.

On April 28,2007, the day that Biloxi celebrated Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, an MRG board member initiated a neighborhood cleanup of a vacant lot in her neighborhood. This cleanup was co-sponsored by Harrison County's Beautification Commission. Flyers were passed out door-to-door to invite neighbors to become involved. Press releases were sent out and published in The Sun Herald. The HCBC provided water, soft drinks, gloves and trash bags. The neighbors brought tools, a powerful riding lawn mower and lots of energy and determination. Two of the participating men had physical conditions that made the work hard on them. One had recently had a knee replacement, and one has a herniated disk that required periods of rest, but they both gave it their all.

As you look at the photos below of the cleanup, think about mounting a cleanup at a place near where you live. Don't have the attitude of "Let someone else do it." If everyone felt that way, nothing would ever be done and we would see no progress in Coastal recovery.

Some suggestions for organizing a cleanup:

Trash and weeds along fence line next door

Front corner by Popps Ferry

Back Corner

Downed limbs and weeds

Team begins cleaning and the pile starts rising

Corner by the street - After.

Pile of trash, limbs, curtain rods, weeds, logs, cigarette butts, pieces of wire and trimmings from trees and shrubs collected during the cleanup.

Vacant lot after cleanup.