“We’re All Neighbors.”

Keep Austin Beautiful

Words by Sam Lauron Photos by Shelby Bella

In Austin, a spacious park, a bike trail, or even a small body of water is often just a stone’s throw away. But in order to maintain the city’s lauded natural surroundings and enjoy them for years to come, residents have a civic responsibility to take care of those spaces, according to Rodney Ahart, executive director of Keep Austin Beautiful.

“It would be great if you could clean your house once and never have to clean it again,” Rodney says jokingly. “But that’s not the case—and it’s the same with our city.”

Since 1985, Keep Austin Beautiful has been on a mission to ensure that everyone has access to clean, safe, and beautiful outdoor spaces, a notion Rodney describes as “beauty equity.” To do this, the nonprofit implements several cleanup programs that focus on removing litter, beautifying public spaces, cleaning waterways, and reducing waste in neighborhoods all around the city. A majority of their volunteer cleanups are community-generated and led, meaning people will reach out to Keep Austin Beautiful about a certain site that needs to be cleaned up, and the organization will provide the resources to make it happen.

Keep Austin Beautiful also hosts community engagement days, which are larger cleanups led by the nonprofit. These events encourage all residents to get involved by coming out to a site, whether it’s a park or a street intersection, and connect with the outdoors. Rodney finds that “once people participate in a cleanup or one of our volunteer activations, they become stewards of that area.”

In recent years, these community engagement days have been more focused on areas in East Austin, an initiative that Rodney proudly supports as a third-generation Eastsider. In fact, it was the mission of the organization—which he’s been with for ten years now—that drew him to Keep Austin Beautiful in the first place.

“Growing up in East Austin and then eventually being exposed to West Austin, I saw the disparity between the two areas, whether it was full parks or cleaner roadways,” he recalls. “That really resonated with me as a kid.” By leading Keep Austin Beautiful’s initiatives, Rodney feels as if he’s better able to unify Austin and connect people from all areas to the city’s outdoor spaces.

“At the end of the day, we all want the same things,” he states. “We want to live in a safe home, a clean neighborhood, and go to great schools.” He goes on to say that “spaces matter, and it’s [important] for everyone to realize that we’re all neighbors and residents of Austin.”

Save the Date: Keep Austin Beautiful Day

The nonprofit also hosts the annual Keep Austin Beautiful Day which has now been postponed until Fall 2020. Keep Austin Beautiful Day is a citywide community cleanup that brings together over 3,000 volunteers each year. The day is dedicated to servicing more than 100 sites that include creeks, parks, schools, and other public spaces through beautification initiatives like litter cleanups and landscaping. Learn how to get involved at keepaustinbeautiful.org.