The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has marked the 30th anniversary of its Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) program, where volunteers "adopt" a highway to collect litter. The program currently has more than 4,900 participating groups, more than 100,000 volunteers, and more than 10,000 miles of adopted state-maintained roadways.
Building upon the Adopt-A-Highway program, PennDOT offers volunteers the opportunity to add landscaping to their litter collection efforts by way of the Adopt and Beautify program. Through Adopt and Beautify, volunteers expand upon PennDOT's planting efforts to cultivate approved plantings and conduct litter pickup along state-maintained roadways under a two-year commitment. In return, PennDOT places a sign recognizing the group for its efforts. Interchange areas and traffic islands are also available for adoption.
As an enhancement to Adopt and Beautify, PennDOT has developed a Pollinator Habitat Plan that will create naturalized gardens and meadows planted with pollinator-friendly plant species at designated sites in partnership with public and private organizations. The gardens can be planted and maintained at a PennDOT-designated pollinator habitat site within the department's right-of-way property, including at county facilities, interstate rest stops, or approved interchange areas or traffic islands. Individuals or groups such as clubs, schools, churches, businesses, and families may apply to adopt gardens for two-year timeframes. In return for their participation, PennDOT posts signs near the garden giving the volunteers credit for their efforts.
More information on PennDOT's roadside beautification efforts can be found at http://www.PennDOT.gov.
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