The Project

The group’s first project, EVOLUTION OF DARWIN, is an intensified effort to keep one particular area of Port St. Lucie, “super clean”, to see where this might lead.  At the beginning the target area was Darwin Blvd., a 3.5 mile stretch of road running between Becker Road and Port St. Lucie Blvd in the Southwest section of the City.  This stretch of roadway was chosen for several reasons:  it once received more Litter Hot Line complaints than any other area of the City; a city employee issued a challenge to see what could be done to reduce litter there; and with its mix of institutions, businesses, schools, housing associations, and residences, it is considered an excellent laboratory for testing how well citizens, businesses, and government can work together.  

So far accolades go to McDonalds Restaurant at the corner of Darwin and PSL Blvd. for implementing an excellent litter control program; numerous Darwin Blvd. ground crews for increasing their efforts; PEOPLE SERIOUS about LITTER members for traveling into the area to become a reliable workforce moving an experimental idea to reality; a local father and son for faithfully keeping the son’s school bus stop free of litter; the residents of Darwin for removing litter from in front of their homes; and Cle Townes, a resident of the Blvd., for walking 2.5 miles roundtrip several times a week making sure his southern portion of Darwin is kept clean, including removing cigarette butts.  Our target area has expanded through a partnering with Suzy Medenbach of Appleseed Road, a longtime Adopt-A-Street volunteer worthy of much recognition.  Kestor Blvd. and Becker Blvd. between Darwin Blvd. and the turnpike are now connected to our original target area.  Suzy can’t say enough positive things about John Hendry of the City’s two-man litter crew, Brian Burdett of Code Enforcement, City contractor Waste Pro, and Tiina Giesler of Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful for their much appreciated support over the years, all examples of our government’s contributions.