Easily recognizable from their matching orange shirts, a group of volunteers called the “Beautification Brigade” grow plants to keep beauty in and around Tompkins County.

What is the beautification program?

The Tompkins County Community Beautification Program runs the Beautification Brigade, volunteer sessions from April to November. These volunteers expand upon the greenery of Tompkins County by planting flowers, laying mulch and growing vegetation.

Community Beautification Coordinator Janine Willis said the program has a variety of goals.

“Our main goals are to improve aesthetics around town, in particular where tourists show up,” Willis said. “Because we’re a part of [Cornell Cooperative Extension], we’re interested in educating the public about gardens, sustainability practices [and] maintenance.”

The program is operated by the Cornell Cooperative Extension, which connects Cornell University with community organizers for shared goals. The program also receives partial funding from the Tompkins County Tourism Program, Willis said.

Who works with the program?

The program relies on the support of its volunteers. Although there are more than 100 registered volunteers, Willis said about 10 to 20 work with the program each year.

“Anybody who wants to join us is able to,” Willis said. “You don’t have to know anything. We’ll teach you.”

Rhonda Lathwell, one of the program’s volunteers, said she got involved with the program because deer kept eating from her garden.

“I went to Cooperative Extension to learn what I could plant without any trouble,” Lathwell said. “Eventually I was rewarded because we would get plantings from our work and use those at home that would not attract the deer.”

How does the program decide what to plant?

Although perennials come back after a harsh winter, they do not flower all year. In order to keep a vibrant look for the community, Willis said the Beautification Brigade chooses plants for each season rather than the whole year.

“We plant a lot of annual flowers, which is great,” Willis said. “They provide color all season unlike perennials.”

Additionally, the program not only buys from local growers but also plants many of their flowers in Cornell-sponsored greenhouses, according to Willis.

Public reactions to the program

Eileen Sheehan, Community Beautification Program Assistant, said locals will often stop and thank the volunteers for their work.

“People wave to us all the time and honk and yell out thank you a lot,” Sheehan. “It’s not why we do it but it sure helps us keep going when the weather is really hot or humid or wet.”

Greta Perl, the owner of Alphabet Soup, a toy store on the Commons, said she appreciates the work that the Beautification Brigade does.

“[The program] always really keeps it looking really vibrant and fun here,” Perl said. “I definitely notice if I’m ever taking a picture of the store I’m always like, ‘Let’s try and get some of the flowers in the picture,’ so it looks really lively.”

The importance of the program

Outside of aesthetics, the program has put a focus on sustainability to keep in line with the city of Ithaca’s recent sustainability goals, Sheehan said. This includes growing drought resistant plants and using irrigation hoses.

Willis emphasized the importance of community collaboration, especially with the city, when it comes to improving the county.

“The city was able to provide us with water that was non-potable so we weren’t taking water from sources that people were using for drinking water,” Willis said. “We’re trying to work with the land rather than making the land work for us.”