We recently adopted a highway & wanted to write about this program in hopes to inspire others to do the same! Adopt-A-Highway is not just in North Carolina, so if you are reading this & reside in another state, I would suggest doing an internet search to find your local Adopt-A-Highway program information.

There is no fee to be part of the program, but NCDOT asks volunteers to commit at least four years to a 2-mile stretch of roadway. my local Litter cleanups happen a minimum of four times a year, and sometimes more on heavily traveled roads.

NCDOT installs two Adopt-A-Highway signs with a recognition panel on the adopted roadway and provides training and materials so volunteers can safely carry out their goals.

When you apply for the program, you will submit what you want your signs to say. I’ve seen many signs with business names, “In Memory of”, & Churches to name a few.

On our signs I had them put “The Jacobs Family” because my grandma-in-law helps me pick up trash & hopefully more will join in (as the kids get older) & so it truly is a Jacobs family joint effort. But you can have anything put on your signs within reason (they do have a few rules).

Volunteers must be at least 12 years old and children 12-17 must be supervised by an adult who is at least 21 years old.

NCDOT provides participants safety training, safety vests and trash bags. They also provided me with a trash grabber, so I don’t have to bend over. You can also get T-shirts with a $10 donation (I have yet to receive mine in the mail but once I do, I’ll post a picture of me wearing it so you can see what they look like) When you get your “welcome packet” it comes with so much helpful information to keep you safe when picking up trash. for example, sheets with pictures of what to NEVER touch & who to call out to pick up all things dangerous. They truly provide all the essentials (physical & educational) to get you well on your way.

Some lessons we learned on our first pickup:

Wear tall waterproof boots because ditches can be very wet & weeds can be very tall in the summer.

Wear bug spray! We picked up early in the cool of the morning & so I didn’t think to spray with bug spray, but I had ticks on me so next time I will definitely be spraying.

Wear a hat if it’s a sunny day & put on sunscreen!

HAVE A WAGON!!!!! trash bags get VERY VERY HEAVY & with a span of 2 miles (the minimum you can adopt) that is a long way to carry bags. Our next pick up we will pull a garden wagon or something along those lines, so we don’t have to carry bags.

The N.C. Department of Transportation established the Adopt-a-Highway program in 1988. Since then, tens of thousands of volunteers have reduced litter and also saved taxpayers millions of dollars annually in roadside cleanup costs. Adopt-A-Highway has more than 120,000 participants across the state — civic and community groups, including schools, religious, professional and social organizations, as well as individuals and families.

To volunteer with Adopt-A-Highway, interested groups should first use the litter management map to determine roadway availability and then request a segment when submitting their online application. 

When you are driving, take note of the many Adopt-A-Highway signs along our NC roads & please say a prayer for the safety of all of us out here picking up trash, & for the many who continually throw trash out their car windows. May they feel conviction & desist from littering.