All About Beautify FSU: From Campus Cleanups to Recycled Crafts

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

One of my favorite things about FSU is the beauty of our campus. From the azaleas that bloom in the spring to the bright green grass on Landis Green, there are so many sights to see. However, with so many students, staff, and parents walking around every day, it’s important to help the campus remain beautiful for the people, plants, and animals that live here.

That’s where Beautify FSU, the first collegiate affiliate of Keep Florida Beautiful, comes in. Keep Florida Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and aims to foster education and inspire action toward improving and preserving the beauty of Florida.

Co-presidents Cole Beiner and McKenzie Carlson, who have worked with other Keep Florida Beautiful chapters in the past, wanted to bring their experience to the Tallahassee community. To help achieve that goal, they just recently created Beautify FSU.

What is Beautify FSU?

Beautify FSU’s goal is to preserve Florida’s ecology and natural resources while providing FSU students with the tools they need to make conscious decisions that help the environment. “We’re focused on individual impact,” says Beiner. “We want to encourage students to have the knowledge and comfortability to change their lifestyles to become more sustainable.”

The club hosts three types of events to do just that: educational, beautification, and service. Educational events use games and workshops to teach sustainable practices that can be used in students’ everyday lives. Beautification events are more on the creative side, such as using crafts to upcycle items that would otherwise end up in the trash. Finally, service events are the cleanups that happen around campus and the Tallahassee community.

Each type of event happens once a month, and Beautify FSU changes the times and days each month so everyone can find time in their schedule to come to different events. They also plan for both weekdays and weekends to make things extra easy for students.

Events and Goals

I recently went to the community cleanup at Lake Ella, which was a great opportunity to meet other people and pick up trash at such a popular place. Lake Ella is known for its large population of ducks and geese, so being able to prevent trash from ending up in their diet was a huge win for everyone.

I also met other students who were just as excited to help make Tallahassee a safer and more beautiful place for everyone who lives here. “My favorite part about being in the club is meeting everyone and being social. It’s so fulfilling to see everyone’s passion,” Beiner said.

Being a resource for students is important to the officers of Beautify FSU, as they also have the goal of becoming more present on campus and making their General Body Meetings more accessible. Currently, the club is in the process of becoming certified on ServScript and plans to host a workshop where members can learn how to log their hours.

How to Get Involved

The easiest way to get involved with Beautify FSU is to show up to any of their events. Take it from someone who randomly showed up one day — it’s worth it. They’re open to everyone, and you don’t need to be a member to get service hours for the cleanups.

Everything you need to know is posted on their Instagram, where they also have the club Flare linked in their bio. Another way to stay updated is through Nole Central, which is home to their event photos, meeting details, and officer list.

Events for October are currently being planned, so make sure to pop out to anything that sounds fun! I can’t wait to see what Beautify FSU has in store for the rest of their first semester on campus.

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