The first project of the Stewards of Penn’s Woods was to tackle 7,000 square feet of graffiti at Hammonds Rocks in the Michaux State Forest. It was a daunting task from the first – high rocks, much vandalism. But this geologically significant place needed to be saved. Enter the Graffiti Busters.
We learned many lessons through the efforts of the Stewards of Penn’s Woods Graffiti Busters, and have three very important takeaways from their work thus far. First, the removal of graffiti is time and labor intensive. Second, graffiti often attracts other negative behavior that creates an unsafe environment for visitors. Third, graffiti impacts all of us by removing the enjoyment of a place either through safety concerns or visual blight. There are certain inescapable facts about graffiti on Pennsylvania’s public lands – chief among them that it is illegal. Period.
While we continue to remove graffiti and monitor our public lands, we know that the only way to combat graffiti in the long run is through a program of education and community involvement. If the presence of graffiti and litter and illegal fire rings and other evidence of bad behavior on our public lands troubles you as much as it does our Graffiti Busters, consider taking a few steps.
- Become a Steward of Penn’s Woods. Several of the listed projects include graffiti removal (and we learn of more all the time). You’ll earn a really cool tee shirt just for starters.
- Make a contribution to the Wall of Honor and support the purchase of supplies the Busters use.
- Check out the winners in our school-based poster (middle school) and video (high school and college) competitions.
- Browse our gallery of photos from stewardship days when our Graffiti Busters cleaned rocks. Click Gallery at the top of any page of our site.
- Read our case study and lessons learned.
- View our videos – from “how to” to “action shots.”
- Check out some great publicity for the work of the Graffiti Busters from Marcus Schneck of the Harrisburg Patriot-News from a look at the beginning of the project to the October 2016 plein air.
By and by, this destructive practice can be eliminated!
A Graffiti Busters project at Beam Rocks in the Forbes State Forest undertaken by Steward Luke Miney inspired Georgetta Frederick to undertake a similar effort at Wolf Rocks in the nearby Gallitzin State Forest.
Luke and Georgetta have expended personal funds to purchase graffiti removal supplies and have joined forces in “Wolf & Beam/Keep ‘Em Clean.” Make a contribution to the fund through the Foundation.