Greener Roadsides

MISSOURI - First Place Winner in Categories IV and V

Missouri's New Adopt-A-Highway Sign Showcases Wildflowers

Adopt-A-Highway is part of public awareness in Missouri.

Missouri's New Adopt-A-Highway Sign Showcases Wildflowers?

Q:  What's blue and yellow and popping up all over?
A:  The new and improved Adopt-A-Highway sign.

"We felt adopters needed to be better recognized, and these new signs highlight volunteers in a wonderful program we wholeheartedly support," says Henry Hungerbeeler, MoDOT director.

The new signs provide seven benefits, which include:

• A new distinctive shape for instant visual recognition.
• Adopters are more prominently recognized with larger type.
• More room for adopters' names.
• More colorful and eye-catching.
• Long-lasting aluminum material with better color retention.
• New sign replaces four other types of signs.
• Blue background with yellow lanceleaf coreopsis artwork.

While taking care of their adopted sections of highway during the spring and summer, volunteers are likely to notice a bright, yellow flower decorating the roadsides. This is the same flower featured on the new Adopt-A-Highway sign. The yellow coreopsis is a native Missouri wildflower, and several species are found throughout the state. Its natural habitats are in prairies and glades and along railroads and roadsides. While volunteers help keep roadsides clean, the coreopsis does its best to naturally beautify our environment.

Adopt-A-Highway is all about support. MoDOT has relied on the support of thousands of volunteers to help keep Missouri clean since the program started in 1987. Although most adopters choose to pick up litter, they can also beautify, mow or do a combination of all three.

MoDOT encourages adopters to landscape and beautify highway roadsides, and suggests planting shrubs, trees and flowers to complement the roadsides' neighboring land. Some areas also include wildflower plantings including, but not limited to the coreopsis showcased on the sign. The new sign has generated an increased interest in wildflowers and native species statewide. The educational opportunities concerning native wildflowers and grasses abound as new groups join the Adopt-A-Highway program.

Close-up of a surprising Missouri native, prickly pear, on highway 54.

Many adopters also mow their right of ways. It takes a lot of time and more than $22 million a year to mow the grass on highway roadsides. MoDOT actually spends more time on mowing than on snow removal, patching roadways, putting up signs or painting stripes. To reduce costs and use resources more efficiently, the department allows and recognizes volunteers' efforts to mow roadsides.

"People join Adopt-A-Highway for all kinds of reasons," Armstrong notes. "Some want to give something back to their community, some want to educate others about the effects of littering and some join for a way to get some exercise."

It began with a concern for the environment on the state's 385,000-plus acres of highway right of way. It has evolved into much more, including saving taxpayers money. Statewide, litter control costs more than $6 million a year, but that bill would be an estimated $2 million a year higher without the adopters.

"This is a really exciting time to be part of Adopt-A-Highway," says Stacy Armstrong, program coordinator. "We have a new look and a renewed commitment. Few community service programs make such an impact while being as simple and easy to implement as the Adopt-A-Highway program."