You know that spot in your neighborhood that always looks terrible? The median strip with the fast food wrappers? The little park where people dump their trash? What if I told you Fort Worth wants to give you the power to fix it – and you’ll actually get happier in the process?
Meet Fort Worth’s Adopt-A-Spot program, where you can literally adopt a public space and transform it from an eyesore into something that makes you proud to live here. And here’s the best part: it’s completely free, and science proves you’ll feel better about yourself while doing it.
Meet Rob: The Guy Who Turned Trash Pickup Into His Happy Place
Rob Bauereisen spent 35 years working at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, and when he retired, he could have spent his days on the golf course. Instead, he decided to adopt the parkway across from his house – and now he’s the happiest guy in Handley.
“I wanted to give back to the city and my community,” Rob says. What started as mowing and edging his local parkway has turned into a six-mile stretch of Fort Worth that he keeps clean from Handley Drive to Hitson Lane.
But here’s what’s really cool: Rob doesn’t just pick up trash. He’s also a Code Ranger (reporting minor violations to help the neighborhood), volunteers 25 hours a month with Fort Worth Police through Code Blue, and joins neighborhood cleanups. The man has turned community service into his full-time retirement hobby.
And he loves every minute of it. Research backs up what Rob discovered – volunteers are genuinely happier people. There’s something about taking care of your community that just makes you feel good about yourself.
How You Can Adopt Your Own Spot
It’s ridiculously easy. No application fees, no annual costs, no complicated paperwork. Just a five-year agreement that you can handle however works for your life.
Who can do this? Literally anyone:
- You and your family
- Your business or office team
- Neighborhood groups
- Scout troops
- Church groups
- Environmental clubs
- That friend group that’s always looking for something fun to do together
Two Ways to Make Your Mark
Option 1: Just Want to Pick Up Trash?
Choose the Litter-Only Adoption. You’ll focus on cleanups with maybe some planting or beautification projects when you feel like it. Fort Worth will work with you on whatever makes sense for your spot.
Get started: Contact Keep Fort Worth Beautiful or call 817-392-2046.
Option 2: Want to Go All Out?
Choose the Maintenance Adoption if you want to do mowing, irrigation, and other serious upkeep. You’ll need a formal contract (minimum two years) and possibly insurance, but you’ll have more control over your space.
Get started: Contact the Park & Recreation team.
What Your Neighbors Will Think
Imagine walking through your neighborhood and seeing that spot that used to embarrass you now looking like something from a magazine. Your neighbors will wonder who the mystery hero is. Kids will have a clean, safe place to play. That Instagram photo of your morning walk will actually look good.
The ripple effect is real. When one person starts caring for a public space, others notice. Property values improve. Community pride grows. Suddenly your whole neighborhood feels different.
Why This Actually Makes You Happier
Here’s the thing Rob figured out: when you take ownership of something in your community, you stop feeling powerless about the problems around you. Instead of driving past that trashy median and getting annoyed, you drive past your adopted spot and feel proud.
It’s like therapy, but with immediate visible results. You can see exactly what your effort accomplished. That pile of trash is gone because you picked it up. That flower bed looks beautiful because you planted it. That’s your work making your community better.
Winter Bonus: Keep Your Irrigation Smart
If your adopted spot has sprinklers, Fort Worth wants to remind you about winter care (because nobody wants frozen pipes or icy sidewalks):
- Turn off irrigation from November through March and drain the system
- Check those freeze sensors – they should automatically shut off when it gets cold
- Bermuda grass is sleeping – it doesn’t need water right now
- Hand water plants only if we’re having a really dry spell
Questions about watering? Email the Water Conservation team or call 817-392-8740.
Your Next Weekend Project
Think about it: What’s the one spot in your neighborhood that drives you crazy every time you see it? The place you always think “somebody should do something about that”?
Here’s your chance to be that somebody. Five years from now, you could be the Rob of your neighborhood – the person everyone thanks for making their community a place they’re proud to call home.
Ready to get happier while making Fort Worth more beautiful? Pick your spot, make the call, and start your own transformation story. Your future self (and your neighbors) will thank you.
