by TRC_Admin | Jun 29, 2020 | Historic, Placemaking
Photo: Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, Douglas R. Clifford
“[The log cabin] was built by hand with local trees from when logging was the primary industry in Dade City.
The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village likes to collect old things, from tiny handheld folding fans to a two-story, 156-year-old house built by one of Pasco County’s first settlers.
It is all located on the 16-acre wooded Dade City campus that teaches Florida’s pioneer history.
A dental office exhibit in the main museum educates visitors on early medical practices, and Lacoochee’s former one-room schoolhouse provides a glimpse into the educational system of the 1930s.
Last month, the museum welcomed an addition: a donated L-shaped log cabin built in the Pasco wilderness more than 100 years ago…
The log cabin, currently in two pieces awaiting connection, illustrates how handmade pioneer homes lasted despite barely using nails, adhesives and other items found in modern construction.
‘I have never seen a better example of Florida Cracker-style architecture,’ said Steve Melton, the museum volunteer who led the effort to move the cabin to the campus. ‘As the saying goes, They don’t make ‘em like they used to.’…
It’s like the Lincoln Logs that kids use to build miniature cabins, ‘but the real thing that was built to stand for over 100 years,’ Melton said…
Melton said he so fell in love with the cabin that he was inspired to write a poem about it.
The final refrain reads, ‘If only this log home could talk. Stories on the front porch, underneath her shade. This ol’ girl has a new home and life. Think of the memories that will be made.'”
— Paul Guzzo, Tampa Bay Times
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by TRC_Admin | Jun 29, 2020 | Nature, Trees
Photo: Florida Politics
“The Florida Forest Service…announced that applications are now being taken for three community and urban forestry grant programs.
‘Urban forestry accounts for over 80,000 jobs and contributes more than $8 billion to Florida’s economy,’ said Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. ‘Now is the time for our cities and towns to take advantage of these opportunities. Restoring and sustaining our urban forests is vital to improving the livability of Florida’s communities and the quality of life of our residents.’
Nikki Fried says Florida forestry accounts for 80K jobs and $8B in revenue.
The first program, Hurricane Michael Urban and Community Forest Recovery Grant, provides financial assistance to impacted communities for recovery efforts such as planting trees, tree inventory, and canopy assessment. Those qualified are eligible for up to $50,000…
The second program, Urban and Community Forests Grant Program, helps increase and protect existing tree canopies in developed areas. Qualified participants may be eligible for up to $20,000…
The third program, Managing Community Forests Grant Program, is intended to help communities create a forest management program. Funding includes up to $50,000 for three projects over a three-year window and is designed for counties with a population between 10,000 to 100,000…”
— Staff Reports, Florida Politics
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Visit the Florida Department of Agriculture site for details and applications
by TRC_Admin | Jun 29, 2020 | Trees
Photo: Fort Myers News-Press
“A group of Cape Coral residents spent Saturday morning throwing shade around the city, but it could be a few years before it provides results.
The shade thrown was in the guise of hundreds of slash pine seedlings planted near the northeast corner of Veterans Parkway and Chiquita Boulevard under the direction of a local organization, the Future Forestry Corporation.
Russ Ringland, founder and president of the group, officially started in 2004, said Skyline Self Storage bought 800 seedlings.
‘This is good news for our city and good news for our future,’ Ringland said, and pointed to a grouping of 20-foot-tall trees nearby that the organization planted 15 years ago. “It takes a few years to really see the results, but the results will be phenomenal.’
The organization’s mission is to try to bring more trees back to Cape Coral…
“We plant during the rainy season because we plant so many trees that we could not keep up with watering all of them on a regular basis,’ he explained…
Destiny Thompson, 12, was getting Boy Scout service hours helping to plant the pine seedlings.
‘It’s giving air, and you’re getting outside so you’re not trapped,’ she said.
Middle schoolers and high schoolers such as Destiny and Dominic are ideal for this plantings, Ringland said.
‘This is really good for the kids to learn they can change their environment,’ he said. ‘They have control over some things, one of them is how you take care of the place where you live.’…”
— Michael Braun, Fort Myers News-Press
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by TRC_Admin | Jun 29, 2020 | Codes, Environmental
Photo: Miami Herald
“The federal government is proposing a $4.6 billion plan to protect the low-lying Miami area from the effects of climate change, including the construction of miles of sea walls. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a draft plan … calling for walls to protect the area from sea level rise that could reach about 13 feet (4 meters) in height.
The Miami Herald reported Saturday that the plan is designed to protect tens of thousands of homes and businesses from flooding. The plan also calls for movable barriers at the mouths of three waterways, elevating and flood-proofing thousands of buildings throughout the county and restoring mangroves in vulnerable areas.
The plan does not contain previous proposals to buy out hundreds of homes and convert them into parks or open spaces…
— Associated Press, Citrus County Chronicle
Read article about this project in Miami Herald with details
by TRC_Admin | Jun 29, 2020 | Advertising Industry, Billboards
Photo: Mumbrella
“The newly-rebranded Out of Home Media Association of Aotearoa (OOHMAA) has launched a campaign to celebrate the strength of out of home as a broadcast medium as New Zealand’s restrictions reduce following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Out of Home Never Looked campaign is designed to be bold and eye catching…”
— Hannah Blackiston, Mumbrella
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