by TRC_Admin | Jul 27, 2023 | Environmental, Landscaping, Nature, Placemaking
Photo: Gabber
“Soon, signs like these — provided by the National Wildlife Federation to gardens that provide food, water, shelter, and breeding grounds to local wildlife — will be installed at nine new wildlife habitats on the campus of Eckerd College. The certification process is open to grounds of any size, from college campuses to backyard gardens.
When an Eckerd College student approached Grounds Manager Darla Ostenson about collaborating on a project to improve wildlife habitats for snakes on campus, she had a strong reaction.
She recalls: ‘I thought, snake habitat?! And then I thought: Yes! Somebody pinch me!’
For Ostenson, a landscape manager with a degree in conservation biology, this was a indeed a dream project. And further evidence that she’d landed in a place where animals, plants, and people could come together in ways that were not only sustainable, but educational.
New Wildlife Habitats
This spring, another eco-friendly landscaping project came to fruition: Eckerd designated nine areas across its campus as wildlife habitat, certified by the National Wildlife Federation.
Certification requires applicants to demonstrate that their habitat supplies food, water, cover, and breeding grounds for animals such as birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. It also calls for sustainable practices, such as using native plants or organic methods of pest management, for the habitat. The National Wildlife Federation states that 22,513 ‘wildlife gardens’ have been created through its certification process, which is open to all kinds of sites from Eckerd’s 188-acre campus to backyard gardens.
According to Ostenson, the process was simple. After surveying prospective habitats and gaining approval from Eckerd’s Environmental Affairs Committee, she was able to input the information directly to the National Wildlife Federation’s website. Eckerd’s student government and Office of Sustainability covered the certification fees, which defrays the cost of a stylish sign you can place in your habitat.
In spring 2023, a pair of Great Horned owls nested in a pine tree on Eckerd College’s campus, helping to inspire the idea of habitat certification for this and other areas of campus.
Eckerd’s newly certified habitats span a range of types, from meadow-like native flower gardens, to ponds fringed with aquatic plants, to pine groves. Some high-profile visitors have recently put one of the new habitats on the map: a pair of nesting great horned owls…”
— Amanda Hagood, The Gabber
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by TRC_Admin | Jul 27, 2023 | Codes, Environmental, Lighting, Sky
Photo: Steven Miller Photography in Tampa Bay Times
“Groveland’s work over the last three years to replace light fixtures will allow the night sky to shine clearer and brighter than it has in decades.
About 30 miles west of Orlando sits Groveland, a rural town of about 23,000 people that is seeing shipping giants like Amazon and Kroger bring jobs inside its city limits.
While the community welcomed the job growth, the lights on the warehouse rooftops were turning Groveland’s night sky into a hazy orange that made seeing stars at night challenging.
When residents and students pushed for a local ordinance protecting views of the night sky from harsh city lights in 2017, local officials were on board.
Six years later, Groveland has been recognized as the first Florida city to meet the criteria set by the international organization DarkSky to reduce the artificial brightness that drowns out the night sky.
Andrew Landis, Groveland conservation and special planning manager, spearheaded efforts to reduce light pollution in his fast-growing home city…
Steven Miller of Orlando is the southeast U.S. regional delegate for DarkSky, which is dedicated to reducing light pollution across the world. In 2020, the city of Groveland asked Miller what it would take to become the 41st city to meet DarkSky’s accreditation requirements.
Groveland’s recognition came after three years of public outreach and policy work…
About 12 volunteers now work as ‘citizen scientists’ in Groveland. The city supplies them with $150 light pollution testing devices, which resemble garage door remotes. From there, they are tasked with driving around the 54-square-mile city and pointing the machines at the clear night sky. Groveland is mostly rural and it takes about 30 minutes to get from one end to the other, Landis said…
Groveland is currently retrofitting old streetlamps with dark-sky-friendly lights, which are shielded downward with a low color temperature. City staff hope to replace every light fixture by 2027. But the night sky city ordinance applies immediately to new buildings, and explaining this to developers is sometimes tricky, Landis said.
‘Most people are receptive to it, but if they’re not, they learned quickly that we’re pretty serious,’ he said…
Groveland still has a long way to go before it reaps the rewards of the new city ordinance, Miller said. Installing new lights around the city and helping local businesses follow suit will take time and even more community outreach.
Some communities already see Groveland as a shining example of responsible city lighting.
Miller said the city of Okeechobee has reached out to him about adopting a city plan like Groveland’s ordinance.
‘I really believe that, yes, it will take off,’ Miller said. ‘I do think it’s going to take a little bit of time…'”
— Jack Prator, Tampa Bay Times
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by TRC_Admin | Jul 27, 2023 | Environmental, Nature, Trash
Photo: Sean Arnold, Riverland News
“A pilot project to remove muck and invasive plants in the lower Rainbow River was awarded a $1.8 million grant in the latest Florida budget signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 15.
The Rainbow River Restoration Project was launched by Art Jones and his nonprofit, One Rake at a Time, Inc., to vacuum and scoop large mats of algae and invasive hydrilla and plant native eelgrass in the hopes that the eelgrass beds can outcompete the hydrilla and eliminate the need to deploy herbicides.
Jones said the grant will fund the completion of a survey to determine the scope of the muck in the lower 25 acres of the river. It will also contribute to the design of a work plan to remove the muck and debris and the water testing process. He said the survey is 80 percent finished and is due to be completed within the next month. The survey is required for additional government assistance in the five-year project…
Jones said the river has been declining since at least the time when phosphate mining descended into the area. ‘People have just taken from the river, leaving whatever mess they made for others to clean up,’ he said. ‘It’s time to give back.’
Springs watch dogs such as the Florida Springs Council report that most of the river’s deterioration is due to increased nitrate concentration from agricultural runoff. Jones said even if the sources of the problem were fixed tomorrow, the muck would remain. ‘Those things will help in the future and are in process now, but it will take years to accomplish,’ he said. ‘We need to start cleaning up the river now, at the same time – a two-prong approach. This grant, while not a magic wand, is at least a start.’
Jones hosts monthly meetings on the Rainbow River Restoration Project at Holy Faith Episcopal in Dunnellon.
Visit OneRakeataTime.org to learn more about the restoration project and volunteering opportunities.”
— Sean Arnold, Riverland News
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by TRC_Admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Codes, Environmental, Planting, Trees
Photo: Juan Castro Olivera
“Key Biscayne residents will have it made in the shade soon, with 59 trees to be planted from a Miami-Dade County Neat Streets grant, and a 60th tree which was recently planted at Lake Park with the help of young students from the K-8 School.
That 10-foot bald cypress will be symbolic of the Village’s latest award, being named Tree City USA for 2022 by the National Arbor Foundation for its, well, tree-mendous efforts on beautification, adding oxygen into the atmosphere and extending the precious canopy to keep the environment cooler.
Olga Garcia, Zoning Plans Reviewer and Planner with the Village, was presented with the official certificate from the National Arbor Day Foundation during the last Village Council meeting by Mayor Joe Rasco for her efforts in getting Key Biscayne designated as a Tree City USA community. village council meeting
‘It’s a very nice thing to get; Olga handled most of the application,’ said Jeremy Calleros Gauger, director of the Building, Zoning and Planning department. ‘I think the symbolic portion of it is how much tree canopy Key Biscayne had added over 30 years, even 10 years.’
He said the island’s 26% coverage is more than most other Miami-Dade municipalities, but ‘there’s still room for improvement.’
Key Biscayne becomes the 165th Tree City USA in Florida and one of 3,653 recognized cities across the country, ‘a relatively small number when you think how many cities there are,’ Calleros Gauger said.”
— Hillard Grossman, Islander News
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by TRC_Admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Environmental, Historic, Nature, Trees
Photo: Patricia Moynihan / WFSU Public Media
“Paul Russell Road is one of several that bisects the English property forest
A plan to save part of the English Forest in Tallahassee from development has moved a step closer. The Acquisition and Restoration Council of Florida Forever unanimously voted to approve the English Forest Preserve Project. Support from the Tallahassee City Commission, and other local entities helped secure the vote.
The Council expressed concern about the preservation plan—noting that it only covers part of the property and not all of the original 600 acres that was rezoned for mixed-use development last year. Despite those reservations, the council decided the environmental and archaeological importance of the property was enough to approve the plan for further evaluation.
‘We have evidence that there’s a good pattern of occupation,’ said Mary Glowacki of the Panhandle Archaeological Society. She says the area was occupied by Paleo-Indian peoples.
‘And the fact Mr. English himself collected a lot of lithic material that dates to that time period, there should be something out there.’
Glowacki said the potential for an archaeological discovery is likely, but not without the financial backing of Florida Forever.
‘It would be unfortunate the way the development could proceed if the property didn’t get brought under ARC,’ she said. ‘The city and the county don’t have a rigorous review program for cultural resources ahead of development, so we might jeopardize finding out more about cultural resources if that’s the case…’
The acquisition of the land by Florida Forever is not a done deal. The property must now undergo further evaluation, and a second vote is set for later this year to determine if the project will earn a spot on Florida Forever’s 2024 priority list.”
— Alexis Rejouis, WFSU
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by TRC_Admin | Jul 12, 2023 | Environmental, Nature
Photo: Butterfly Orchid, David Lotker
“Deering Estate is proud to be part of Miami-Dade County’s efforts to support our native pollinators. Pollinators are essential to our lives, 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s crops rely on pollinators. What that means is a lot of the food found in your local supermarket needed a pollinator. Now more than ever we all need to play an active role in supporting our pollinators as they are facing significant threats. A 2017 report by the Center of Biological Diversity found that 25% of native bee species are imperiled in the United States and worldwide more than 50% of native bee species are in decline.
That is why Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces and Deering Estate are leading the effort to increase native pollinator habitat in urban green spaces and educate the public that they can do the same at home…
Current and future projects
In 2023 as parts of the Parks for Pollinators initiative we have commenced our Propagation Station and Native Pollinator Nursery Area inside of the estate. This will serve as both as an exhibit on native pollinator plants, an educational area to conduct botanical workshops and field trips, and as an outdoor laboratory to experiment techniques on propagation and growth with our research interns. We hope to grow over 40 species of native pollinator plants with a focus on the plants historically found in our natural areas.
Deering Estate is hosting and participating in programs and events for our community to learn and experience the magic of native pollinators. 22, August 26 and September 23…
Park and Recreation Month is celebrated in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks. This year’s theme “Where Community Grows” celebrates the vital role park and recreation professionals play in bringing people together, providing essential services and fostering the growth of our communities.
Make sure to check out our ‘Plant an Orchid, Save a Bee’ event on Saturday, July 15th where we will have Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden botanists and UF/IFAS Extension Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program agents teaching you how to plant and care of native orchids and how to build your own pollinator hotel to take home! For more information, please visit the website. ”
— Ana Alexandra Rojas, MS Conservation and Research Specialist
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