In Focus: Taking a Closer Look at DEP - Feb. 12, 2016

florida department of environmental protection in focus

Celebrate Black History Month at Florida State Parks

Ft. Mose Flight to Freedom


The month of February, Florida State Parks joins with Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott to commemorate Black History Month by recognizing the many ways African Americans have enriched Florida’s communities, culture and history. 

On Saturday, Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fort Mose’s Flight to Freedom reenactment will recreate the experience of hundreds of slaves who traveled to Fort Mose in search of freedom. Visitors can experience the Flight to Freedom Trail, which represents a freedom-seeker's journey to Florida. 

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is a designated Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site. Before the lighthouse was built, Cape Florida was a secret meeting place and port for runaway slaves and Seminole Blacks. Freedom seekers waited along its shores to rendezvous with sea captains or board dugouts for a passage to safety in the British Bahamas.

=============

In the Field 

In the Field

Record crowd at free hazardous waste training.

Free hazardous waste workshops held in four of DEP's regulatory districts around the state saved 223 businesses and commercial waste management facilities more than $50,000. The required training helps ensure environmental compliance while also saving businesses money; the training would have cost each attendee $225 if taken from a private source. 

The Northeast District drew a record crowd of 123 participants, including representatives of utilities, the aerospace industry and the military. The Central, Southeast and Southwest districts also hosted workshops. 

Invasive Species Week
Feb. 21-27

Mimosa-bugwood

Mimosa spreads quickly in vacant areas and along waterways. Photo credit: bugwood.org

Non-native invasive plants are an environmental and economic threat in Florida. They displace local vegetation, fill water bodies and reduce forage for native animals. The plants spread quickly, unchecked by the bugs, disease and other limiting factors they face in their native lands. 

You can help stem the spread of destructive non-native plants by learning to recognize species commonly found in Florida. Learn more here

=============

Battery Recycling and Disposal

In recognition of National Battery Day on Feb. 18, the department is encouraging consumers to recycle used batteries. To protect public health and the environment, it is illegal in Florida to discard cadmium and lead batteries in the trash because both can enter the environment through landfills and municipal waste combustors. 

To learn the difference between which batteries can be safely thrown in the garbage, and ones that should be recycled or taken to a hazardous waste facility, click here