Spring 2014
 This issue of the Growing Green newsletter brings you
news of Leon County's 2014 sustainability highlights to date. Both
County and community features exemplify collaborative efforts between
Leon County government and the local community that have resulted in a
stronger and greener place. Whether it's creating a new community garden
or opening a new public park, Leon County is proud to be part of it
all. Read on to find out how you can get involved too. Best wishes for
the spring season and upcoming Earth Day on April 22.
Sincerely,
Vincent S. Long
Leon County Administrator
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It seems like Leon County residents can't get enough
gardening! Leon County recently dedicated another community garden site
on County-owned property, the Pumpkin Place Community Garden.
For
those of you who don't know, Leon County administers a popular
Community Garden Program. The program supports two types of gardens:
community gardens that are created on County property to grow food for
use by the gardeners who maintain the site, and stakeholder gardens for
which Leon County provides ancillary support.
 Pumpkin Place Garden Organizer Frank Voran (right) gets some
assistance tending the garden from Leon County Commissioners John Dailey
and Mary Ann Lindley.
The Pumpkin Place Community Garden began as a resident-led initiative in
the Lake Jackson Heights neighborhood. Garden organizer Frank Voran,
retired principal of Woodville Elementary School, worked closely with
the County to develop the garden on a County property that had been
acquired to address flooding problems. The garden has added new social
and environmental benefits to this previously vacant site. The founding
gardeners are using Native American planting strategies and crops at the
site, and the garden is named for Seminole squash (very similar to a
pumpkin). Other garden crops special to Leon County's agricultural
heritage include Indian corn and velvet beans. The garden has its own
compost area, and it is planned to evolve into a 100-percent organic
garden. But corn and beans are not the only things on the gardeners'
plates - the Pumpkin Place Garden also has a beekeeping operation and
fruit and nut trees.
 Community gardeners work together to ensure the success of the garden.
Along with the fresh veggies the garden provides, the garden is bringing
together neighbors, some of whom have met for the first time because of
the garden. Leon County is pleased to support community gardens because
of the combined social and environmental benefits they contribute to
neighborhoods. A local garden allows neighbors to come together to share
knowledge, tell stories, and even meet new people, creating a
close-knit and safer community. Leon County is honored to support a new
community garden, and as always, encourages its residents to "Go Green!"
If you have questions about the Community Garden Program, please
contact Sustainability Coordinator Kathryn Ziewitz at (850) 606-5383 or
email Sustainability@LeonCountyFl.gov.
Interested in applying for a Leon County Community Garden mini-grant?
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Imagine a playground that does not consist mostly of metal and plastic,
but instead is designed to mimic a Florida landscape. You will find such
a place at the Discovery Park playground located in our downtown area's
new Cascades Park, a project supported by Leon County. This
one-of-a-kind playground features natural surroundings such as a
climbing set that was created from a 100-year-old cypress tree excavated
from a lake in Wewahitchka. It also has a water pump and sluice that
children can operate. Discovery Park, presented by First Commerce Credit
Union, was the brainchild of the Knight Creative Communities
Institute's (KCCI) Cultivate Cascades team. Discovery Park was designed
by Meghan Mick, the founder of From the Ground Up, a design and
consulting firm that specializes in playscapes and healing and
therapeutic gardens. Mick donated her services for design and
construction coordination. She wanted the park to have greater purposes
than play - it is designed to help kids notice and appreciate the
natural landscape around them and develop a stronger sense of place,
which benefits a child's social, academic, and physical development.
 Young ones demonstrate that the "Cypress Climb" is aptly named.
Along with introducing kids to a natural Florida
landscape, the play area spurs creativity because, as Mick states, how
to use the equipment is "not so blatantly obvious." Children have to
figure out how to play in the park. Not only does this enhance
creativity, but it also helps children build necessary social and
learning skills.
For more information on how to enhance your child's and your own outdoor experiences, here are a few resources to check out:
April 26
Good Plant, Bad Plant
Leon County Office of Sustainability
Your
landscape could be harboring plants that harm our local environment.
Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish a "good" plant from a "bad" one.
Join us to learn about harmful exotic and invasive plants that damage
the environment, methods to eradicate them, and the best plant
alternatives for your landscape. The program features local specialists
Michael Jenkins, a plant conservation biologist with the Florida Forest
Service, and Taylor Vandiver, Leon County's horticulture Extension
agent.
Bring plant samples for identification if you
wish. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers in this
program, which is part of the quarterly Sustainable Community Matters
Program Series offered by Leon County. Light refreshments are provided,
and advance registration is not required.
The program will be Saturday, April 26, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Northside Branch Library, 5513 Thomasville Road.
 Inkberry holly is a good native plant for our area.
April 22
Earth Day
This is a day to honor and protect our planet, and a chance to adopt sustainable practices in your life. Tune in at www.SustainableTallahassee.org/Calendar to see local events for the day!
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April 26
Green Arts Fest
The Sharing Tree at Railroad Square
The
Sharing Tree presents the 2nd annual Green Arts Fest, Saturday April
26th from noon - 5 p.m. at the Railroad Square Art Park, 617 Industrial
Drive. This is a free event focused on recycled arts and sustainable
living. Activities provided by partners and sponsors include:
- A gardening activity presented by iGrow
- Several free art activities & demos
- Live music and mural creation
- Art & food vendors
- Aluminum can collection drive
In
addition, you can bring donation items for both Goodwill and the
Sharing Tree. For further details please contact The Sharing Tree
Director, Carly Sinnadurai at Recycle4Art@yahoo.com.
 May 1
National Bike Month
May is National Bike Month, and there
are a multitude of events being planned in the Leon County area to
celebrate the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. These include a
Helmet Safety Event on April 27 at Tom Brown Park, a free Cycling Savvy
Course on May 2 and 3, and Bike to School and Work Days on May 7 and
9. The list of events is growing every day as organizations call in and
report them, so please visit the Commuter Services of North Florida
website frequently to stay up to date. The link to the website is
www.CommuterServices.org.
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May 3
Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection Event
Leon County Hazardous Waste Center
Hazardous
Waste and Electronics Collection Events are held on the first Saturday
of the month during the school year at the Public Works Operations
Center, 2280 Miccosukee Road. The events are held from 9:00 a.m. to
1:00 p.m. Here are a few examples of what to bring: aerosol cans,
bleach, old TVs and computers, household cleaners, motor oil, and paints
and thinners. Visit LeonCountyFL.gov/HHW
for more examples of what you can and cannot bring to a Collection
Event. For more information about these events, call 850-606-1803.
Local Summer Camps
June 16 - 20
Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Day Camp
Leon County Cooperative Extension Office
This
outdoor nature camp held by the Leon County 4-H program will provide
participating youth with a basic understanding of environmental
stewardship, wildlife, safety, and fun in an outdoor setting. Sessions
will be taught by qualified instructors in aquatics,forestry,
conservation, shooting sports, and orienteering, also incorporating
National STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills. The
camp will be held at the new Jefferson County Extension Office site,
approximately 30 minutes east of Tallahassee off of Highway 90. The camp
is for ages 10-18, and will run from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The
registration deadline is May 30. Click here for more information. To register, visit this website: http://leon.ifas.ufledu/4h/summer-day-camps/.
July 15-17
Talking Trash Recycling Day Camp
Leon County Cooperative Extension and Leon County Recycling Program
At
the "Talking Trash" camp co-hosted by Leon County 4-H and Leon County's
Recycling Program, youth participants will learn how they can help
create a more sustainable community by reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Campers get an inside look at how solid waste is managed, participate
in outdoor activities, and make creative crafts from everyday items. The
camp will be held at the Leon County Solid Waste Facility at 7550
Apalachee Parkway. The camp is for youth ages 10-15, and will run from
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The registration deadline is May 16. Please visit
this website for more information on how to register: http://leon.ifas.ufl.edu/4H/Summer-Day-Camps/.
Leon County's Cooperative Extension building is one of
only seven netzero retrofitted buildings in the nation. Also known as
the Sustainable Demonstration Center, the 50-year old building was
retrofitted in March 2012 with solar power and an ultra-efficient
geothermal heating and air system. One year later, it was certified by
the New Building Institute (NBI) that these retrofits have allowed the
building to generate as much power as it consumes. In other words, it
costs nothing in energy consumption to heat, cool, light, and power the
building. Click here to see the NBI report that featured the Sustainable Demonstration Center.
 The Extension building at 615 Paul Russell Road.
April - June
- Plant extra parsley for black swallowtail butterfly larvae to forage.
- Watch for hummingbirds feeding on blooms of columbine and buckeye.
- Blooming wildflowers and pitcher plants blanket the wet savannahs of the Panhandle.
- Bald eagles begin migrating north.
- Alligators begin moving about, seeking new territories and mates.
- Bobcat kittens are born in April and May.
- Loggerhead sea turtles begin to nest on sandy beaches along the the Gulf of Mexico.
- June is the height of gopher tortoise nesting season.
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A young bobcat enjoys some shade at the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science. |
The Leon County Sustainability Team Wishes You a Happy Earth Day!
Contact us at Sustainability@LeonCountyFl.gov. If you wish to be removed from our list, please chooses the "unsubscribe" tab at the bottom of our newsletter.
Best regards from Leon County's Sustainability Team,
 Maggie Theriot
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 Kathryn Ziewitz
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 Kelli Thurson
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You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to remember that the planet is carrying you.
-Vandana Shiva |
