Urban Ecosystems / Greenspace
relocalize.net Local Communities Global Connections
relocalize.net Local Communities Global Connections is a group of websites that provide resources to help communities to think about local issues. From the about page on their website:
The Relocalization Network was created in 2003 as one of the first initiatives of Post Carbon Institute. It developed as a response to individuals’ questions about how they could take action to address the implications of peak oil. We found that the most effective strategies are initiated at the community level. For this reason, Post Carbon Institute decided that establishing a network of Local Post Carbon Groups was the best way to provide concerned individuals with the support and resources necessary to coordinate effective action.
Tell Sarasota County MAST program what you think
From: Rob Wright - Sarasota County NEST Program
Hello All! Please take a moment to read the message below. I would greatly appreciate your completing the survey and passing on the web link to your community as a mass email or by posting it in your community newsletter. Thank you so much for your help. Rob
Guerilla Gardeners
Ever thought that vacant lot would look much better with some flowers...
Guerilla Gardeners know what to do...
Hundreds Flood TruGreen ChemLawn offices with Calls Voicing Community Concerns
Pesticide Action Alert!Wednesday, November 15: Sarasota ChemLawn Call-In Day
Contact: Ashley Schaeffer
Toxics Action Center
Community Action Saturday, Nov. 11: Help Educate Lakewood Ranch Homeowners About Dangerous Lawn-care Pesticides!!
This Saturday we are heading to the field for our first community action in Lakewood Ranch, between 2pm and 5pm, in a neighborhood where homeowners are fined $50/day for refusing to dose their lawns with toxic pesticides!! We need to help our neighboring community by raising awareness and educating homeowners! We will do a lit drop and canvass for a few hours, reaching hundreds of homes. Please contact me if you can come help!
Sarasota Conservation Foundation
S2 Reports:
Foundation becomes land acquisition agent for county: After a competitive bidding process, the Sarasota Conservation Foundation has been selected to provide acquisition services for Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection and Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Programs. The Foundation has entered into a 3-year contract to provide these services to the County. The extended land acquisition program is the result of the 2005 ballot initiative that expanded the County’s environmentally sensitive land program in scope as well as increasing its resources. For more on the Foundation, go to www.sarasotaconservation.org
Prone to sewage spills
The following is an editorial published in the Sarasota Herald Tribune April 25th. I very much agree and have said the same thing in the past. Sarasota can afford and should demand state of the art utilities.
Prone to sewage spills
DEP order shows urgent need to improve Sarasota system
Heavy rain. Grease blockages. Pipe breaks. Electrical outages. Pump failures.
These problems caused a majority of the 41 sewage spills that the city of Sarasota reported between September 2004 and May 2005.
This information, contained in a consent order set by the state Department of Environmental Protection (and accepted by city commissioners last week), reveals surprising vulnerability in the sewer system -- infrastructure of the most fundamental kind.
Under the order, the city will pay a $14,000 fine and make specified improvements to its waste-water treatment plant and "collection system" over the next five years. Fortunately, city officials appear to be expediting those measures; we urge them to assign high priorities to these necessary expenditures come budget time.
Sarasota County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program
Below is an email from Jono Miller one of the leaders of Sarasota County Forever
I personally support this initiative and wanted to share the thoughtfulness, positive attitude and hard work behind the scenes of a political project like this.
We did it!
We got the coveted Sarasota Herald-Tribune endorsement (Sunday's
Perspective section) and not simply with an effusive Vote Yes-Yes
message, but also with an inset box featuring the "top ten" reasons to
vote for it that we couldn't have written better ourselves AND (Wait,
there's more!) a bonus six inch column below that takes affordable
housing on head on, concludes there need not be a problem, and
commends us for our "inclusionary attitude".
