AIR DATE OCTOBER 20, 2022

Title: Conserving Our Lands

In this episode, learn about the importance of land and water conservation and how you can support the cause.

Guests and Locations

Orange County Environmental Protection Division, Environmental Program Supervisor – Beth Jackson

1000 Friends of Florida, President – Paul Owens

Environmental Protection in Central Florida Starts with Our Choices

When a beautiful day in Central Florida arrives, we all want to maximize the moment by enjoying the sunshine in our favorite ways. Do you take a walk around the neighborhood or try visiting a local park?

With the efforts of Beth Jackson and her team, these spaces are available to us all. “Orange County has had a long history of preserving our environmentally sensitive lands,” Jackson told me recently. “We’ve invigorated that vision with $100 million in funding.”

Jackson oversees the Orange County Environmental Protection Division’s Green Place Program. Twenty-nine properties are under the program’s supervision, with 14 designated for nature-based recreation.

“We have to have a balance,” Jackson said. “We have to have the development, but we also have to have areas where we can relax and recreate, both active and passively.”

Sustainability Must Be a Priority in Central Florida

Organizations and government solutions can provide some environmental protections, but we must be responsible for our actions. Paul Owens, who serves as President of 1000 Friends of Florida, has made this perspective his priority for the past four years.

“Recently, we had a couple of workshops one in Seminole County and one in Volusia County,” Owens told me. “The point of those workshops was to examine development trends in both counties and see over the next 50 years what the impact would be on land in the county and water demand in the county.”

Owens says that the benefits we receive from our land conservation efforts help communities thrive in numerous ways. “We get preservation of wildlife habitat. We get flood control; we get a recharge of our aquifer. We get more recreational areas for us to enjoy. It promotes clean air and clean water, specifically carbon sequestration.”

Although many Floridians emphasize environment conservation in their daily activities, funding for high-level interventions often comes up short. Jackson tells me that many people have misconceptions about the actions that her program and non-profits take to preserve natural areas.

“We want a variety of both upland and wetland habitats to protect through the program,” Jackson said. “We’re really trying to focus on closing some gaps in corridors that have been established, both in the past, by publicly owned properties and privately owned properties.”

What Can We Do to Prioritize Land Conservation?

“I think one of the things that comes to mind is what we plant in our yards,” Jackson told me. “Be mindful and try to plant more native or Florida-friendly species would be a great help.”

Owens adds that water conservation should be another priority. “Outside our home, we can reduce or even eliminate our water use to irrigate our lawns. In Florida, more than half the potable water goes for a landscape irrigation.”

Additional ways to protect our environment and focus on land conservation include using fewer pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals. When enjoying a public park, use waste receptacles to reduce litter. Together, we can keep Central Florida beautiful and filled with life!

More information about the Green Place Program is available at https://www.orangecountyfl.net/. You can also connect with 1000 Friends of Florida by visiting 1000FOF.org.