Message from the Sustainability Manager
Happy New Year!
As we welcome the start of 2025 and our beautiful city’s Centennial, there are also sustainability victories to share. For the 45th year, Boca Raton has received designation as a Tree City USA by Arbor Day Foundation. The City also received the Tree City USA Growth Award for a 6th year. The City’s commitment to enhancing tree canopy will continue with a tree giveaway during the MLK JR. Day Unity Celebration on January 20.
Within this issue, you’ll find:
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Ways you can take action to be a more sustainable seafood consumer and reduce your carbon footprint
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Why you need to mind those no wake zones in our local waterways (hint, some very sweet marine mammals draw closer this time of year!)
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How you can participate in and honor eco-friendly and environmental holidays like World Wetlands Day this winter.
Stay well and stay sustainable!
Tina Batoh-Jennings
Sustainability Manager, City of Boca Raton
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January Announcements
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Florida Arbor Day is January 19. (And worth repeating!) Boca Raton has been a Tree City USA for a 45th year and has won a Growth Award for the 6th year in a row!
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The Blue Flag Beach application for Spanish River Beach has been submitted and will be reviewed by an international jury with a decision made by April.
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You asked and we listened - We have planned another E-Waste Recycling event for April 19 at the Spanish River Library. If you need to dispose of your items sooner, Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County accepts e-waste at any of their Solid Waste Authority’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers during normal operating hours.
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Stay tuned for updates and Community Meetings about the 2025-2030 Sustainability Action Plan.
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New recycling bins have been stationed on Spanish River Beach, on the beach side of the central and south tunnels. Please remind your fellow beach goers that these are exclusively for recycled material, and any contamination by garbage sends the entire bin to the waste stream.
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There will be an online public outreach meeting for the FDEP grant-funded Climate Adaptation and Action Plan in mid to late February. Date and time to be released shortly.
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This Little Kitty in the Garden will be featured will be featured in the Serenoa Glade Storywalk from February through April. This is a great way to engage the little ones in your life with a story about sustainability while also enjoying time outdoors.
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Creature Feature
Cooler winter temperatures bring our beloved state marine mammal, the Florida manatee, into warmer tidal waters. In mid-December, a trio of manatees were seen feeding on mangrove leaves from the intracoastal dock at Spanish River Park.
These gentle giants spend much of their time at the surface or in the shallows, so as a reminder, please keep your distance from them (they are protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972), and observe all boating regulations including manatee no wake zones, to avoid contact. Manatees may, of course, be present outside of designated zones, so always proceed with caution on waterways.
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Lithium Battery Collection & Document Shredding Event
Sat, Jan. 11 | 7am - 12pm | 13400 S. State Road 7,
Delray Beach
FREE EVENT!
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Drop off lithium batteries and products containing them. (Remember, standard alkaline batteries can be disposed of with regular garbage.)
- Bring up to six boxes of documents to be shredded onsite.
For more information, call 561-697-2700 or visit swa.org/lib.
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Recycle Your Christmas Tree
The City's Christmas tree recycling program is running NOW through Jan. 19.
Residents can drop off their “clean” Christmas trees at Countess de Hoernle Park (1000 Spanish River Blvd, southern end of the parking lot next to the maintenance area).
Recreation Services will pick up the trees and chip them into mulch to be used at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. View drop-off times and other details.
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Tree Giveaway Event
Mon, Jan. 20 | 11:30am | Mizner Park Amphitheater
We are partnering with Community Greening and passing out FREE TREES during the City of Boca Raton’s MLK Day Celebrations.
Must be a City of Boca Raton Resident to receive a tree. View City limits map: www.myboca.us/CityLimitsMap
Species Options:
Native Trees: blackbead, dahoon holly, marlberry
Fruit Trees: fruit species TBD
Trees will be passed out on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of two trees per household (1 fruit tree).
All trees come in 3-gallon containers. Species and times subject to change. See the Community Greening website for more details.
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EcoWatch Lecture Series –
Plankton with a Toxic Punch with
Dr. Tina Batoh-Jennings
Wed, February 12 | Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (1801 N. Ocean Blvd.)
Join our own Sustainability Manager for this FREE lecture focusing on plankton. With most plankters being invisible to the naked eye, we don’t often appreciate them as an incredibly diverse group of organisms that can fight back against their predators and shape marine ecosystems. We’re going to dive into their world and learn how some species of phytoplankton (single-celled algae!), have an incredible ability to ramp up production of toxins when they sense predators.
Visit the Gumbo Limbo calendar for more information.
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Sustainable Yards Series
6:00 - 7:30pm | Spanish River Library
Would you like to make your yard a little more wildlife friendly, lower maintenance, and native but are not sure where to start?
Join the City and the University of Florida to learn how with our Sustainable Yards Series!
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February 26 | Sustainable Plants for South Florida
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March 26 | Gardening for Birds
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April 30 | Gardening for Bees & Pollinators and Integrated Pest Management
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May 28 | Best Grasses and Ground Cover
All events are FREE and open to the public. Register by 5pm 3 days before the event to receive a FREE NATIVE PLANT!
Register here!
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Read, Watch, and Listen with the Office of Sustainability | |
Read
Article - Coastal Blue Carbon
World Wetlands Day is February 2. Read about how coastal wetlands are capturing “Blue Carbon.” Protecting and enhancing these ecosystems will help draw more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and combat climate change.
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Watch
Instead of watching something on a screen, celebrate World Wetlands Day (February 2) by exploring a wetland and taking a photo of something wild and wonderful to share!
Tag The City of Boca Raton on your social media or email us at communications@myboca.us so we can share your pics!
Some great places to visit are the mangroves at Spanish River Park, Gumbo Limbo, and via the trail at James A. Rutherford Park.
Remember not to disturb these protected habitats.
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Listen
World Wildlife Foundation Podcast: Polar Bears and Environmental DNA
In honor of International Polar Bear Day on February 27 and World Wildlife Day on March 3, listen to this Polar Bears and Environmental DNA podcast. Find out how researchers are using environmental DNA collected from polar bear footprints to understand how climate change is impacting these ice-dependent marine mammals.
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Your Quarterly Call to Action
Sustainable Seafood
Is your seafood locally and sustainably sourced? How do you know? Where can you learn more? Start here!
Sereia Films- Eating Out: The Hunt for Sustainable Seafood. Watch Episode 1 to learn why sustainably sourced fish is important, and how to make the appropriate choices when dining out or purchasing fish for your next meal. Then, add https://www.seafoodwatch.org/ to your homescreen (unfortunately the app is no longer available) to find the most sustainable options for your fish of choice. When dining out or purchasing fish, don’t be shy! Ask questions of your waiters and fish monger to find out where your fish is coming from.
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International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day - January 28
On January 28, find a way to reduce your carbon footprint. Perhaps you carpool to work, walk to the store, avoid online purchases, or buy locally sourced produce from a farm like Bedner’s.
To be a sustainability superstar, continue to reduce your carbon footprint every day! If you want to find your carbon footprint, take the quiz at Global Footprint Network’s Footprint Calculator. Once you have your results, review your carbon consumption figures and click on “Solutions” to find where you can make impactful changes.
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Are you, or someone you know, going above and beyond for sustainability in the City of Boca Raton? Submit them for the next edition! Email us at sustainability@myboca.us | | | | |
