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Message from the Sustainability Manager


Dear Sustainability Champions,


As we approach Earth Month, excitement is building across our city. The Office of Sustainability, alongside many dedicated departments, have prepared a vibrant lineup of programs and events designed to deepen your connection to the world around us and to each other. This year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” reminds us that meaningful change starts locally, with each of us playing a role in shaping a more resilient and thriving community.


Sustainability is often described as a balance between three essential components: social well-being, economic vitality, and environmental protection. Consider, for example, how long-term economic prosperity depends on both healthy natural systems and a strong, supportive community. When we invest in one, we must also nurture the others.

This Earth Month, we invite you to explore how your actions, big or small, contribute to that balance. Together, we have the power to care for our planet and build a sustainable future.

Within this issue, you’ll find all the information you need to plan your Earth Month calendar. Make sure to register ahead, where required, so you don’t miss a beat!

And to keep us beating, the Office of Sustainability is grateful to be joined by Sustainability Intern, Siena Botzer-Gunter. Siena is an undergraduate majoring in Geoscience at FAU, where she also serves as President of the thriving Sustainability Club. Welcome Siena!

We look forward to seeing you throughout April as we come together to make a positive impact on our community and our planet.


Tina Batoh-Jennings

Sustainability Manager, City of Boca Raton
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Upcoming Events - Take Action!


Before Earth Month begins, we have a few exciting opportunities for you to engage with Sustainability as we round out the month of March.



Resilience Adaptation & Action Plan Presentation

Thursday, March 26 | 6:00 – 7:00pm | Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd.

A presentation of the Resilience Adaptation and Action Plan (RAAP) by the City’s Office of Sustainability will showcase key risk findings, community input, and a prioritized set of resilience projects and policies demonstrating how the City can enhance long-term safety, reliability, and quality of life for residents and businesses. The RAAP was prepared by the City’s consultant, AECOM, in coordination with the City’s Office of Sustainability, and was fully funded by a Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Resilient Florida grant.

 

Dune Restoration Volunteer Day

Saturday, March 28 | 9:00 – 11:00am | South Beach Park, 400 N. A1A Ocean Blvd.

We need help with:

  • Installing native plants on the beach dunes
  • Mild debris clean up
  • Invasive species removal

If you (or your student) needs community service, this is a GREAT opportunity to help them get hours. Just remember to bring your own forms! There is no experience required. For more information and to help us plan by signing up ahead of time, visit the Idealist website.


Sustainable Yards Series - Lecture #2, What is Happening to My Plant?! Pests and Disease Management in the Landscape

Tuesday, March 31| 6:00 – 7:30pm | Spanish River Library (Ibis Room), 1501 Spanish River Blvd.

Warm temperatures and high humidity create a wonderful environment not only for growing plants, but also for the pests and diseases that can plague our landscapes. Learn the principles of integrated pest management (IMP) to help keep your plants happy, healthy, and thriving. Register at least three days ahead to receive a FREE native plant at the event!

Earth Month Programs & Events

Join the City of Boca Raton to celebrate Earth Month through volunteer and learning opportunities.


You may also participate in these ongoing activities that are happening all April long!

Feel the Earth Move Under Your Feet with This Playlist

If our planet means the world to you, check out the City of Boca Raton Earth Month Spotify Playlist. Enjoy Kacey Musgraves, U2, Michael Jackson, and many more.

Creature Feature

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

Meet the native burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia)-one of Florida's most unique and charismatic birds. Unlike most that nest in trees, burrowing owls make their homes underground. If you have spent any time on the Florida Atlantic University campus here in Boca Raton, you may have spotted these diminutive owls standing tall near sandy burrows. 


Burrowing owls range in height from 7-11 inches and have a wingspan of about 20-24 inches. They have long legs, bright yellow eyes, and expressive eyebrows that make them look permanently curious or surprised. Thanks to their sandy brown feathers with white spots, the owls blend in well to the open grasslands where they have their nests. While the owls can and do dig their own nests, they prefer to take over abandoned tunnels dug by tortoises or ground squirrels. The owls are often active during the day and can be seen near their burrow entrance hunting insects, rodents, or other small prey.  
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Read, Watch, and Listen with the Office of Sustainability

Read

Bringing Nature Home

Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy is a foundational book that advocates planting native species to support local wildlife, highlighting the critical link between native plants and insects, which form the base of the food web for birds and other animals. The book provides practical advice for creating a wildlife-friendly yard, sparking a national movement to restore local ecosystems.


Purchase on Amazon!

Watch

Descent Into the Blue

Descent Into the Blue is a documentary by Rory Fielding that explores the beauty and fragility of the ocean, with a focus on coral reef ecosystems and the scientists and explorers working to understand and protect them. It showcases the incredible biodiversity of coral reefs while also addressing the environmental threats they face.


View for FREE on Vimeo!

Listen

The Captains for Clean Water Podcast

This Podcast episode features a conversation with Dr. Steve Davis, Chief Science Officer at the Everglades Foundation, whose research helps explain how the Everglades really work and what it will take to restore them. He breaks down why the system is so complex, what’s really behind Florida’s water problems, and the science-based solutions that can fix them. If you care about the future of Florida’s water, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. 
 

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
 
 

www.myboca.us/sustainability

sustainability@myboca.us

561-393-7997
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City of Boca Raton | 201 West Palmetto Park Road | Boca Raton, FL 33432 US

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