December 20, 2022

To help ease overcrowding, Alachua County Animal Resources and Care recently held a "Home for the Holidays" adoption event at which 30 pets found new homes, including six long-term residents.

Watch a short video about the event. 

Discover hundreds of weekly events by subscribing to the Visit Gainesville, Alachua County "What's Good" event guide. Considered by subscribers to be the region's premier source of information on the hundreds of events and attractions that make Alachua County a great destination, "What's Good" is timely and easy to navigate, creating opportunities for visitors and residents to choose from a variety of arts, nature, cultural and sporting events to incorporate into their weekend and travel plans.

The "What's Good" weekly event guide, created and distributed by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County, showcases hundreds of tourism-generating events and attractions by compiling, curating, and promoting activities with the purpose of attracting tourists and developing local ambassadors, capitalizing on the opportunity to be the premiere, comprehensive, trusted source for destination and event information across a multi-segmented consumer interest base, including cultural arts, music, dining, nature-based, and sporting opportunities. 

Learn more about the "What's Good".

The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (ACEPD) has started the Florida Springs Heartland Manatee Sighting Network, a citizen-science program to better understand how manatees use the rivers and springs in and around Alachua County. The public is asked to report sightings year-round to a form managed by the Save the Manatee Club. November 15, 2022, marked the beginning of manatee season in Florida. This indicates the major shift when manatees come in-shore looking for warm-water sanctuaries to escape the cold. Manatees come into the springs in this region to use the consistent 72-degree water to survive. By reporting these sightings, citizens can help contribute data to a growing state-wide database that may influence future research, policy, and protection for these gentle giants and their habitat. 

Report manatee sightings.

Read more about reporting manatee sightings.

The Alachua County Arts Council is pleased to announce the second annual Artists Conference on Friday, May 5, 2023. The conference committee is accepting applications from those wishing to present sessions. Sessions should interest the arts community and should be approximately 35-40 minutes (with time for questions/answers).

Interested presenters should fill out the “Call for Presentations” form online and email it to [email protected] by Friday, December 30, 2022. 

The Alachua County Arts Council’s mission is to “improve the quality of life of Alachua county residents by increasing exposure to the arts, expanding opportunities for creative expression by local artists, and increasing community resources for the arts.”

Arts Council Chair David Ruiz stated, “The Arts Council is the local resource for Alachua County artists, and the sessions planned will provide critical support to help our artists' community succeed.”

Learn more about the Arts Council of Alachua County.

The Alachua County Environment Protection Department announces that copies of the 2023 "Saving My Alachua" calendars are now available for distribution. The 2023 Saving My Alachua Calendar features winning artwork from the 2022 Saving My Alachua Environmental Art Contest (open to all K-12 students in Alachua County), along with tips on protecting the environment. 

"We will be going into our tenth year in a row of the 'Saving My Alachua' Environmental Art Contest, and it has been inspiring to observe over the last decade the environmental awareness of our community's emerging citizen artists. Every year the program and participation grows, and we look forward to what the students submit this year," said Stephen Hofstetter, Director of the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department.  

Find out more about the Saving My Alachua calendar.

Other than emergency services, all Alachua County government offices will be closed on December 26, 27, 2022, and January 2, 2023, in observance of the holidays.

Curbside Waste Collection/Collection Centers

Residential curbside collection service for solid waste, recycling, and yard trash will not operate on December 26 or January 2. Therefore, collection services for those weeks are delayed by one day.

Administrative and Waste Collection Offices are closed on December 26, 27, and January 2. The rural collection centers are closed after 1 p.m. on December 24. They are closed on December 26 and January 2. In addition, the Leveda Brown Environmental Park and Transfer Station and the Hazardous Waste Collection Center are closed on December 26 and January 2. 

For more information, contact Alachua County Solid Waste and Resources Recovery Director Gus Olmos at 352-338-3233.

Animal Resources

Animal Resources (3400 N.E. 53rd Avenue, Gainesville) closes at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 24, and is closed on Tuesday, December 27. They close at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 31. On all other days, the shelter is open during regular hours.

Animal Resources Officers respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, to matters affecting public safety and animals in immediate danger. Citizens should dial 911 to report such emergencies on Sundays, holidays, and between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. nightly. 

During regular hours (Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays), Animal Resources can be reached at 352-264-6870.

Learn more about County holiday schedules.

Alachua County Forever, the County’s environmental land acquisition program, has closed on the purchase of 2.58 acres from Lucretia Brooks. The closing was held on Friday, December 9, 2022, and involved the public-private partnership (critical to the County’s land conservation program). Funding for this acquisition was provided by the voter-approved Wild Spaces and Public Places one-half-cent sales tax.  

Find out more about Lake Alto Preserve.

Alachua County is advertising several Call-to-Artists (CTA) for the following projects, each of which is estimated to be complete by the Spring of 2025. Submittals are due by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. 

Available projects include:

• An outdoor Fire Rescue themed bronze sculpture (CTA 23-395) for Fire Rescue Stations #21 and #80. The budget is $65,000 for each sculpture. Learn more and apply. 

• An indoor mural (CTA 23-397) for the Court Services building. The budget is $30,000. Learn more and apply​. 

• A stained-glass (CTA 23-396) mural for the Court Services building. The budget is $60,000. Learn more and apply. 

In honor of their excellence and dedication to the industry during a record-setting year for tourism – with a reported $155.8 million paid in overnight lodging sales in Alachua County, Visit Gainesville, Alachua County presented special recognition plaques to industry workforce members nominated by their peers at the December 7, 2022 meeting of the Alachua County Hospitality Council held at the UF/IFAS Alachua County Extension Office in Newberry.

Read more about the recognition awards.

Alachua County has updated its American Rescue Plan – State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds website. The website includes the most up-to-date information about American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, expenditures, and projects. The Alachua County Commission allocated ARPA funds to address the impact and recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic and address opportunities needed to prepare for future such events.

Learn more about the American Rescue Plan Projects website.

The Alachua County Public Works Department staff were excited to participate for the first time in the Touch a Truck event organized by Fun 4 Gator Kids. The five-hour event was held at Santa Fe College’s North Field on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event was a great opportunity for children and parents to satisfy their curiosity and see many large vehicles up close. Kids of all ages happily stood in line to get their turn to climb into the cab and blow the big air horns. 

Read more about the Touch a Truck event.

The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office is pleased to announce that the December “Plant of the Month” is the blueberry.

Blueberries are a great source of vitamin C and fiber and contain almost no fat. Research indicates that adding a half cup of fresh blueberries daily to an average healthy diet would double the body’s antioxidant level.

December is a good time to grow blueberries in North Central Florida. Check the Plant of the Month website for information on planting, harvesting, recipes, and more. Listen to the Extension Cord Podcast to get further insights on the Plant of the Month.

The Plant of the Month program is a collaborative effort between the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County, Alachua County Master Gardener Volunteers, Alachua County Public Library, and Working Food. 

​The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office is pleased to offer citizens the following Environmental Horticulture Lawn Survey. Dr. Cynthia Nazario-Leary, Environmental Horticulture Agent, and the Alachua County Master Gardener Volunteers are conducting this survey.

The UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Master Gardener Volunteers are conducting a County-wide survey of homeowners on their current landscape pest and disease knowledge and practices. The survey is brief and should take less than ten minutes to complete.

Information collected from this survey will inform educational programs and services offered by the Master Gardener Volunteer Program and help them continue providing science-based recommendations to the public to improve home landscape quality and protect Florida’s natural resources for communities and future generations. 

Participate in the survey.