Category: Environment

Coffee in the Garden

Debbie Roney Smith on

Looking for something to do tomorrow morning that will keep you safely 6ft away from others AND in the delightful presence of nature? Consider visiting Tallahassee Nurseries from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for a free Coffee in the Garden event. RedEye Coffee, TeBella tea, Tasty Pastry, and Three Sons Bakery will be available for purchase! Buy some refreshing coffee, calming tea, or a savory treat to enjoy while you stroll through the gardens. Tomorrow’s event is predicted to have a cool morning with a high of 66°F while the sun shines through mild clouds.

 

Plant a Tree in Pensacola

Debbie Roney Smith on

Keep Pensacola Beautiful, the Arbor Day Foundation, and the International paper are working to plant over 70 trees in celebration of Florida’s Arbor Day tomorrow, January 23th! From 9 a.m. (EST) to 2 p.m. (EST), this free event will encourage citizens “to do their part in helping to reduce air pollution, conserve energy, and beautify the State of Florida by planting trees! Planting native trees protects the environmental balance and beauty of the Sunshine State by preventing the spread of invasive plants and offsetting some of the potential impacts of climate change.” – UF / IAFS Extension

Please note, you CAN NOT BE LATE to the meetup point at the KPB office, as groups are breaking off promptly at 9 a.m. and dispersing to different parks and locals. This event is free, will show you how to properly plant a tree, and provide a free KPB t-shirt. Please dress appropriately in layers, close-toed shoes, and a mask!

**AVAILABILITY IS LIMITED**
If you are serious about coming please sign up through Volunteer Match (linked HERE) or email Lauren Doubek at Lauren@KeepPensacolaBeautiful.org!

Invasive Plant Removal

Debbie Roney Smith on

Eager to find an event that allows you to volunteer, learn, and get outdoors all in one fell swoop? Check out the upcoming Invasive Plant Species Removal event in Tallahassee! Hosted by UF/IFAS Leon County Extension, this educational experience will occur on Saturday, January 16th from 9 a.m. CST to 11 a.m. CST (although you are welcome to leave early as needed). This cool morning event will teach you how to identify and efficiently remove invasive plant species such as camphor, coral ardisia, and more!

Coral Ardisia

Participants must wear masks during the entire event, although it will be held entirely outside and social distancing will be a natural part of spreading out to cover the work area. Please meet by 9 a.m. at Gil Waters Reserve at Lake Munson. This is a lake that drains into Ames Sink and then makes its way to Wakulla Springs. By participating in this invasive species removal, you are helping native plants and animals thrive as well as improving water quality! Children and families are welcome; please bring gloves, water, buckets, and removal tools if you have them. 

Trade-A-Tree

Debbie Roney Smith on

The non-profit Keep Pensacola Beautiful is hosting Trade-A-Tree today, January 3rd, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Looking to get your LIVE holiday tree out of the living room? Take it down to the parking lot of the GCE/KPB building at 2001 N. Palafox Street. Your tree will be recycled, FOR FREE, into mulch. Additionally, you will receive a Live Oak tree to plant along with instructions. This is a wonderful opportunity to go carbon neutral and create a more sustainable holiday tradition. 

Keep Pensacola Beautiful is partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation, and they’ve worked hard to help make this program possible. Additionally, there will be hot chocolate and hand sanitizer available (will products last!). Please be sure to wear your mask, and hope to see you there. If you want more information or to RSVP, visit Keep Pensacola Beautiful’s event page HERE. 

Winter Solstice 2020

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is Midwinter! Also known as the winter solstice, this is a biannual event that occurs once in each hemisphere. The solstice occurs when Earth’s poles have reached their maximum tilt away from the Sun. Today’s solstice is occurring in the Northern Hemisphere, so we will have the shortest day of the year and the longest night. Since the solar year(the time it takes to see the sun reappear in the same spot on earth) is not the same as a year in the USA (365 days), the actual date and time of the winter solstice can change and doesn’t always fall on December 21st. Interested in identifying the exact time of the winter solstice at your home? This year, the solstice is occurring at 10:02 Universal Time (UTC); visit Earth Sky’s website to find the time in your location by translating your time zone.

Torreya in Bloom

Debbie Roney Smith on
Photo provided by local, @noahs.notions

Are you looking for something to do this weekend? Need to get out of the house or wear the kids down? Consider visiting the gorgeously-blooming Torreya State Park in Bristol! Only $3 per vehicle for park entry, there are multiple trails open now, the canoe/kayak launch spot is open, picnicking areas are open, AND the weather this weekend is supposed to be in the mid-80s with a pleasant blend of cloud coverage and wind.

Photo provided by local, @noahs.notions

Open from 8 AM to sunset, Torreya State Park is also home to the historic Gregory House. Tours are offered at 10 AM on weekdays and 10 AM, 2 PM, and 4 PM on weekends and state holidays. Masks mandatory while indoors. To get more information on the park before visiting, click HERE to visit their website!

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

ToolBank: A Response to Hurricane Michael (2018)

Debbie Roney Smith on

Two years after the devastation left behind Hurricane Michael, there is a non-profit stepping forward to help areas in the immediate area recover from disasters. The non-profit works out of Atlanta, and is called ToolBank! Currently, they are working to set up a shop in Panama City. How exactly does ToolBank work to help disaster areas recover from natural disasters like Hurricane Michael? They loan out tools needed to help with cleanup projects like chainsaws, drills, hammers, and shovels – all items that are in high demand after devastating events. Sponsored by UPS and Home Depot, ToolBank plans to provide relief in a 100-mile radius of their upcoming facility in Panama City.

ToolBank Disaster Services Program Manager Bill Hess can be contacted at bill.hess@toolbank.org or visit their Facebook page HERE for more information!

All About Walking Indoors

Debbie Roney Smith on

It’s well known that cardio, also known as aerobic cardiovascular or cardio exercise, is important for physical and mental health. Benefits of cardio include:

  • increases stamina
  • positive effects on mental health 
  • gain and maintain muscle
  • lose and keep off fat
  • boosts immune system
  • helps prevent and/or manage chronic conditions
  • strengthens the heart (among many others like the lungs)
  • …and more!

However, it’s so hot outside these days – especially with Southern humidity! – that going outside to exercise seems daunting. Heck, it can even be dangerous; working outside under the hot summer sun – the calendar may say autumn but we know better – can cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke. So stay inside and beat the heat with indoor walking! Don’t mist this opportunity – what? You didn’t like the pun? How cold! 

Indoor Walking Tips

WALKING IN PLACE: a low-impact activity, not only does it check the cardio box but also counts as stretching. As an exercise, it primarily targets the quads; additionally benefits the abs, hamstrings, and hip flexors. 

Walking in place is something of revived phenomena right now. Not only does it provide an escape from the weather, it also offers a safe alternative to going to gyms. Check out ‘walking in place routines/workouts’ on Youtube for a wide array of demonstrations for everyone from athletes to the elderly and even parents with kids! 

Indoor walking is built on the repetitive movement of marching in place. This can be hard on your joints, so consider switching it up by…

Adding movement: walk around your coffee table, down the hallway, climb stairs if you have them, or add simple side-to-side and forward-and-back movements. You can also try…

Adding weight/resistance: add easy resistance to marching in place by using light dumbbells in each hand. Or, use a weighted vest. Stay safe – DON’T wear a vest that’s more than 5-10% of your body weight! Additionally, exercises or stretches can increase the energy burned as well as tighten and tone muscles. Some easy exercises to add if you have dumbbells are bicep curls, shoulder presses, triceps kickbacks, and lunges. No equipment? No problem – try adding bodyweight exercises like squats or side-lunges.

If it feels too easy, try creating your own cycles using walking and various change-ups (or check Youtube!). For example, when you’re binge-watching a show through your streaming service, walk-in place while the episode is playing. Then, during the credits and while the next episode loads, perform x-number of squats, x-number of jumping jacks, and x-number x = whatever number you’re comfortable with of lunges as many times as you can. Return to walking when the next episode starts.

Weather or not you plan to try indoor walking (read more here), the joke below is guaranteed to make you laugh out cloud!

Why do cows lie in the rain…?

…to keep each udder dry!

Snakes and the Coming of Autumn: What’s the Link?

Debbie Roney Smith on

As you may know, the autumnal equinox – also known as the September and/or fall equinox – falls tomorrow, September 22nd. The fall equinox is the astronomical start of the fall season if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, and the beginning of the spring season if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2020 fall equinox arrives here in the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday at 9:31 A.M. EDT – did you know the actual time changes each year? This is the latest start to the fall equinox since 2015!

Linguistically speaking, the word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus – which means “equal” – and nox – which means “night.” Equal night, equal day: on the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length. Throughout history, cultures have marked the autumnal equinox. In England, the Druids observed this important change of seasons with feasts, harvests, and celebrations. For the Druids, the fall equinox indicates that:

“The Wheel of the Year turns and the time of balance returns…marks the balance of day and night before the darkness overtakes the light…the time of the second harvest…[the] central theme – thanking the Earth, in her full abundance as Mother and Giver, for the great harvest, as Autumn begins.” (source of information with quotations)

Some cultures even built monuments to celebrate and honor the autumnal equinox. Most well-known is the work of the Maya, who constructed the El Castillo step pyramid at Chichen Itza in Mexico. Anthony Aveni, Colgate University professor and author of The Book of The Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays, reports that there is a legend from Mayan culture that tells the story of an ancient feathered serpent god that descends from the sky on the equinox. So the pyramid was designed so that a snake made of light would appear to slither down the steps only during the autumnal AND vernal equinoxes. This effect not only creates a slithering snake but also connects a sculpted snake’s head at the bottom to the snake’s tail at the top of the pyramid. To this day, there are crowds of people at the El Castillo who hope to catch the light-snake slithering down the steps. (source)

 

The “Phantom of Electricity”: The Silent Sucker Stealing 9 Percent Of Your Utility Bill!

Debbie Roney Smith on

Want to save money and reduce the heat indoors this scorching hot summer? According to new research conducted by Alliant Energy, you can reduce electric use in your home by up to 9%, which saves you money, by checking everything plugged in and selectively shutting down unused, always-on devices. All electronics put off heat even when idling, so turning off unused electronics will also help lower the temperature indoors. 

John Beard of Focus on Energy says Alliant did a pilot study on ‘phantom electricity’. Phantom electricity is the energy that is used by your electronics as they draw power even though they are turned off or in standby mode. “These people can save up to 9 percent on their energy use by taking an inventory of everything that is plugged in and making sure things they’re not using are turned off. These ‘always on’ devices like your DVD player or remote top box that you have for your streaming service or your television or PC…”

Beard says there are a few free ways to save up to 9% on your electric bill. While the most obvious is turning devices off when not in use, there is an easier wat: advanced power strips. 

Includes premium-quality, fireproof surge protection; reduces standby power waste; features an adjustable threshold switch; improves connected electronics’ performance through EMI/RFI noise filtering.

They are just like the ones you might already have in your home, only they have circuitry that senses when your device is not being used or is in standby mode. It automatically shuts off the power at no effort to you! With the average Florida home spending around $130 a month, that 9% is $11.70 a month in savings (Source). A 7 outlet advanced strip with a standard 3ft cord like the one pictured below is $25-$30 (online vs in-store), and would pay itself off within only three months!