Green the Coast

July 14, 2023

• Extreme heat is hitting our nation, with July 3rd being the hottest recorded in history. 
• Heat exhaustion and heat strokes tend to rise during these times. 
• Not only is it important to consistently stay hydrated, find shade.
• Speaking of shade...Planting shade trees in your yard can mitigate high heat days and save you money on utility bills. Large canopy trees allow the house to stay cooler, using less air conditioning. 

 Did you know the City has a UF/IFAS Extension Office that helps residents pick the right plants for their personal yard goals at no cost? Click the link below to learn more.

 Stay Cool, Palm Coast,

Maeven Rogers

July 21, 2023

Food waste is a growing problem. Nationally, it is estimated we are wasting an average of 40% of food each year. That is like purchasing three bags of groceries at the store and leaving one behind. 

Across the U.S., food waste accounts for 24% of all our landfill inputs, making it the #1 material by weight that ends up in our dumps. That is a lot of waste! 

Not only does our food waste take up important land that we use for our waste - food takes resources to grow like water, labor, farmland and more. 

Tackling food waste at home is a great way to save money and the environment. 

Some tips and tricks: 

• Save your leftovers. 
• Then eat those leftovers! I know we all have the same problem :)
• Organize your fridge. This is a big one. Items in the back of your fridge are often forgotten and go to waste. 
• Recycle your food scraps through composting. 

Stay Scrappy, Palm Coast,
(food scraps, of course!) 

Maeven Rogers

July 28, 2023

Food production remains one of the most significant contributors to global environmental changes. How we grow, produce, and consume our food has various impacts on our natural environment. 

Growing food at home or through community gardening can help increase the nutrition of your food and give you more variety! Did you know our Lehigh Trailhead will have a community garden? We are also adding multiple ADA-accessible vegetable beds to encourage all our residents to GROW! Facilities should be opening this Winter, 2023. 

Those of you gardening at home will want to start getting your seedlings ready around mid-August to ensure they are ready to plant by September to have an optimal yield. Find out what to plant.

Have any pictures of your vegetable gardening? Could you send us some? We would love to highlight your story in an upcoming Green Coast edition. 

Until next time, let's grow, Palm Coast, 

Maeven Rogers 

August 4, 2023

Last Monday, a meter in Manatee Bay, near Key Largo, registered at 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit. This water body reached such high temperatures it was compared to jumping in a hot tub. 

So what does this mean? 

These temperatures will impact our marine plants and animals. Which also directly influences ecosystems by affecting the food chain. The good news is Manatee Bay has cooled down since last week, but continued heat impacts or long-extended heat can cause long-standing importance. 

Next time you are outside, do a heat check:  

• Drink Water 
• Find Shade
• Wear Sunscreen/Hat 
• Rest 

Just like our project manager, Andrea Mudryk. Pictured here making sure to find shade, relax and stay hydrated. 

Resiliency Tip of the Week: Did you know you can design your roof at home to be a “cool roof?” Certain materials and paint colors can reflect sunlight, keeping your home cooler and less money on the utility bill. 

Stay Cool, Palm Coast, 

Maeven Rogers 

August 11, 2023

Another article hot off the press (no pun attended), but yes, this week, we are going to talk about heat again.

I promise we will stop talking about heat soon but considering, how relevant it is now I want to make sure we cover some areas on recent heat measures.

Last week, we discussed the increasing temperatures at one of South Florida's water bodies, Manatee Bay-a possible world record.

This week we are going to dive into heat and oceans. In April 2023, the average temperature of our world's oceans clocked 70 degrees.

Water has a much higher heat capacity than land, meaning it can take in more heat. However, over time and with the accumulation of heat, our oceans are slightly increasing in temperatures, which is becoming a trend.

When oceans store more heat, they expand. Also, a warmer ocean can contribute to more extreme weather.

Temperatures around Florida have increased in some regions of our oceans, which has devasting impacts on our coral reef systems. Some cities are working to remove the coral reefs to put them into tanks to preserve the coral if the ocean can start to restabilize at a suitable temperature for the coral, and if not, save them from extinction.

When ocean temperatures are increased by a certain amount it expels the algae living in the coral reefs tissues, which gives coral their colors. When the coral turns white, that is a sign there is no algae. That process is called coral bleaching. Algae are the primary source of energy for the corals. If temperatures remain high and algae do not return, the corals die.

The success of restoration efforts will depend on the temperatures of our oceans and solutions to mitigate some of the heat stresses we are experiencing nationwide. Which there are solutions.

Did you know that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a free online tool to identify coral reefs at risk of coral bleaching?

Florida even has its own button, and you can see what is happening. Check it out below.

Our ocean is beautiful. We can work together to ensure that beauty and protect our marine life.

Stay Beachy Palm Coast!

Maeven Rogers