PERSPECTIVES
Non-Profits, State Partner to Build Florida Wildlife Corridor By GREG KNECHT
T
he Nature Conservancy in Florida (TNC) is working to tackle climate change and reverse species loss, in part by protecting lands within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Whether it’s conserving and restoring rare habitat for wide-ranging species like the Florida black bear or protecting breeding and nesting grounds for migrating visitors like swallow-tailed kites, we know that when we protect land, we protect wildlife and make Florida more climate resilient. Corridors require collaboration. Protecting land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor is a joint effort, and TNC in Florida continues to use our expertise in science and real estate to help identify vulnerable lands and connect partners and private landowners. We share science and data, allowing Florida to go farther, faster. We also collaborate with, advise and guide our partners on management practices and planning, because we know that acquisition is only one side of the conservation
coin. To benefit wildlife, Florida must manage and restore the land we acquire. Connected corridors of conservation and working lands not only ensure safe travel pathways for countless species, but also make land management practices easier and more effective. By closing gaps between conserved lands, we work in partnership to restore habitats with prescribed fire and invasive species removal, all benefiting Florida’s wildlife and ecosystems as a whole. In our 50 years, TNC in Florida has helped conserve over 1.3M acres of vital and biodiverse lands. TNC’s Center for Conservation Initiatives (CCI) stewards three preserves in North and Central Florida, all located within the footprint of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Disney Wilderness Preserve near Orlando Florida protects 11,000 acres of the greater Everglades Ecosystem, including one of the area’s last undeveloped lakefronts. Nearby at Tiger Creek Preserve, we protect nearly 5,000 acres of the Lake Wales Ridge: a one-ofa-kind Florida ecosystem that is home to unique species found nowhere else in the world. Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve (ABRP) in North Florida is part of a 22,000-acre conservation hub along the upper portion of the Apalachicola
River. This part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor is critical, connecting wildlife pathways from the Gulf of Mexico to the Apalachicola National Forest and nearby conserved lands. Just last month, TNC and our partners announced the purchase and protection of the Cola River Land & Timber property that connects ABRP with the adjacent Torreya State Park. Cola River will support healthy habitats for wildlife, including the eastern indigo snakes that are released at ABRP through a ten-year, multi-partner species recovery effort. In our seventh year of the program, we recently celebrated a major milestone with the discovery of two eastern indigo snake hatchlings at ABRP. The hatchlings, offspring of adult snakes released at the property, are a major sign that reversing species loss is possible. TNC in Florida also recently closed on a key conservation easement in the Florida panther dispersal zone: G Road Grove. Years in the making, we helped purchase this conservation easement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. G Road Grove is a critical connector between other lands we’ve recently helped protect, including Chaparral Slough and Devil’s Garden. This working citrus grove and
tree nursery provides the habitat and food sources Florida panthers need, connecting the secretive and territorial animals from the lands of the sprawling Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest to the southern banks of the Caloosahatchee River and onto to the natural and working lands north of the river. This acquisition — and the protection of the entire region — is only possible through creative partnerships that protect Florida's farms and ranches from development. This is our ‘now’ moment. We have years, not decades, to protect critical habitat linkages within our state. Florida continues to experience rising seas, higher temperatures and other climate change impacts. Along with ever-increasing development and population growth, our wildlife species are feeling the squeeze. In the next couple of years, the lands we save in the Florida Wildlife Corridor will provide climate resilience, offering habitat needed by countless native and migrating species and helping to protect Florida’s biodiversity. Now more than ever, it is critical to work in partnership to save the remaining lands of the Corridor, protecting wildlife now and for generations to come. ● Greg Knecht is the Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy
Recycling Right Means Some Things Belong in the Garbage By KEYNA CORY
H
ave you ever found yourself in front of your recycling container with an item in your hand thinking, “Does this go in the recycling bin or garbage can?” If you have, don’t feel alone. Most people have found themselves in that same situation. However, recycling right can be easy. You just need to learn to Recycle Right! Local governments determine what materials they accept in their recycling program. Go to your county or city website to see what items are accepted for recycling. Common materials include plastic bottles, jugs and tubs; aluminum and steel cans; cardboard, paperboard (cereal boxes) and mixed paper, such as envelopes, magazines, and office paper; and in some cases, glass containers.
2 - HDPE indicates one of the most used plastics in the United States. HDPE is used for several different purposes but is widely considered the plastic of choice for containers for items like cleaning agents, milk, detergents, and washing soap thanks to its low weight and high strength. HDEP can be recycled into pipes, oil bottles, pens, and detergent bottles. It is commonly accepted by curbside recycling. Aluminum is one of the most recycled – and recyclable – materials in use today. A recycled aluminum beverage can is often recycled directly back into itself. And this process can happen virtually infinitely. Used aluminum drink cans can be recycled and back on supermarket shelves as new drink cans in as little as 60 days. So,
this is a no-brainer – aluminum cans go into the recycling bin! Cardboard is the highest value grade of paper, as its durability means long paper fibers. This also helps explain why it has the highest recycling rate among paper products. Over half of the cardboard recycled is used to make new cardboard boxes, and additional cardboard can be downcycled into paperboard (used for cereal boxes) or chipboard (used for shoeboxes). Again, another great item for your curbside recycling bin. Just make sure to flatten them, empty their contents, and keep them dry. Other paper that can be recycled includes magazines, catalogs, newspapers, white
and colored paper, envelopes, junk mail, and paper bags. Recycled paper is used to make boxes for dry foods like cereal or pasta, tissue products like toilet paper and paper towels, as well as newspapers. Another great item for your recycling bin. Our motto is, when in doubt, throw it out. Contamination, also known as garbage, in your recycling bin increases the costs of recycling for everyone. Make sure you place only the acceptable items in your recycling bin. You see, it’s easy to recycle. You just need to Recycle Right! ● Keyna Cory is the Executive Director for the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation
But what about those numbers inside the chasing arrows found on the bottom of plastic items? What do they mean? Items with the chasing arrows do not necessarily mean that item is recyclable in your local program. The little number inside the triangle is there to identify the type of plastic resin used in the product. Two of the most recycled plastic resins in curbside recycling programs are: 1 – PET which is commonly used for soft drinks, water bottles, and juice containers as well as cooking oil containers. The plastic is easily recyclable so it’s often part of curbside recycling programs. It can be reused to make containers, carpet, and furniture. The Florida Beverage Association and its members are working together to reduce plastic waste through an initiative called “Every Bottle Back.” The beverage industry is carefully designing 100% recyclable plastic bottles and working with partners like World Wildlife Fund, The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners to get them back and track its progress along the way.
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May/June 2024
Florida Specifier