Florida-Friendly Living: Smart Choices - Simple Changes
Project description and objectives:
There is much discussion in the headlines today about “going green”, but frequently residents do not have a clear understanding about sustainable practices which will enable Floridians to meet current needs without compromising the next
generation’s ability to satisfy their needs. The primary concern associated with integrating “green” practices into everyday living is to ensure residents will understand the importance of green actions and continue to conserve natural resources over time.
Decisions made by homeowners ultimately determine whether a community functions as a “green” community. The Florida‐Friendly Living: Smart Choices ‐ Simple Changes publications were designed to take the guesswork out of green living and provide prompts on how to preserve Florida’s natural heritage and conserve natural resources for the future. Focus has been placed on developing educational materials that showcase Florida‐friendly actions that:
• conserve water
• prevent pollution
• minimize stormwater runoff
• conserve energy
• reduce
Project Activites:
Currently within UF/IFAS Extension, few publications exist which address strategies for being good stewards of the air, water and soil. Two documents were developed to address the need to educate residents on Florida‐friendly living:
• “Going Green” bulletin.
• Florida‐Friendly Living 2009 month to month guide
Going Green‐ 10 page bulletin
Data indicates that 66.6% of the sunshine states residents were born outside the state of Florida. This being the case, newcomers to Florida face diverse and often
unfamiliar conditions. Well meaning residents frequently waste or misuse water, fertilizers, pesticides and energy through unsuitable landscaping practices. Landscaping practices which worked “up North” have the potential to cause hardship to fragile coastal environments. Florida’s abundance of natural resources as well as its rapid growth makes it vitally important for citizens to adopt Florida‐friendly living practices.
A bulletin was designed that would introduce residents to easy “green up” actions which can be done at home. The overriding theme for this publication is “smart choices and simple small changes” go a long way towards a better environment. The "Going Green” bulletin emphasizes practical Florida‐friendly practices to launch homeowners on the road to being green outdoors. The “Going Green” bulletin includes the following topics:
• Going Green from the Ground Up
• Going Green Begins With A Tree
• It’s Cool to Go “Green”
• Make the Most of the Rain
• Water – Use it Wisely
• Going Green to Keep Our Waters Blue
• Lighten Up on the Garden Chemicals
• Yardcycling for a Greener Garden
This ten page publication was designed to supplement “green up” educational programs offered by Extension. This publication is also made available at point of purchase locations in garden centers of Walmart and Home Depot as well as local libraries. It will also be available on the newly developed website “Florida‐friendly Living for a Green Clean Community.”
Click here to view the Going Green bulletin (1.4MB pdf).
Florida‐Friendly Living‐ Smart Choices‐ Simple Changes‐ 2009 Calendar
Similar to the “Going Green” bulletin, a month‐to‐month guide was developed to promote home grown “green” actions which will conserve natural resources. Community‐based social marketing tools, such as commitment, prompts and norms, were employed in this document to maximize the effectiveness of the 
program message. Each month a new timely topic is introduced providing actions residents can take to “green up” home landscapes and communities.
The overall purpose of the guide is to engage residents making a commitment to living green through simple landscape strategies. Recognizing the home and landscape as being part of a larger natural system helps residents make sound decisions in creating Florida–friendly properties. When properly maintained, the landscape becomes an asset to the environment, protecting natural resources and preserving the states unique beauty.
Similar to the message offered in the “Going Green” bulletin, the month‐to‐month guide focuses on:
• Take the Green Pledge
• Going Green from the Ground Up
• Going Green Begins With a Tree
• Its Cool to Go “Green”
• Make the Most of the Rain
• Water - Use it Wisely
• Going Green to Keep Our Waters Blue
• Lighten Up on the Garden Chemicals - Pest Management
• Yardcycling for a “Greener” Garden
• Green up the Holidays
• Greening Hardened Surfaces
Click here to view the Smart Choices - Simple Changes - 2009 Calendar (4.2MB pdf)
Project accomplishments:
The “Going Green” bulletin was planned, designed, edited and printed during 2008. Funds provided by the IPM grant supported the printing of 2000 bulletins. These publications are being disseminated in a four county area in conjunction with sustainable educational programs offered by horticulture, FYN and community 
development agents in Citrus, Pasco, Hernando and Sumter Counties. Twelve Extension agents in the four county areas will be able to support their teaching efforts with the new publications. This guide is available at no cost to residents participating in educational programs in the four county area.
The Florida‐Friendly Living ‐ Smart Choices ‐ Simple Changes ‐ 2009 calendar month‐to-month guide is a stand alone educational piece that was also supported by the IPM grant and 3500 were disseminated in a four county area: Citrus, Pasco, Hernando and Sumter Counties.
These publications were also designed to complement a new website, “Florida‐Friendly Living for a Green, Clean Community“ being developed to introduce and reinforce green actions. This website will provide linkages to IFAS fact sheets and related sites. As the viewer navigates through the website, individuals have the opportunity to assess their understanding of sustainability as well as appraise their knowledge of methods of reducing water consumption, pollution prevention and methods of minimizing stormwater runoff. Collectively, these educational materials provide a wide range of learning opportunities for the diverse Extension audiences. Formal evaluation and assessment of the “Florida‐Friendly Living publications” and website developed in 2008 will take place in 2009.
Project leader:
- Dr. Joan Bradshaw,
Specialized Regional Programs for Natural Resources, Citrus County Extension