Happy Earth Day - 2022. Green, then silver, then Gold. Keep pushing for sustainability.

Where are we in regards to protecting our fragile ecosystem?

Do you know the approximate age of the Earth? 4.543 billion years. Yet today, 4/22/2022 is just the 52nd Earth Day celebration. ACTING on Earth Day is more than just a movie night, it is taking action and participating, doing things differently, ending (sub)Urban Sprawl. Sometimes it takes real change; more than photo ops.

A brief history of Earth Day: The April 22 Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, and was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

I am proud to have led Palmetto Bay and created more than a simple Earth Day Celebration, but set Palmetto Bay to be committed to Earth Day 24/7/365. We don’t just recognize a day, we were in big, in such a big way, that we take a full week to celebrate. We continue to involve our youth in partnership with the local schools as they are going to inherit what we leave behind.

2018 was a milestone year for Palmetto Bay as I was pleased to announce on July 20, 2018, that Palmetto Bay was certified by the FGBC as a Green City. Next stop is Silver and then Gold Certification so long as the subsequent councils continue to subscribe to the green footprints cast before them.

 

 

Participating in a python hunt to 
remove an invasive species

I remain proud of my accomplishments to date as well as my ongoing commitment to continue the vision and work to further and exceed these past accomplishments, including:

Palmetto Bay seeks to become a model community for energy savings and environmental conservation. The Municipal Center is a testament to this goal. For more information, please feel free to review the following Official Palmetto Bay webpages:

• Have You Heard? Green is the New Black!
• Palmetto Bay Green Page
  And a few of my past blog posts, including:
• May 4, 2018, Great response to our solar initiatives. Thank you to all who have participated.
• October 9, 2012, Great news. It is official. Palmetto Bay's Village Hall receives Platinum LEED certification.
• August 23, 2017, The Smart Growth Partnership - The Village of Palmetto Bay wins a smart growth award for its DUV Code.
• Also see the article posted online through the Southeast Florida Regional Compact (an organization I have sponsored participating with):  Village Hall LEED Platinum Certified Facility
• Obtaining certification of the first Green Certified municipal building in Miami-Dade County (our Parks building at Coral Reef Park).
• Solar power initiatives.  Co-sponsoring Solar Co-Ops
• Prime sponsor of permit fee waiver initiatives for Solar Panel initiative.
• Championing the efforts to purchase and preserve Thalatta Estate - working with the willing seller to buy the property through the Trust for Public Lands and Florida Communities Trust to bring this property into public ownership for all to enjoy.
• Went electronic, eliminating paper - for e-newsletters - first created e-currents and now "Your Village At Work."
• Tree City USA Designation
• Working for recognition of our green spaces as Florida-Friendly Landscapes. Note that in our Village of Parks, Coral Reef, Palmetto Bay and Perrine Wayside Dog Park were recognized on June 18, 2018. 
• I have also actively worked to support the efforts of community groups such as LivableCutler at the county and state level to halt over development. These efforts led to public acquisition of 130 acres earmarked for CERP/BBCW. My entire family have been part of the volunteer effort to restore the acquired coastal wetlands.
• Finally – I established a Palmetto Bay “Environmentalist of the Year” Award – to recognize and encourage environmental action.

Prior relevant blog posts: Some relevant posts on my personal blog include Invasive Species, creating a backyard oasis, Celestial Events: there have been many posts throughout this blog covering these topics and how they are relevant to our South Miami-Dade Communities. Please take the time to check a few out. It is all about my transparency. I am about preservation of Palmetto Bay. That means thinking differently, saving the 22 acres of the rapidly deteriorating Pine Rocklands at the Palmetto Bay Village Center.

Happy Earth Day – 2022!

Eugene Flinn

Earth Hour 2022 - are you in? Earth Hour takes place at 8:30 pm -- wherever you are!

Is anyone in Palmetto Bay participating in Earth Hour tonight? Is participating in conservation activities still a thing? There are no Earth Hour events listed on the Village website or social media.

Earth Hour takes place at 8:30 pm -- wherever you are!

The theme of this year's Earth Hour is 'Shape Our Future'. It is a pivotal year for everyone to shape the world for the future generations by raising awareness about the damages to climate that are impacting our world today.

What happens during Earth Hour?: The event is held annually, encouraging individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights, for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on a specific day towards the end of March, as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

I have always enjoyed promoting this very simple event. It only takes dimming your lights for a single hour to make a statement (but promotes activities and conservation that should be practiced throughout the year). When I served as Mayor, I enjoyed invitations to enjoy some great candlelit outdoor parties to jointly mark the event.  Fun times for a great purpose. I expect great weather for our small personal event.

 

Cities around the world have dimmed their lights to take part in WWF’s Earth Hour over the years. Sydney’s Harbor Bridge and the Opera House had their illuminating lights turned off for an hour as part of the annual environmental campaign to encourage people to turn off unnecessary lights and waste less energy. London landmarks including the Palace of Westminster, the London Eye and the Gherkin are set to dim their lights for an hour starting at 8.30pm on Saturday.

 

Go to Earth Hour.org for more information.

 

Thinking locally, in considering a great place to spend Earth Hour, at one time the place to take the family to was Bill Sadowski Park, and Nature Preserve a County Park in Palmetto Bay, 17500 SW 78th Ave, where the  Southern Cross Astronomical Society would put out member telescopes each Saturday evening from 8 - 10:00 PM, "weather" permitting. It was a great event to come to view, solo or with friends and/or the family. 

The Earthrise photo. Taken 53 years ago today, 12/24/1968

Smile, you're being photographed (53 years ago). Two of my strongest non-family related Christmas time memories:

Apollo 8, we all monitored that mission (all space missions at that time) - we later saw the Earthrise photo taken  53 years ago this date, 12/24/1968.  This photo provides perspective; that we live on a small self-contained outpost.

The other, and certainly less important memory was back in 1971, when the Miami Dolphins were relevant, and played in the Christmas Day playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The double-overtime game remains the longest game ever played in NFL history.

The Dolphins were led by coach Don Shula, and six players – Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, and Paul Warfield. 

I prefer the space memories, looking up as if I could actually see something with my own eyes, if I could only focus on the exact spot near the moon. 

One of the many gifts that space exploration/NASA has provided to us.

Read the article (it remains available online), Miami Herald: The stunning photo on Christmas Eve that changed how we see our planet, by Christian Davenport The Washington Post

Happy Earth Day - 2021. Keep pushing for sustainability.

 Where are we in regards to protecting our fragile ecosystem?

Do you know the approximate age of the Earth? 4.543 billion years. Yet today, 4/22/2021 is just the 51st Earth Day celebration. Its a great time marker to celebrate, but a single day, or even a week is insufficient to preserve this wonderful life providing planet. We must act 24/7/365. And ACTING on Earth Day is more than just a movie night, it is taking action and participating, doing things differently, ending (sub)Urban Sprawl.

A brief history of Earth Day: The April 22 Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, and was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

I am proud to have led Palmetto Bay and created more than a simple Earth Day Celebration, but set Palmetto Bay to be committed to Earth Day 24/7/365. We don’t just recognize a day, we are now in big, in such a big way, that we take a full week to celebrate. Green activities, all free to the public, have been going this past week. We continue to involve our youth in partnership with the local schools as they are going to inherit what we leave behind.

I milestone we all should be proud of : Friday, July 20, 2018, Palmetto Bay was certified by the FGBC as a Green City. Next stop is Silver and then Gold Certification so long as the subsequent councils continue to subscribe to the green footprints cast before them.

 

 

Participating in a python hunt to 
remove an invasive species

What, if anything, are you doing to mark this event?  Please feel free to CLICK HERE for past updates on Earth Day. I recommend that you also take the time to review the Official Green Page of Palmetto Bay: "Palmetto Bay Village Green" which has both information of all the events of the week as well as the ongoing green efforts of our village. 

Prior relevant blog posts: Some relevant posts on my personal blog include Invasive Species, creating a backyard oasis, Celestial Events: there have been many posts throughout this blog covering these topics and how they are relevant to our South Miami-Dade Communities. Please take the time to check a few out. It is all about my transparency. I am about preservation of Palmetto Bay. That means thinking differently, saving the 22 acres of the rapidly deteriorating Pine Rocklands at the Palmetto Bay Village Center.

Finally, on a silly, but fun note, no special day is complete without viewing Google's special Earth Day animated doodle on the Google site.

Happy Earth Day – 2021!

Eugene Flinn

Happy Earth Day - 2020. Outdoor activities move to virtual and limited for this year. Keep pushing for sustainability.

Where are we in regards to protecting our fragile ecosystem?

Do you know the approximate age of the Earth? 4.543 billion years. Yet today, 4/22/2020 is just the 50th Earth Day celebration. ACTING on Earth Day is more than just a movie night, it is taking action and participating, doing things differently, ending (sub)Urban Sprawl.
 

 A brief history of Earth Day: The April 22 Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, and was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

Prior relevant blog posts: Some relevant posts on my personal blog include Invasive Species, creating a backyard oasis, Celestial Events: there have been many posts throughout this blog covering these topics and how they are relevant to our South Miami-Dade Communities. Please take the time to check a few out. It is all about my transparency. I am about preservation of Palmetto Bay. That means thinking differently, saving the 22 acres of the rapidly deteriorating Pine Rocklands at the Palmetto Bay Village Center.

Finally, on a silly, but fun note, no special day is complete without viewing Google's special Earth Day animated doodle on the Google site.

Happy Earth Day – 2020!

Eugene Flinn

Special note for 2020- the Coronavirus Pandemic has place restrictions on the activities, but should not curb anyone's enthusiasm toward our events.  

The original council worked hard to lay a great foundation to last through raining days - or a pandemic, to be different and make the simple things, like Arbor Day and Earth Day, into fun, engaging, and positive educational events.  As Mayor, I initiated the Lady Bug release at area schools, and even added a release at the Ken Robinson Memorial Gardens at Coral Reef Park for the movie night. 

We brought internationally known Eco Artist Xavier Cortada to Ludovici Park to participate in the 2010 Arbor Day event.

We engaged the Green Mobility network to put together an outstanding family bike ride that included environmental talks including South Florida Water Management District speakers at designated rest stops. 

We partnered with the Nature's Posting, Tropical Audubon Society (TAS) and volunteers including resident Beth Kibler, to provide guided kayak/canoe trips from Snowden's / Deering Point. Residents were able to view the mangroves and learn about the native birds and other bay animals and plants of this South Florida ecosystem – and appreciate Palmetto Bay from the Bay for several years. (CLICK HERE)

We took advantage of special relationships and the talents of residents located in Palmetto Bay who participated in the 2008 movie night during Earth Week, bringing out the actual owls from the movie "Hoot."  We worked with area private schools that brought their students out and participated in area clean ups (The Magical Musical Litter-Bus Tour).  We even had groups such as Friends Forever jump in on impromptu cleanup of the Dog Park in honor of Earth Day!

We will return to those activities once this pandemic is over.  I look forward to participating with friends, neighbors and collegues in the very near future.

Manatees located in C100 canal in Palmetto Bay 4 21 2020

An Earth Day treat for those who live along the C100 canal in Palmetto Bay. A mother and calf were spotted. Thank you Sheron Amelung for the video.

4-22-2020 update - an outstanding photo of the mother and calf taken by Drew Kern.  Thank you Drew!

Happy Earth Day - 2019. Green, then silver, then Gold. Keep pushing for sustainability.

Where are we in regards to protecting our fragile ecosystem?

Do you know the approximate age of the Earth? 4.543 billion years. Yet today, 4/22/2019 is just the 49th Earth Day celebration. ACTING on Earth Day is more than just a movie night, it is taking action and participating, doing things differently, ending (sub)Urban Sprawl.

A brief history of Earth Day: The April 22 Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, and was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

I am proud to have led Palmetto Bay and created more than a simple Earth Day Celebration, but set Palmetto Bay to be committed to Earth Day 24/7/365. We don’t just recognize a day, we are now in big, in such a big way, that we take a full week to celebrate. Green activities, all free to the public, have been going this past week. We continue to involve our youth in partnership with the local schools as they are going to inherit what we leave behind.

It did not escape my notice, and it is sad that Palmetto Bay failed to get involved in Baynaza in 2019. I think 2019 may have been the first year we left it up to the County. Baynanza should be inter-governmental and represent collaboration, that no one group can undo what others refuse to do.

I was pleased to announce on Friday, July 20, 2018, that Palmetto Bay was certified by the FGBC as a Green City. Next stop is Silver and then Gold Certification so long as the subsequent councils continue to subscribe to the green footprints cast before them.

 

 

Participating in a python hunt to 
remove an invasive species

Today, Monday, April 22, 2019, is the 49th Earth Day Celebration.  What, if anything, are you doing to mark this event?  Please feel free to CLICK HERE for past updates on Earth Day. I recommend that you also take the time to review the Official Green Page of Palmetto Bay: "Palmetto Bay Village Green" which has both information of all the events of the week as well as the ongoing green efforts of our village. 

Prior relevant blog posts: Some relevant posts on my personal blog include Invasive Species, creating a backyard oasis, Celestial Events: there have been many posts throughout this blog covering these topics and how they are relevant to our South Miami-Dade Communities. Please take the time to check a few out. It is all about my transparency. I am about preservation of Palmetto Bay. That means thinking differently, saving the 22 acres of the rapidly deteriorating Pine Rocklands at the Palmetto Bay Village Center.

Finally, on a silly, but fun note, no special day is complete without viewing Google's special Earth Day animated doodle on the Google site.

Happy Earth Day – 2019!

Eugene Flinn

Update on the World’s Doomsday Clock. The ‘new abnormal’ and its not just about the nuclear threat, it’s about the livability of our world, globally

Discussion topic of the day - Update on the World’s Doomsday Clock - See what Newser has published. Time to move on from the 'green sheen' and make some real changes.

The World’s Doomsday Clock time is marked by more than just the nuclear threat; though that is in the top two threats listed (no ranking between 1 or 2). As cited in the article, climate change is cited as one of two major threats:

"We're running out of time,” says board member Susan Soloman. "If we don't start reducing emissions in this next decade, it's pretty clear we'll have a world we don't want to live in."

Please read the complete article (Posted Jan 24, 2019), by Arden Dier,  Newser Staff, Newser.com: Scientists Reveal New Doomsday Clock Reading, It remains at 2 minutes to armageddon, what group calls the 'new abnormal':

(NEWSER) – "A new abnormal: It is still two minutes to midnight," the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said Thursday in revealing its Doomsday Clock, the symbolic timepiece representing humanity's proximity to an apocalypse of its own making. Never before has the clock been closer to midnight, reports CBS Chicago. The current reading of 11:58—decided among board members, including 15 Nobel laureates—was first reached at the height of the Cold War in 1953, then again last year. "We expect to be here for some time, in this precarious situation, which is why we're calling it the 'new abnormal,'" CEO Rachel Bronson tells the Washington Post. Per NBC News, she notes there is in fact "nothing normal about the complex and frightening reality we are describing."

EDITOR'S OBSERVATION: There is a lot of work to do - improving and enhancing public transportation, reducing our carbon footprint, stopping urban sprawl, addressing out of date/ineffective individual home septic systems, building green. Real changes are needed, not merely 'greenwashing'.

The Earthrise photo. 50 years ago today, 12/24/1968

Smile, you're being photographed (50 years ago). Two of my strongest non-family related Christmas time memories:

Apollo 8, we all monitored that mission (all space missions at that time) - we later saw the Earthrise photo taken  50 years ago today, 12/24/1968. 

The other, and certainly less important, was back in 1971, when the Miami Dolphins were relevant, and played in the Christmas Day playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The double-overtime game remains the longest game ever played in NFL history.

The Dolphins were led by coach Don Shula, and six players – Nick Buoniconti, Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, and Paul Warfield. 

I prefer the space memories, looking up as if I ocul actually see something with my own eyes, if I could only focus on the exact spot near the moon. 

One of the many gifts that space exploration/NASA has provided to us.

Read the article, online, Miami Herald: The stunning photo on Christmas Eve that changed how we see our planet, by Christian Davenport The Washington Post

My e-blast update was released Tuesday, 3/27/2018. Important updates.

Please CLICK HERE to review all the information and updates provided on March 27, 2018.

IN THIS ISSUE:  

• It takes a Village! I'm stepping in to bring our Palmetto Bay strategic plan to conclusion - "Engage Palmetto Bay",
• Interested in "going solar"? Don't miss: Solar United Neighbors of Florida, Wed., April 11 at 7:00 PM,
• World Tai Chi day to be celebrated at Coral Reef Park, April 28,
• Supporting transparency by holding additional public hearings on the proceedings, 
• Engage Palmetto Bay! Palmetto Bay Visioning Session, Park Drive Community Center - April 5, beginning at 7:00 PM, 
• Palmetto Bay Earth Week Events - "Participate Palmetto Bay!"
• Palmetto Bay Ordinance 2018-03 - related to the reduction of housing units has been posted to the Village website as per my special request to our clerk.

Again, please CLICK HERE to review all the information and updates provided in the e-mail blast released on March 27, 2018.

Southwood Middle School - 2018 winner of the Village of Palmetto Bay’s Earth Day Art

Congratulations Southwood Middle School.

Our area schools - Southwood Middle in this specific case- continue to make our Palmetto Bay Community Proud!

Palmetto Bay Earth Day events - Family Bike Ride - April 22, 2017 - video & photos

A great Family Bike Ride - part of Palmetto Bay's Earth Week 2017.  (yes, I was late - coming from troop 457's Eagle Scout Court of Honor, but I did my best to race and catch up with the ride in progress.)  I took the embedded video and 29 of the 30 photographs posted below. Can you find yourself, family or friends in any of the pics?  If not, I hope to see you at our next ride. (Please take the time to view prior blog posts, photos and videos by clicking the "Bicycling" Label - labels posted in the right side column)  
A big thank you to Green Mobility Network and Palmetto Bay resident, Green Mobility Member, Eric Tullberg for designing and leading this ride.  

This bike ride included traffic and ride support from our MDPD, Village of Palmetto Bay Policing Unit, both regular and bike patrol.  Safety is a number one concern!

A great time was had by all who participated.Please take the time to view the 30 phots below, click on any photo below to view a larger photo slide show.

(above - Route along 67th Avenue)

(Above, heading west on 152) 

(below Village Police support - traffic control at 152 & Old Cutler Road)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Our Palmetto Bay Police Bike patrol - bike, car, motorcycle patrol - 

always ready to serve the Palmetto Bay ready with the proper tools for the occasion. 

Thank you to all the families who participated in this event

Thank you Team Palmetto Bay - #ItTakesAVillage including our Manager Ed Silva and staff including Parks & Recreation Department, Director Fanny Carmona, Saylin Paez, Events & Programs Coordinator and Village Policing Unit - Major Serralta - Palmetto Bay Police Commander

See you next ride!