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Parks & Recreation
Current Initiatives
This area will be used to highlight initiatives the Office of Sustainability is currently pursuing. Initiatives fall under four categories; energy and resource conservation, monitoring, policy and administration, and civic engagement. Rain water reuse, fuel system management, carbon credits, community gardens, and strengthening county recycling are a few of the initiatives currently being pursued.
- Parks & athletic field lighting
- Controls- An initiative was set in place to reduce and eliminate wasteful lighting use by adding motion sensors and/or timers to control the excess light usage at our local parks and facilities.
- Fixture upgrades- A study of athletic field lighting is currently underway for four facilities (Canopy Oaks, Ft. Braden, J. Lewis Hall, Miccosukee). Each facility has multiple fields that are being examined and prioritized for energy-efficient lighting fixture upgrades and programmable controls.
- Controls- An initiative was set in place to reduce and eliminate wasteful lighting use by adding motion sensors and/or timers to control the excess light usage at our local parks and facilities.
- Tree plantings- An acre of trees absorbs enough CO2 over one year to equal the amount produced by driving a car 26,000 miles. (Found at
http://www.Coloradotrees.org/benefits.htm)
- Adopt-A-Tree Program: The Adopt-A-Tree Program has planted 2,985 trees in unincorporated Leon County since 1992. The program is funded by the Leon County Tree Bank which receives funds from developers in lieu of replanting trees on restricted sites. The program emphasizes the use of native trees that are not common in landscapes, but are beautiful and do well in this area. Every year a different species is selected to demonstrate it’s potential. In 2009 a small native tree called the Yellowleaf Hawthorn, also known as the yellow haw was used. If you are interested in planting a tree through our Adopt-A-Tree Program, the county will plant one tree per household. The tree must be placed between your house and the road, so that it will be visible to others. If you are interested in this program, go to the County's web site at www.leoncountyfl.gov and click on Adopt-A-Tree under "Spotlights." Coupons are also available at the Leon County Public Works Center at 2280 Miccosukee Road. If you request a tree, you can specify the planting location with a wooden stake; otherwise, the county planting crew will pick a good spot.
- Leon County Tree Bank: The Tree Bank is a fund established and supported by the Division of Growth Management. Planting projects are developed by the Tree and Wildlife Preservation Committee or proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Since 1989, the Leon County Tree Bank has planted more than 33,000 trees throughout Leon County. Past projects have ranged from one tree at a park recognizing a public servant to thousands of seedlings comprising habitat restoration projects in our greenway system. Our beloved canopy roads have benefited from numerous Tree Bank plantings over the years. Many neighborhoods with a scarcity of trees are becoming shady thoroughfares thanks to Tree Bank projects. Schools and parks have benefited from volunteer plantings providing shade and wildlife habitat while participants learned about their ecological importance. The Tree Bank provides opportunities for people of all ages to get involved with the community.
- Arbor Day: Leon County and the City of Tallahassee annually celebrate Arbor Day by planting around a hundred trees at a local park. In 2009 the celebration was held on January 24th by planting long-leaf pine trees at the new Pecan Pond Park. Past celebrations were held at St. Marks Headwaters Park and Alford Arm Greenway. The Parks and Recreation Department provides hayrides for all attendees. In 2010, the Arbor Day celebration will take place at Stoneler Road Park.
- Tree City USA: Leon County has once again been named a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to community forestry. It is the third consecutive year that Leon County has received this national recognition. To qualify for Tree City USA status, a town or city must meet four standards: having a tree board or department, a treecare ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. (Found at
http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/Admin/pio/pdf/Links/Apr09Link_033109_lowres.pdf )
- Adopt-A-Tree Program: The Adopt-A-Tree Program has planted 2,985 trees in unincorporated Leon County since 1992. The program is funded by the Leon County Tree Bank which receives funds from developers in lieu of replanting trees on restricted sites. The program emphasizes the use of native trees that are not common in landscapes, but are beautiful and do well in this area. Every year a different species is selected to demonstrate it’s potential. In 2009 a small native tree called the Yellowleaf Hawthorn, also known as the yellow haw was used. If you are interested in planting a tree through our Adopt-A-Tree Program, the county will plant one tree per household. The tree must be placed between your house and the road, so that it will be visible to others. If you are interested in this program, go to the County's web site at www.leoncountyfl.gov and click on Adopt-A-Tree under "Spotlights." Coupons are also available at the Leon County Public Works Center at 2280 Miccosukee Road. If you request a tree, you can specify the planting location with a wooden stake; otherwise, the county planting crew will pick a good spot.
- Recycling program at active parks- We have expanded recycling in six County athletic park facilities (Canopy Oaks, Ft. Braden, J. Lee Vause, Chaires, Woodville, and Miccosukee) and five community centers (Woodville, Miccosukee, Chaires, Ft. Braden, Bradfordville). Each location will receive multiple receptacles known as ‘ClearStreams’ that have clear sides so others can view the recyclables. The visual impact of clear bins results in higher recycling rates and reduced trash contamination. Additionally, each athletic park facility will be outfitted with a large recycling collector bin for service by Solid Waste staff. (Found in Aug. 09 Agenda)
