It’s Worth Protecting
Florida is made up of 1,200 miles of coastline; 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and waterways; hundreds of different native plants and animals; 16 million acres of forestland; and more than 700 freshwater springs—and each one, every inch deserves our protection.
In Ocala Style’s first-ever Environmental Issue, we hope to share some of the problems facing Florida right now and in the not-so-distant future and what individuals and organizations around the state are doing to help keep our homeland beautiful.
In our “The State of Our Water” story, we explore where our water comes from, why using water wisely is so important and the challenges facing our springs and aquifer system. Organizations such as the Silver Springs Alliance Group are working to preserve Florida’s natural springs so they can be enjoyed for generations to come.
And while we’re talking about groups working for change, I’d like to give the City of Ocala and its citizens a pat on the back for organizing and participating in the new curbside recycling program. Since its inception six months ago, Ocala has been producing 70 to 75 tons of recycled materials per week. Every ton of recycled plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of space in landfills, so here’s hoping that number only continues to rise. You can find out more about recycling and the City’s program in the “Ocala Recycles” story this month.
More personally, I’d also like to take a moment to congratulate John Jernigan and Sheila Hartley of Jim Jernigan Studios and photographers here at Ocala Style. At the recent Florida Professional Photographers annual convention, John, who has worked with Ocala Style for more than 10 years as our staff photographer, received first place in Environmental Portrait, two Awards of Distinction and was named one of the top 10 photographers in Florida. Sheila also received top honors with two Awards of Distinction. We are fortunate to have them as part of our Ocala Style family.
Until next time,
Kathy
