Around
this time last month I had the opportunity to attend a Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) in-service training (IST) in Gainesville. The event attracted many agents and
master gardeners from across the state, and provided me a chance for some team-time with Miami-Dade County’s Urban Conservation Unit (UCU).
Miami-Dade County's FYN/UCU team: Jesus Lomeli and Laura Vasquez |
The Miami
model
Miami-Dade
County’s FFL/UCU program is a Water and Sewer Department-funded entity that
works within the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension Office, promoting the FFL ethic
for sustainability (via the nine principles and yard certifications) while also executing
the county’s larger goal of water-use efficiency through incentive-based urban landscape irrigation retrofits and a rain barrel program.
UCU technician Jesus Lomeli in system assessment mode |
During
the IST’s strategizing session, many of the Extension agents in attendance
commented that this is a different approach to the usual county FFL
program structure. Is it a model that can be replicated in other counties, even at a
smaller scale? There certainly are non-replicatable advantages to working in a large urban
center where the water utility is under constant pressure to meet water conservation
goals and is prepared to invest resources accordingly.
Removing irrigation and installing Florida-Friendly plants is rebate-worthy in Miami-Dade |
How it
works
What I
find most effective about the program is that although there are three areas of focus, each one complements all the others. The rain barrel program promotes
low-intensity rainwater harvesting and maintains a presence year-round with
workshops throughout the county and regular teaching events with children in
schools.
Do you know the nine principles? |
The FFL program consistently certifies yards as Florida-Friendly
based on the nine principles (above) and sometimes consults with landscape architects integrating FFL into initial designs on new construction. And the irrigation rebate program is in the field almost daily assessing residential and large systems and making recommendations
to improve efficiency, all of which also qualify for rebates. At every point of
contact with the community, each area of focus promotes the others.
Thanks to the UCU and forward-thinking contractors, weather-based irrigation timers like this one have a foothold in Miami-Dade |
2014
NACo Achievement Award
This
month the National Association of Counties awarded Miami-Dade’s FYN/UCU program
with an achievement award in the category of Environmental Protection and Energy,
one of only 24 programs recognized across the U.S.
This is well-deserved
recognition and I’m pleased to play a role in this team’s efforts for sustainability and conservation in South Florida.
About the author:
Michael Gutierrez is a water resources
technician with UF/IFAS in the Ag & Bio
Engineering Dept. He tweets, blogs and
also shoots still and video media in South
Florida, Gainesville and anywhere else a
camera is handy. (image: Jesus Lomeli)
technician with UF/IFAS in the Ag & Bio
Engineering Dept. He tweets, blogs and
also shoots still and video media in South
Florida, Gainesville and anywhere else a
camera is handy. (image: Jesus Lomeli)