Mary Campbell, Extension Director, Pinellas County Extension
Are you interested in living a green and sustainable lifestyle? Pinellas County Extension is launching a new University of Florida led program to teach you about green and sustainable practices. This intensive training program creates knowledgeable and motivated volunteers ready to support sustainable education programs in Extension. Volunteers will share this information in the community through programs, events, schools and outreach activities. A required number of volunteer hours (30) are necessary for completion of the program and certification. This can be accomplished through many community activities in partnership with Extension Agents.
The Sustainable Floridians Program will benefit those who complete the training by providing ways to incorporate sustainable practices into their daily lives. The program will provide information to motivated individuals to connect personal decisions with information about sustainable practices. The seven week course combines group discussions, weekly action exercises and resource materials for an interactive and informative program. Participants will be provided with course materials, books, energy conservation devices for the home, and other products that relate to sustainable living. Each week participants will meet for a half-day session to learn about topics such as energy conservation, local foods, land use issues, water conservation, ecological footprint, and community leadership.
Sustainable Floridians is an action program directed at volunteers who want to continue to promote sustainable practices through activities such as outreach events, supporting educational programs in schools, participating in the new Pinellas Green Home and other exciting programs provided by Extension. The newly developed program follows along the lines of the Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs. The program is designed to be interactive and brings in local knowledge, creates group discussion, and promotes lasting behavior change. The program involves participants in record keeping for key indicators of sustainability: energy and water usage and vehicle miles traveled. In addition, weekly hands-on exercises are included that provide opportunities for implementing changes discussed in weekly topics. The final activity is the creation of a personal sustainability action plan.
Be a part of the first Sustainable Floridian program! The program is provided at no cost in 2011 and all resources are provided.
It will be held in three locations:
January 20 – March 3, 2011
Brooker Creek Preserve
3940 Keystone Road
Tarpon Springs, FL
April 7 – May 26, 2011
Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center
1800 Weedon Drive NE
St. Petersburg, FL
September 15 – October 27, 2011
Pinellas County Extension
12520 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL
If you are interested in this new and exciting program, please provide us with your name and e-mail address and you will be contacted (not all applicants will be selected for the program – only 12 participants per class) .
For more information contact:
Mary Campbell
727-582-2101
mcampbell@pinellascounty.org
or
Ramona Madhosingh-Hector
727-582-2656
rmadhosingh-hector@pinellascounty.org
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