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Message from the Sustainability Manager

The official start of summer is June 20. Something on all of our minds as summer hits are the higher temperatures.

Did you know that in 2023 the USDA updated the plant hardiness maps? These maps help determine which plants will do well in your garden based on the average low winter temperatures (over a 30-year period). Not surprisingly, many locations have shifted into higher zones since the last update. In 2012 Boca Raton’s coldest winter temperatures were between 35° and 40°F but today those temperatures are between 40° and 45°F, moving the City from Zone 10b to Zone 11a. (Learn more at npr.org.)

These zone changes tell us more than just what to plant. It highlights one of the biggest impacts of climate change on local temperatures. The lows are getting higher.

I hear all the time something along the lines of “This is Florida, it has always been hot!” While this might be true, we are experiencing our highest temperatures more frequently and it simply isn’t cooling off the way it used to. The high highs combined with the higher lows can result in very severe health and environmental consequences, such as last summer’s coral bleaching event. 

What can we do to protect the community from extreme heat? The City is focusing on two interventions (which each have a suite of co-benefits as well).

1.      Energy Efficiency

2.      Tree Canopy

For Earth Month and Arbor Day in April, we planted more than 190 trees and continue work on enhancing our tree canopy. As we kick off Sustainable Summer, we'll focus on improving energy efficiency, making it more affordable and less energy intensive to keep your home (and yourself) cool. Check out the resources and events happening in Sustainable Summer.

Lindsey Roland Nieratka

Sustainability Manager, City of Boca Raton

Upcoming Events

Every summer the City of Boca Raton takes a deeper dive on three big sustainability topics: Energy, Waste, and Water. Learn more and get involved with the variety of events below.

For a full list visit myboca.us/sustainability

Save Energy and Money at Home!

Check out the Home Energy Efficiency Training video on the City website and learn about the tax incentives and rebates available.

Ecological Restoration Volunteer Day

Remove invasive exotic species and plant native. Be a part of the ongoing restoration efforts!

Service hours available, please bring your own forms.

Fri, June 7 | 9 - 11am, Red Reef Park

To register for the events, visit: volunteermatch.org

WE-LAB Water and Energy Workshop

Wed, June 12 | 6 - 7:30pm Downtown Library

Join the City and Dream in Green to learn how water and energy are connected and how new behaviors and simple changes can save you money.

The first 50 registered attendees will receive a FREE water & energy saving toolkit.

Register at bit.ly/BocaWELAB by June 10!

Questions? Email sustainability@myboca.us or call 561-393-7997.

Solar 101 Workshop

Wed, June 26 | 6-7:30 pm, Spanish River Library

The City and Solar United Neighbors are hosting a FREE Solar 101 event.

Learn about the benefits of solar energy for your home or business, through technology, economics, financing, and more!

You will also learn about the Palm Beach 2024 Solar Co-op and benefits of co-op membership!

Register at SolarUnitedNeighbors.org.

Questions? Email sustainability@myboca.us or call 561-393-7997.

Stay Tuned for More Sustainable Summer!

The Sustainable Summer fun continues through July and August! Stay tuned as we schedule more opportunities for engagement and learning around the themes of waste reduction and water conservation. While you wait. . .

Ready to Go Beyond the Bag?

Have you already switched to reusable water bottles and tote bags? Are you ready to go beyond the basics in single use plastic production?

Check out the Beyond the Bag webinar from the Office of Sustainability and Gumbo Limbo Nature Center!

Note: This webinar was filmed in July of 2020.

Looking to Reduce Your Water Bill?

Are you interested in using water efficiently and reducing your water bills? So is the City of Boca Raton!

Watch the video about the efforts being made by Utility Services and then check out the City website for more information on water conservation efforts to put in place at your home.

South Florida Region Recognized by the EPA's

Energy Star Top 25 Cities

Boca Raton, as part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm metro region, is being recognized for having a high number of ENERGY STAR certified buildings. Of the 102 certified buildings in the region, seven of them are in Boca Raton. (See the map)

ENERGY STAR certification requires a building to earn an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher, indicating that it outperforms (in energy efficiency) 75% of similar buildings nationwide. Since 1999, 43,000 buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR saving nearly $6 billion on energy bills and preventing more than 23 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (the equivalent of the emissions of 3 million homes for a year). On average, an ENERGY STAR building uses 35% less energy and produces 35% fewer emissions than typical buildings.

Want to benefit from the energy and money savings of an ENERGY STAR building? Learn more about ENERGY STAR and see a full list of Top Cities at energystar.gov.

Earth Month by the Numbers

April 2024 was a huge success! Between dune restoration volunteer days, tree plantings, and learning opportunities, nearly 400 residents directly participated with the City's sustainability efforts. Check out a few noteworthy stats are below.

190

Trees added to the City's tree canopy between the tree give away and the arbor day tree planting.

175

Native plants installed in the City's dunes to replace the over 1000 cubic feet of invasive species removed.

1000

Pounds collected from the City's first ever e-waste recycling event, keeping more than 500 items out of the waste stream.

Thank you for Participating in the City Nature Challenge!

The City Nature Challenge is an annual GLOBAL bioblitz using iNaturalist to document the nature that shares our urban areas with us.

2024 Global Results:

• 83,528 observers in 690 participating cities from 51 countries
• 2,436,844 observations of 65,682 species
• Most commonly observed species globally: Mallard duck
• Number of rare/endangered/threatened species: 3,940
• See all cities and rankings at CityNatureChallenge.org

Boca Raton Results:

• 55 people made 885 observations of 296 species! Check out the observations in the iNaturalist project page.

If you didn't have the chance to participate this year, don't worry! Download iNaturalist at any time to learn the names of the plants and animals around you and to contribute to Citizen Science. Then, join us April 25-28, 2025 for the next City Nature Challenge!

Do You Run a Green Business?



The City's Sustainability Goals are much easier to achieve if we all work together! The business community is vital to achieving success, so get recognized for what you are doing!

• Does your business help reduce vehicle miles travelled by supporting biking by your employees and customers? Become a Bike Friendly Business!
• Does your business reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation by supporting electric vehicle adoption among your employees? Get an Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership certification!
• Does your restaurant reduce plastic waste? Become an Ocean Friendly Restaurant!

If your business has one of the above or any other green credentials, let us know! Become a part of the new Coastal Connection Green Business Program and have your business highlighted here, in the City's green business directory, and other benefits.

Email sustainability@myboca.us

NEW! Incentives for Bicycle Friendly Businesses!

Want to certify as a Bicycle Friendly Business? The City will pay your application fee.

• Up to $250! The next round of applications due October 30.

Learn more on the City's Sustainable Business Incentive Program page!

Pick Up & Grow with Community Greening

Community Greening’s newest tree planting program, Pick Up & Grow, is officially accepting applications!

Community organizations can apply to receive up to 25 FREE trees, shovels, mulch, watering buckets, and planting/maintenance guides to run a tree planting event with their members on their own property!

Community organizations include nonprofits, religious institutions, schools, HOAs and more! Groups must own the property where the trees will be planted or have written permission from the property owner to plant the trees. Groups must be able to pick up the trees and tools from the Community Greening Tree Nursery (In unincorporated Boca Raton just South of Palmetto Park Rd on Boca Rio Rd).

The program is run through a partnership between Florida Forest Service & USDA and Community Greening and is available to City organizations.

Details and applications available here: https://communitygreening.org/program/pick-up-grow.

What Have We Learned from Recycle Coach This Quarter?

Thanks to everyone who has downloaded the Recycle Coach app, used the What Goes Where tool and taken the quizzes. Having these quiz responses and seeing what users are searching helps the City to know where we may need to do a better job communicating.

Most Searched Material on the App? Plastic Bottle Caps

You are not wrong, the guidance on plastic bottle caps has changed. Years ago these were not recyclable, mostly because they couldn't be left on the bottles and were too small for the sorting machinery to handle. Now they can be recycled!

Recycle plastic bottle caps by keeping them on the plastic bottles.

The general rule for container recycling, if the lid is the same material as the container, leave it on. Glass jars with metal lids must be separated (both go in the blue bin) and plastic bottles with plastic lids stay together (and also go in the blue bin).

Recycling right can be difficult and sometimes confusing. Take out the uncertainty by downloading the app and using the What Goes Where tool or SWA's Is It Recyclable page.

Coastal Connection Community Heroes

A more sustainable Boca Raton, one yard at a time.

The 2024 Sustainable Yard Series was a huge success, with 72 participants!

A special thanks and recognition of our eight participants who attended all four sessions. Their collective work to make the City more sustainable, one yard at a time, has earned them the designation as this quarter's Coastal Connection Community Heroes.

Thank you so much, Chris Allen, Beth Broer, Marcela Daley, Laurie Edgar, Debra Ewing, Pam John, TJ Parker, and Millie Raphael!

Are you, or someone you know, going above and beyond for sustainability in the City of Boca Raton? Submit them for the next edition! Email us at sustainability@myboca.us

Read, Watch, and Listen with the Office of Sustainability

Your Quarterly Call to Action

Participate in Daylight Hour

Daylight hour is an annual social media campaign to raise awareness about energy efficiency in our office spaces. On June 20, turn off your lights from 12pm-1pm and work by daylight. Share on social media with #DaylightHour! Learn more at daylighthour.org.

www.myboca.us/sustainability

sustainability@myboca.us

561-393-7997