Each month at my neighborhood watch meeting (Beachside Neighborhood Watch), I do a segment called jenny’s corner, which the group leader invited me to do as a regular feature. I try to fit it into three minutes, and try to combine practical advice with encouragement. People seem to enjoy it.
One of the other big neighborhood watch groups, Midtown Neighborhood Watch, now has me do a segment at their meeting too. I was very honored and delighted to be asked to start doing it. Many of us attend each other’s neighborhood watch meetings now. The community is definitely becoming more cohesive.
I am posting this month’s BNW edition of jenny’s corner here, in case it might be helpful to other people who might want to start a similar environmental awareness segment in their neighborhood groups.
Hi everyone! Sorry I can’t be here with you guys tonight, as I’m attending the meeting on gun violence. Thank you Amy or whoever is reading this on my behalf.
I’m glad to be able to attend the very important meeting about addressing the gun violence in our community.
On an environmental note: Studies have shown that extremely hot weather can lead to increased violence, including gun violence.
Extreme heat is one of the top threats to public health and safety in general. This threat can be expected to increase as time goes by. A lot of cities are appointing Chief Heat Officers. And some are planting shade-tree corridors to help people safely get from one place to another.
Each and every one of us can help too, by turning our spaces into cool pockets. When you’re walking on the sidewalk, you probably notice there are some cool pockets, usually near the trees and shrubs.
Speaking of trees, check out the flyer about how to properly care for our state tree, the Sabal palm. We’ve been spreading the word that excessive pruning is bad for the tree. It also jeopardizes our precious shade canopy and beachside beauty. If you want to help spread the word, please take a flyer (or take a picture of it with your phone). Thank you.
We thank the city of Daytona Beach for setting a good example of respecting the Sabal palm and other trees.
Another thing that helps cool things down is water. I have this crazy idea of turning my whole neighborhood into a waterpark, fed by nice cool fresh rainwater, all the way to ISB. I would totally volunteer to have a giant waterslide coming down from the roof of my house into a tropical pool!
Also I have an idea for a pirate-themed condo where they have canals instead of streets, and there’s a pirate boat running all day as a shuttle service for the residents.
We could have floating gardens growing all sorts of delicious fruits and vegetables. The ancient Aztecs had these floating gardens called chinampas. Some of these gardens are still around today! You can see pics and descriptions by googling.
Cool ideas involving water are fun to imagine in the hot summer. And who knows, maybe some of them might even come true in some form!
Peace and love everyone! Try to stay cool. And stay hydrated. Thank you all for caring for Mother Earth and our unique beachside environment.