Parks for Pollinators Bioblitz

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PBC Parks participated in the national Parks for Pollinators campaign, which was aimed at raising public awareness of the importance of pollinators and positioning parks as national leaders in advancing pollinator health. Organized by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz event was held during the month of September.

We created a project – named Parks for Pollinators 2021: Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation – in the iNaturalist app, which was shared with NRPA and added to the national campaign. Participants used the iNaturalist app and website to record and identify observations of various plant and animal pollinators found in parks, natural areas, backyards, and other locations throughout the county.

The PBC Parks project recorded about 1,500 observations with more than 500 species identified. More than 200 identifiers and nearly 250 observers participated using the iNaturalist app.

“I really enjoyed looking for as many pollinators as possible in the one-month span. I know I definitely won’t stop looking for them any time soon!” said Mikie Green, PBC Parks Volunteer.

Mikie was recognized with observing the most species in the county during the event on iNaturalist (username coolcrittersyt), with over 80 species of pollinators.

Parks play a key role in protecting and preserving pollinators and their habitats, and BioBlitz events are designed to create a literal snapshot of plants, insects and animals to see what wildlife is present in local parks. The activity not only let participants safely explore their local parks and learn more about the species through the iNaturalist mobile app, the information gathered also provided specific data on the species located in the parks — which can help park and recreation professionals manage those spaces for biological diversity and build ecological resilience. 

In addition to featuring the project on PBCParks.com, BioBlitz activities were conducted at events, like the “Palm Beach County Library System Park(ing) Day”, in order to provide the community with more ways to understand the importance of pollinators and their impact on the environment.

Power of Parks: Andres Avello

Welcome to Power of Parks, a podcast produced by the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department, where we share inspiring stories from people who have benefited from nature, parks and recreation.

Episode 18 features Andres Avello, the co-founder of PADL, a self-service, solar-powered paddle boarding startup with stations throughout South Florida, including in three PBC Parks — Burt Reynolds, Ocean Inlet, and Juno Park. These stations provide easy access to the county’s waterways without having to own a paddle board.

PBC Parks Hosts Cleanup and Celebration on World Ocean Day

More than 70 volunteers joined forces on World Ocean Day, Tuesday, June 8^th, to remove over 500 pounds of trash from the Atlantic shoreline and Intracoastal Waterway along Coral Cove Park in Jupiter. The cleanup was a partnership between the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department, Visit Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Ecotourism Association, Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management, and the Beach Bucket Foundation.

In addition to removing harmful items and trash from these locations, the event was an effort to educate participants on the importance of keeping key environments clean, and to inspire environmental stewardship among residents and visitors.

“More than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans and the ocean is the center of most living things,” said Eric Call, Director of Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department. “It’s important that we create opportunities to educate the public on the importance of keeping our oceans clean and vibrant now and into the future.”

Participants were invited to clean up the Atlantic shoreline and waterway by walking, kayaking, or paddle boarding. All cleanup supplies were provided, and all ages were welcome at the family-friendly event. More information for anyone interested in participating in cleanup events at Palm Beach County-operated parks and beaches is available at www.pbcparks.com.

Volunteer Spotlight: Eddie Ott

Edward “Eddie” Ott has been a volunteer for 11 years at John Prince Golf Learning Center. He picks up golf balls on the range and helps keep the fire ants under control by surveying the property in the hunt for anthills, so they can extinguish them before they cause patrons harm. He also helps keep the golf greens, green aprons (collars) and fairways in tiptop shape by fixing ball markers and filling divots, keeping them as some of the best in South Florida.

Fellow staff, volunteers and patrons have always said that he has been a pleasure to talk to due to his wealth of experiences and knowledge.

Eddie has always been a very diligent working volunteer. He is kind, optimistic and very cordial to all and a role model to the whole facility.

The biggest personal benefit he’s received as a volunteer with our department? “I get to play golf and work with Geoff!”

Eddie started playing golf at the age of 42 and moved down to Florida from Ohio when he was 50. His previous occupation was an auto mechanic. What’s most interesting is he is 97 years old, who calls 85 year olds ‘kids’.