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FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPINGTM VIRTUAL PROGRAMS INSPIRE CHANGE

Extension Education

Lisa Sanderson
Residential Horticulture Extension Agent
UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County
Bushnell

Abstract

Sumter County is home to the main area of The Villages, the largest retirement community in the country, which is growing exponentially with new homes and arrival of new residents.  Attending Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Programs, offered virtually during 2020, include Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM for New Residents of The Villages, repeated monthly, and Gardens Grow with Extension, offered weekly.  While participants have attended from Sumter County, surrounding counties and even other countries, the main objective of both programs is to inspire participants to adopt best management practices for their own landscapes to protect Florida’s fragile resources.   Programs included topics on watering lawns and landscapes efficiently, drought tolerant plant selection, attracting pollinators or wildlife, and managing pests responsibly.  For example, thirty-three percent (n=34) of respondents noted they would manually turn off their irrigation system always or most of the time when it rained; and nineteen percent (n=44) of respondents fertilize only when the grass is actively growing. One issue noted with virtual programming on the Zoom format for both  Florida-Friendly Landscaping for New ResidentsTM and Gardens Grow with Extension, participants may register to attend, but may not consistently show up.  These programs are advertised in the local paper, on Facebook and through the Mailchimp service.

Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC

This poster is being submitted only for display at AM/PIC. Poster is not to be judged, but the abstract will be published in the proceedings.

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Authors: L. Sanderson, N. Samuel
  1. Sanderson, L. Residential Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County, Florida, 33513
  2. Samuel, N. Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM/Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County, Florida, 33513