Environmental

Words By Carmen Macri, Ambar Ramirez and Tysen Romeo   We arrived at the quaint neighborhood of Whispering Oaks around 9 a.m. and were greeted by one of the many friendly residents. After a quick introduction and a few firm handshakes, we were escorted on a quick walk across A1A Beach Boulevard to Ocean Hammock Park Walkway. The walkway is located on a city-owned, 18-acre parcel of wetlands and dunes leading directly to the beach, one of the few public accesses in the area. It is about one-third of a mile long, and the sights along the way are what …

Words By Ambar Ramirez   Imagine not knowing the next time you will eat, and living with consistent food shortages and hunger or food insecurity becomes the norm. Such a life is already a reality for millions of low-income households and for those living in developing nations. And if changes are not made now that life will become a reality for millions more.   In developing nations, the main reason for the hunger crisis stems from a lack of food production and scarcity of supplies. In America, though, the main reason we will face food hunger is due to inflation, …

Click here to read about Florida’s flood tide fishing, Alleyway Kustoms, how the IRA will reach Florida communities and the rules and regulations of service animals!

How the Inflation Reduction Act will reach Florida’s communities On Aug. 18, a substantial piece of legislation was signed into law, the Inflation Reduction Act (aka the IRA Bill) or, as President Biden called it: “the biggest step forward on climate ever.” The bill invests $370 billion in spending and tax credits aiming to reduce health costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and raise taxes on corporations. The U.S. is finally taking a legitimate swing in the fight against climate change. Though it didn’t meet original expectations, it’s putting us on course to reduce our own pollution which is good for …

We ran the skiff only 30 minutes away from the boat ramp before Rami hopped on the poling platform and began pushing us through the labyrinth of spartina marsh creeks. Evan, posted on the front deck, fly rod in hand, scanned the grass flats for any sign of the targeted species, Sciaenops ocellatus, aka redfish. This was no regular day fishing the creeks, though, but an unusually early flood tide for the season, and I was sharing a boat with two of the most dialed fishermen from the area. Evan Tucker and Rami Ashouri of Cowford Conservation are two local …

Jacksonville’s top water hogs, Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, the sheriff’s race, the affordable housing crisis, local cafe being uprooted and some other good stuff. Click here to read the issue!

*Update from JEA: In some cases in the list of top 10 water customers, JEA corrected the customer’s balance due to a leak or plumbing issue. There also are a few properties that reflect high usage due to reclaimed water usage. Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater. Customers who use reclaimed water for their irrigation help conserve water drawn from the Floridan aquifer, the source of our local drinking water.* The blue marble we know as Earth has an abundant amount of water, 71% of its surface is covered in the wet stuff. Unfortunately for our very delicate species, 91% …

Words by Rain Henderson & Joseph Guiffre Winding through the live oak lined backroads a dozen miles southeast of Gainesville, the bright Florida summer sun beats down. The light illuminates the old houses and chicken coops we pass, miles from the hustle and bustle. Finally we take a turn down a dirt road across from an idyllic cow pasture framed by tall symmetrical palms. The shade of the woodlands is welcoming and so is the tall, smiling, plainly dressed man waiting at the gate. Over the past two or three years people have been confronting their own mortality more than …

According to the Florida Wildlife Commission, only one in 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings mature to adults. We’re in the heart of sea turtle nesting season in Northeast Florida, and turtle nests and hatchlings have been spotted all over the beaches. According to the Jacksonville Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol, around 100 nests have already been counted along our coastline, including over 90 loggerheads and a few leatherbacks, the largest sea turtle in the world that can measure as long as six feet and weigh up to half a ton. With summer in full swing, people are flocking to the beaches in …

In 1987, Folio Weekly made its debut—and Northeast Florida hasn’t been the same since. The “alternative newsweekly” brought a fresh, no holds barred approach to local journalism and served it up with a generous side of sarcasm and sass. No subject was off limits, and the staff were eager to explore them all, the good, the bad and the WTF. Fast forward to 2020 (speaking of WTF!), and Folio Weekly became its own story. More than 30 years after the paper’s publisher Sam Taylor announced Folio was ceasing publication due to economic issues related to the pandemic. But that wasn’t …