DREAM - Dunedin's Resilient Environmental Action Master Plan
Published on January 13, 2022
The City of Dunedin has been dedicated to environmental protection for decades and continues to develop goals and plans for a more sustainable future. As the City has many environmental programs and aspirations, it was time for a formal master plan to be developed - one that intersected every department and highlighted the community's needs. This comprehensive master plan is an outlook for the next ten years and includes a few projects with longer timelines.
Dunedin is committed to developing its first environmental and sustainability plan in-house to highlight the region's expertise, gain a deeper insight into the community's needs, and localize sustainable action. Dunedin's Resilient Environmental Action Master Plan, DREAM, is an all-encompassing plan with many action items for sustainable solutions. The action items outlined in DREAM drive efforts to address equity, conservation of natural resources, and economic prosperity. DREAM is designed to answer the question, How does Dunedin become a more sustainable, equitable, smart, and efficient city?
Combatting the climate crisis is a fight that must be done together. As the Tampa Bay region is one of the most vulnerable areas impacted by climate change and sea-level rise, it is in our communities' best interest to tackle these issues with a regional approach. DREAM has incorporated action items that align with local, regional, and global efforts, further strengthening the impact of reversing global environmental degradation.
Join the efforts by beginning with these five actions:
• Certify Your Yard
o Having a truly "green" and environmentally conscious landscape means your yard will be filled with more colors than just green. Expand the colors of your garden by focusing on biodiversity and introducing Florida native plants and flowers, edible plants, places for wildlife to thrive, and ways for ecosystems to flourish. Transition your yard from a low-biodiverse lawn into a wildlife sanctuary! Dunedin Green Scene has information on the certifications and types of landscapes you can transition to. These include Florida Friendly Landscaping, Ocean Friendly Landscaping, National Wildlife Federation Habitats, and landscapes with Florida native plants, edible food, rain gardens, and bioswales.
• Sharing is Caring
o Community and neighborhood resource sharing allows you to connect with neighbors, save money, and protect the environment. Work with your neighborhood to coordinate what can be borrowed, shared, and donated to one another. Hosting neighborhood share events or installing a little free library can be great ways to engage others.
•Telecommuting and Teleworking
o Encouraging telework and virtual meetings greatly helps reduce the carbon dioxide, time, and transportation costs of employees and attendees, leading to higher productivity, more efficient practices, and a healthier planet.
•Take the Reduce Your Use Tampa Bay Pledge
o Visit Reduce Your Use Tampa Bay to take the pledge! This pledge is open to residents and businesses.
•Take a Quiz to Calculate your Footprint
o Use the Footprint Calculator to figure out how many Earths it would take to sustain your current lifestyle. You may be shocked by how many resources Americans use every single day! Use techniques outlined in this resource to take action in reducing your footprint.