Environment Think Pink! Flamingos Flock to Manatee County to Urge Residents to Protect Our Waters

Be on the lookout for a flock of pink flamingos traveling around Manatee County this Spring – plastic pink yard flamingos, that is.

The flamingos are the roving ambassadors for the ”Be Floridian“ fertilizer education campaign sponsored by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and Manatee County. Be Floridian supports Manatee County’s new urban fertilizer ordinance, which bans use of nitrogen lawn and landscape fertilizer in the summer to prevent water pollution.

The campaign launched last year in Pinellas County, and is expanding to Manatee and the City of Tampa this year in support of new fertilizer laws passed in both communities.

Summer rains don’t water fertilizer in, they wash it away -- right into our ponds, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico. Too much fertilizer can cause algae blooms and fish kills, spoiling the beautiful waterways that drew so many of us to Florida in the first place.

The partners of the Be Floridian campaign urge residents to ”Fertilize Like a Floridian“ by skipping the fertilizer altogether in the summer and using slow-release fertilizer that is less likely to run off with rainfall the rest of the year. The campaign also encourages residents to design a Florida Yard that needs less water, care and chemicals, and connects people with resources to help them achieve that goal.

The plastic pink yard flamingo was chosen as the campaign mascot because of its enduring popularity as a quirky icon of old Florida. The Be Floridian flock will appear at a variety of community events this Spring.

True Floridians follow these Florida-friendly lawn care practices in the summer to keep their yards looking great:

• Pump some iron. An application of iron, readily available at most garden centers, will keep your lawn green during the summer.
• Micro-size It! Apply micronutrients such as potassium and magnesium to keep your grass healthy.
• Get Better Dirt. Mix in composted cow or chicken manure, or your own home compost, to enrich your soil. It’s like giving vitamins to your yard.

Pick better plants. Buy plants adapted to Florida’s hot, humid climate and plant water, fertilizer and chemicals year-round, and you’ll have more time for bicycling, boating, grilling or just relaxing by the pool sipping a drink with a little umbrella in it.

For more information on how you can care for your yard like a True Floridian, visit www.befloridian.org