Pulse of Central Florida

I love seeing companies who recognize the importance of being good to the Earth. So on a recent trip to Best Buy I was excited to see how they are [very creatively] rewarding their customers who are Eco-friendly.

That sign–accompanied by a couple of others–is located closer to the store than other parking spots. Think same location (distance wise) as handicap spots.

Pretty cool, huh? Next time you’re at your local Central Florida Best Buy be sure to look out for these….

It’s hard not to recycle when stores like Super Target in Orlando’s SODO neighborhood make it this easy!

I especially like the option for MP3, Cellphone & Ink Cartridge recycling!  Thanks for stepping up, Target!

Coffee lovers, unite. Starbucks sees The Big Picture. Customers who bring their own travel mug into stores April 15 will get a FREE brewed coffee.

As part of a global movement, Starbucks is encouraging people to convert from paper cups to travel mugs. “One person can save trees. Together we can save forests.” Pretty powerful words from the coffee giant.

So, get your Tax Day off to a good start by enjoying a free java … Don’t forget your mug!

Find a Central Florida Starbucks.

Walking through downtown Orlando earlier this afternoon, I was thrilled to see what was going on, on the corner of Orange Avenue and Pine Street.




Not sure if you can read all of that second banner or not:

330 trees offset the carbon emissions of 100 cars in downtown Orlando.”

Hosted by Progress Energy in honor of the 2010 Arbor Day, anyone can come to this corner lot on April 30th, and pick-up a FREE tree for themselves.

You really have no excuse not to! C’mon…do something good for the environment!

We received an e-mail a couple of days ago, sharing with us about a program the Eco Rollins group at Rollins College is running/encouraging for this upcoming Valentine’s Day…and I love it!

We’re happy to promote it.

Here’s the jist:

Students at Rollins University are putting a “green” spin on a traditionally “red” holiday. Members of the Eco Rollins organization are encouraging students to purchase small garden plants and herbs, rather than a traditional cut flower bouquet. This way, the gift can be planted and continue to grow, as opposed to traditional flowers that are only good for a limited amount of time.”

I think we should take the program outside of Rollins, and make an effort to show our planet how much we love it! “Happy Valentine’s Day, Planet Earth!”  Are you in?

(If you want to learn more about Eco Rollins and click here.)

As a College Park resident, I’m surprised I don’t spend more time at this fantastic neighborhood shop.

Fresh off their 5th anniversary in business in College Park, Infusion Tea is much more than a little coffee tea shop.

In addition to a vast assortment of teas, they also serve a menu of delicious food including crepes, pizza, organic wraps and more! And if that wasn’t enough to get you to stop in, they have a great little Co-op store full of unique gifts from local artists.

I’m told it’s also an excellent place to host a bridal or baby shower–what a neat idea!!

Where:
1600 Edgewater Drive 
Orlando, FL 32804

Hours:
Monday-Saturday, 9-9
Sunday, 12-6

Contact:
407/999-5255
@infusiontea
Facebook Fan Page

A few months ago you might remember a post Erin published on the Habitat for Humanity’s “Green” Community here in Central Florida. Well, Erin, a couple of friends, and I were given the opportunity to go to the Community a couple of weeks ago for a more in-depth look at this fantastic charitable service/site. We were even lucky enough to tour the model, which contains eco-friendly paint, recycled carpet, and energy-efficient appliances. Amazing!

This effort truly is an awesome thing, not only providing amazing homes to those in need, but also giving some love to the planet! I’m going to leave the nuts-and-bolts to Erin since the “green scene” is really her thing, but in true fashion I took many photos on our tour, and wanted to post them here to share.

If you’ve ever visited this site or have volunteered for Habitat, we’d love to hear about it!

This past weekend I spent a couple hours canoeing down the Wekiva River. About a mile down the river is Wekiva Island.

Wekiva Island is a pretty cool combination of what they call “river-banas,” or cabanas on the river, an outdoor bar called “The Tooting Otter” and a fire pit for when the weather cools down.

From the river’s edge, there’s nothing seemingly fancy about Wekiva Island, but it does seem like a great place to pull up the kayak or canoe and grab a drink or maybe a bite to eat.

Canoes & Kayaks can be rented for a competitive $22/4-hour period, or $30/day (Renting at the Springs is $16 for a 2-hour rental).

Check out Wekiva Island’s Web site to learn more about their Green approach to fun … it’s definitely a unique twist on river activity!

Habitat for Humanity Orlando is currently constructing Staghorn Villas, a 58 unit town home community near Silver Star Road.  Not only is this one of Habitat’s first multi-family communities it is also their most energy-efficient project to date.  The community is comprised of 10 buildings with 4 to 8 units each.  This $8 Million project was sponsored by Siemens, OUC, Lowes, Publix, Orlando Magic, HD Supply and several other charitable companies across Central Florida.

Some of the exterior green features include providing residents with open green spaces, play areas and low maintenance drought tolerant grasses.  The home’s interiors feature compact fluorescent light bulbs, low VOC paint, recycled carpet, front loading energy star washing machines and energy star refrigerators.

The energy efficiency of these homes is also bolstered by incorporating a 14 SEER AC unit, white shingle roofs, double insulated low E windows, R30 ceiling insulation and R13 frame walls into the homes construction.  Because of all these green features, Habitat for Humanity will be able to provide Energy Star Certification for each home constructed.  These upgrades will surely help Staghorn Villas’s residents save some green each month on their utility bills.

If you would like an opportunity to volunteer on the job-site, check out some available build dates here.  Not only can you help a good cause, get some exercise and meet some awesome people, but you can learn a bit more about green building from first hand experience. Hopefully it will inspire you to incorporate some green features into your home.

If you’ve been out and about in Downtown Orlando, there’s no doubt you’ve seen your share of Rickshaws. But now you can leave the car at home and give those bike taxis a break.

O-Cartz are pretty much oversized golf carts that seat up to six passengers, and even better than a standard pedicab, O-Cartz are covered … an essential feature for rainy nights in O-Town.

Check out the coverage map for Downtown:

Rates for an O-Cartz ride are $4. For more info, check out their Web site or follow them on Twitter: @ocartz.