2009 Myakka River Cleanup
Shafer Consulting joined the 2009 Myakka River Cleanup Event. Their efforts, led by Myakka River enthusiast Bob Richardson, cleaned litter and debris from the river along a four mile reach between Border Road Bridge and Rocky Ford. While paddling furiously to keep up with Richardson, the group recovered a motley collection of river debris, including a paper plate, the sole of a shoe and a latex glove. Their targeted segment was mostly litter-free. The larger cleanup effort targeted 38 miles of the river, including 12 miles inside the Myakka State Park. The Myakka River, designated as a Florida Wild and Scenic River, flows through 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. http://shafer-consulting.org

View Jennifer's Presentation to the Sarasota County Commission (Agenda Item 11)

Jennifer Shafer recently presented the final report of the Transportation and Redevelopment Action Committee (TRAC) to the Sarasota County Commission. Tim Dutton, Executive Director of the sponsoring organization SCOPE, praised Jennifer's leadership: "Dr. Shafer stepped up as both a citizen and as a gifted professional to lead an innovative process of civic engagement. As chair of the citizen group, Jennifer was called upon to convey complex ideas generated through the many steps of the year-long process. Her understanding of the dynamics of development and the nuances of power and personality in the context of citizen ownership made a big difference." TRAC chose Bee Ridge Road as a case-study for transforming Sarasota's tired and sprawling corridors using TOD principles to achieve walkable mixed-use neighborhoods connected by multi-modal transit. By distilling hundreds of ideas contributed by citizens participating in Focus Groups, TRAC identified 21 guiding principles to serve as a road map for elected officials, county planners, businesses and neighborhoods. http://shafer-consulting.org

Teacher's Institute for Conservation Biology: Technology Workshop

Jennifer Shafer lead a seminar and workshop featuring remote sensing and geographic information systems as tools for monitoring and modeling plant and animal populations and their habitats. The workshop was held at the Teachers Institute for Conservation Biology, sponsored and conducted by the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City, FL. "Her performance was outstanding," said Dr. Mike Stuart, team leader and Professor Emeritus of Biology at UNC. "Dr. Shafer provided detailed instructions and information prior to the course and followed up with both an excellent presentation and hands-on instruction on how to use the technology. Dr. Shafer is clearly well versed in the biological science behind the technology, but she is also an outstanding teacher. Dr. Shafer and her company would be my first choice for any project involving complex data analyses of environmental issues or in teaching others how to understand the myriad issues in land use. I look forward to utilizing her skills and expertise again in future programs." http://shafer-consulting.org

It's Hot, But Not Because of Global Warming
Research suggests that local land-use changes — urban development and draining wetlands — may be contributing more to local climate change than global warming. Florida’s top global warming scientists, including Harold Wanless, chairman of geological sciences at the University of Miami, agree that greenhouse gases don’t seem to be impacting Florida’s temperatures. When it comes to global warming, sea-level rise — caused by warming elsewhere, particularly the Arctic — is the chief threat to Florida. Wanless predicts Florida’s seas will rise three to five feet by century’s end. http://shafer-consulting.org

In-depth Look At Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Life, Ecosystems

A new report on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands provides the sharpest picture yet of the region's marine life and ecosystems. The report examines the geographic distribution of the island chain's marine life and habitats, and the conditions that determine where they are found. Designated as a the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in 2006, this is one of the most isolated and pristine marine ecosystems in the world. http://www.shafer-consulting.org

Read Jennifer's Guest Editorial: Mapping a smart transit-oriented future
Jennifer Shafer is active in a grassroots effort to start a community dialogue about Sarasota's growth management strategies. The Sarasota citizen group is exploring how transit-oriented re-development could transform older, strip-mall laden commuter corridors to more pedestrian friendly mixed-use neighborhood centers connected to each other by transit alternatives such as safe walking and bike paths, buses or locally circulating trolleys. A community-wide Forum will be hosted by citizens next Friday May 1 from 1-4 pm at the Polytechnical High School on Beneva Road in Sarasota. http://www.shafer-consulting.org

Sonar Damage to Dolphins’ Hearing Is Akin to the “Rock-Concert Effect"

Researchers at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology observed temporary hearing loss in dolphins exposed repeatedly to loud sonar pings. Pings replicated the sonar emitted during naval exercises off the coasts of California and Hawaii. It is thought that sound can become trapped in water layers creating an echo effect, preventing animals from escaping the cacophony. http://www.shafer-consulting.org

Climate Savers Show How to Grow Businesses While Cutting GHGs

Sony, HP, Polaroid, Coca-Cola, Tetra Pak, Nike and Johnson & Johnson ... why are these companies the new Climate Savers? They're achieving the Triple Bottom Line -- economic, social and environmental success. For example, Johnson & Johnson has saved $50 million over the last decade, with it's emissions reduction initiatives generating a 17% rate of return. Tetra Pak has kept energy consumption at 2002 levels, despite a 32% growth in packaging production.

For more on sustainable business, check-out Andrew Savitz's 2006 book titled, "The Triple Bottom Line." http://www.shafer-consulting.org