Happiness is Living Green in Tampa

When potential homebuyers look at real estate in Tampa, FL and the surrounding areas, they are often surprised by the number of communities with wetlands and preserves. Preserving the environment is an important project for humankind. There are a number of new homes being built in the Florida wilderness. Contractors and architects have been challenged to design and deliver structurally sound homes with minimal impact on the surroundings.

Whether neighborhoods are built on sand along the shore or atop cliffs overlooking the ocean, the current feeling is to do whatever is possible to avoid disturbance of nature. An eco-friendly home is easy to find when you are looking for a house in New Tampa, as well as communities like Apollo Beach, Wesley Chapel and Brandon.

Involve children in the practice of ecology by making it easy for them to understand. Celebrate Earth Day every day by making conservation a habit. Go to the library with the kids to check out a book about plants and wildlife in your area. Explain the value of library books, which offers the opportunity of knowledge to many, rather than a single family. Then decide upon a trek along one of the hiking trails found near homes in Seven Oaks or the area in which you live.

Take pictures of birds, trees and flowers that you pass along the way. Identify what you can from the book. When you get home, look on the internet for unidentified items. Check with your local agriculture agent or UOF for assistance. Ask your children how they think our actions can affect other living things, including ourselves. Point out the green features in your home and how it helps the environment.

Cleanup days in the neighborhood, the park or the beach bring home the careless disregard some have for their surroundings. Take the family and join in with others to make things better. Community organizations, scout troops and personnel at MacDill AFB can use all the help they can get with projects such as these.

Add decorative solar lights to your walkways. They add joy to holiday displays, recharged by the sun during the day and capable of blinking and changing colors at night. An eco-friendly way of life delivers a great lesson to your children in the area of responsibility and concern for their community and the world.