In late 2019, the Garden Club of Jacksonville worked with the Late Bloomers Garden Club to host several organizations interested in supporting the new Special Committee on Resiliency. Those meetings eventually coalesced into a new coalition—Resilient Jax.
The Garden Club is one of 10 founding steering committee members of Resilient Jax:
- Greenscape of Jacksonville
- Groundwork Jacksonville
- Late Bloomers Garden Club
- North Florida Green Chamber of Commerce
- Riverside Avondale Preservation
- Scenic Jacksonville
- Sierra Club Florida Chapter
- St. Johns Riverkeeper
- Timucuan Parks Foundation
Jacksonville and Northeast Florida have frequently been identified as national “hot spots” for the negative impacts of climate change. Despite having one of the largest intact saltwater marsh systems on the East Coast, extensive damage from three recent hurricanes has shown Jacksonville to be highly susceptible to flooding from rising seas, storm surges, and intense rainfall events.
Jacksonville City Council formed the Special Committee on Resiliency to recommend actions to create a city more resilient to the dangers of a changing climate and rising sea and river water levels.
The mission of Resilient Jax is to work collectively to propel equitable and proactive solutions that address the cause and effects of climate change in Northeast Florida through advocacy, education, and community involvement. St. Johns Riverkeeper Advocacy Director Shannon Blankinship serves as the current chair of Resilient Jax.
We know Jacksonville must:
- Enact policies to make our infrastructure more resilient to rising waters.
- Inform our leaders that climate change is about much more than sea level rise and inland flooding.
- Strengthen the voice of climate change and resiliency in northeast Florida.
Get involved
You can learn more about effort at resilientjax.org and sign up to receive newsletters about climate change, resiliency efforts, and upcoming programs.
You can also complete this form about How the Climate Impacts You. Resilient Jax wants to hear about the ways you are being affected by climate change in your everyday life.
Attend the next Resilient Jax coalition meeting, The Role of Disaster Preparation in Resiliency, at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, with Raelyn Means of Northeast Florida Long Term Recovery Organization/Duval COAD, and John Sapora of LISC Jacksonville.
Join the Zoom Meeting here.
Meeting ID: 949 4765 8127
Passcode: 350487
Sea-level rise and coastal flooding
Mark your calendar for one of these public workshops and speak up for resiliency in your neighborhood. The City of Jacksonville Planning and Development Department is hosting Public Engagement Workshops related to sea-level rise and coastal flooding. The goal of these workshops is to increase awareness of neighborhood vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding and to gather input on the community’s priorities for flooding mitigation.
- Greater Arlington/Beaches: Wednesday, February 17, noon-2 p.m.
- Southeast: Friday, February 19, noon-2 p.m.
- Urban Core: Monday, February 22, 4-6 p.m.
- Southwest: Wednesday, February 24, 10 a.m.-noon
- North: Friday, February 26, 10 a.m.-noon
- Northwest: Monday, March 1, 6-8 p.m.
If you have an interest in social vulnerability, please try to attend the Urban Core Workshop. If you have an interest in historic resources, please try to attend the Northwest Workshop. Email communityplanning@coj.net to send comments or feedback. For more information, please call the Planning and Development Department at 904-255-7888.
Join all Zoom meetings here.
Meeting ID: 764 640 9733