Page 11 - Abacoa Community News - April '24

Abacoa, Page 11

neigHborHood news

Abacoa Community Garden

Cruciferous that when cooked properly help our liver cleanse itself
Both are part of the family of cruciferous vegetables
Vegetables of toxins. Loaded with vitamins C and K, cabbage is best
prepared by steaming (compared to microwaving), for
Come to the garden doing so preserves the nutrients that keep your digestive
and be amazed. This tract healthy. Air frying Brussels sprouts has become very
year’s crop of cabbage popular for the outer shell caramelizes, creating a crispy
and Brussels sprouts are and tasty dish.
stunningly beautiful as the Garden membership runs from Aug. 1 to July 31.
photographs suggest. They are not the same plant but are of Download forms at www.abacoa.com/abacoa-community-
the same species – Brassica oleracea. Some mistake Brussels garden or find one in the outside mailbox at the garden
sprouts as miniature cabbages as their tight formation of bed. Cabbages grow directly on the ground transforming entrance at 1022 Community Drive. There is a waiting
densely packed swirls are very similar. into swirly plants with a tightly packed center. The Brussels list for independent beds but if interested, just check the
In the photos, a garden member is proudly holding up a sprouts, meanwhile, are little jewels that grow on the main box. Stop by, especially Saturday morning, and check out
cabbage, while the ground photo is of the Brussels sprouts stem of the parent plant. our Facebook page.
Help Celebrate Gopher Tortoise Day In Florida

parks throughout Abacoa’s neighborhoods and a 260-acre
Tips On Protecting Gopher Tortoise… greenway that protects the ecosystem of wetlands and pine
and Over 350 Species of Wildlife woods, 60 acres of which are set aside as an endangered
gopher tortoise habitat. Leaving preserve gates open
• Do not place them in water, they are land tortoises creates a serious risk of harm to endangered tortoises that
and will drown! call the Abacoa Greenway home.
• Do not destroy their burrows, they are also home to You can help celebrate
another 350 species! Florida’s only native
• Do not feed or touch them. They are wild and tortoise by hosting an
protected by law. event in your community,
April 10 was officially adopted by the Gopher • If you do need to help one to safely cross the road asking your local city or
Tortoise Council as Gopher Tortoise Day! In Florida, always take it to the side it was walking towards! county commission to
gopher tortoises are found in parts of all 67 counties officially adopt April 10
and are frequently encountered in neighborhoods, along These commensal species include the gopher frog, as Gopher Tortoise Day, and by educating others on the
roadways, and in many of Florida’s public parks and Florida mouse, eastern indigo snake, and hundreds of importance of protecting gopher tortoises.
forests. The goal of Gopher Tortoise Day is to increase invertebrates like beetles and crickets. Without the gopher Learn more about the gopher tortoise by visiting MyFWC.
awareness and appreciation for these long lived, gentle tortoise, many of these species would not exist. com/GopherTortoise or GopherTortoiseCouncil.org.
reptiles. Abacoa is a 2,055-acre, mixed-use community design
Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species with open space restoration preserving environmentally
because they dig burrows that provide shelter for valuable land, protecting riparian and endangered species
360 other species of wildlife, called “commensals.” habitat. The 393 acres of preserved open space includes