Alachua County residents gathered in Newberry at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Office Saturday for a climate celebration marked with tears, discussion and song.
The Climate Festival, held to commemorate the county’s new Climate Action Plan, consisted of panels, performances and exhibitors eager to talk about environmental initiatives.
To begin the festivities, Jennison Kipp, resiliency specialist with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, outlined the plan.
The 220-page document, which consists of 184 action items, targets current and future environmental concerns in the county. It allows staff to make modifications and additions as research continues.
Kipp described the plan, which has been over five years in the making, as a “citizen-driven grassroots plan.” In other words, it’s the product of collaboration between the county and members of its community.
The plan’s eight chapters outline county goals on topics including food insecurity, water management and heat.
To make this plan more accessible, the county plans to create a web-based interactive dashboard that allows community members to view environmental efforts and statistics in real time.
For Kipp, the completion of this project brought both tears and celebration.
“This is one time to stop and celebrate,” she said. “But it's just one milestone along a much longer journey that this whole community has been on together for a long time.”
Beyond celebrating the Climate Action Plan, the event also featured county members eager to share their personal experiences.
Panelists from Hawthorne, Micanopy and Waldo discussed their cities’ individual environmental achievements and goals.
“Waldo is small, but we're mighty. We're working hard with the county to be resilient …” Waldo City Manager Kim Worley said. “And I think we're blessed where we are. We've been very able to keep our green space.”
The event had performances and guest speakers to highlight what the community can do to help.
The Star Center Theatre’s Youth Group performed an original play about these opportunities. The performance, laced with catchy tunes and helpful information, educated the audience and Alachua County youth about how to get involved with environmental efforts.
The youth group rallied the crowd with the slogan, “All aboard the climate caravan,” as they encouraged others to talk to their county representatives about environmental concerns.
Michael Grunwald, an author specializing in climate and politics, also spoke on the subject. He applauded Alachua County’s current efforts to fight climate change and made suggestions on how to promote a healthy environment worldwide.
To finish presentations, the room heard from its last round of panelists, which included various climate resiliency personnel throughout the county. Among them was John Nix, a multigenerational farmer and resident of Alachua County.
“I'm one of those local farmers that's barely making it,” he said. “But I'm a fourth-generation farmer, and I feel very privileged to farm in Alachua County, where we have a government that supports the sustainability of local farmers.”
Nix, among other panelists, expressed contentment with the county’s current efforts to provide residents with healthy local food. He also suggested Alachua County implement more farm to table distribution processes to benefit both farmers and residents.
County Commissioner Anna Prizzia also spoke on the subject, encouraging community members to petition the local government to fight for causes they care about.
Following the presentation, attendees explored 23 exhibits scattered throughout the event space. These exhibitors consisted of community organizations and county programs prepared to discuss local environmental concerns and efforts.
To commemorate the event and the new Climate Action Plan, county workers and community members gathered for a ceremonial tree planting. The gesture symbolized the county’s commitment to helping the environment.
Contact Grace Larson at glarson@alligator.org. Follow her on X @graceellarson.
Grace is a first year journalism student, serving as city/county commission reporter for the Fall 2025 semester. While she has not previously been on staff, her early journalism experience can be attributed to Devil's Advocate, her high school newspaper. When she is not writing, Grace enjoys staying active by running, weight lifting, hiking and doing yoga. Her other pastimes include thrifting and working on random art projects.
