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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFLIP Tampa \/\/ Credit: City of Tampa <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFLIP Tampa \/\/ Credit: City of Tampa <\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tListen:<\/p>\n
As Tampa Bay faces historic drought conditions, Hillsborough County and the University of Florida are providing an option for Hillsborough residents to save water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s\u00a0 way people can be eligible for a financial incentive if they take steps to reduce outdoor irrigation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Florida Friendly Landscaping Incentives program, or FLIP, is a 3-part program with the University of Florida\u2019s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hillsborough residents will learn how to reduce outdoor irrigation by converting part of their lawn to a \u201cwater wise landscape\u201d \u2013 replacing regular turf with mulch, drought-tolerant plants, and tree cover.<\/p>\n
After making the changes to their lawns, they would be eligible to apply for a rebate.<\/p>\n
Anthony Halcyon is Hillsborough County\u2019s Senior Environmental Scientist of Water Conservation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s several principles that are \u2018Florida Friendly\u2019. And there there are things like, you know, introducing pollinators into the lawn and being water conservation friendly, using native or non native adaptive plants for droughts.\u201d Halcyon told WMNF.<\/p>\n
He says it couldn\u2019t come at a more crucial time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do have a seasonal drought in Florida. In fact, we\u2019re approaching the peak of it in April. So it\u2019s kind of addressing the seasonality of Florida in a natural way that perhaps turf grass doesn\u2019t do as well.\u201d Halcyon said.<\/p>\n
The 3-part workshop occurs one Saturday a month in March, April and May.<\/p>\n
You\u2019d need to be using Hillsborough or Tampa\u2019s potable water to apply for the rebate.<\/p>\n