Hollywood Is Getting Wild: Earns Recertification As Community Wildlife Habitat & Mayor’s Chess Challenge 

October 13, 2022

The City has again achieved recertification! The Community Wildlife Habitat program is designed to encourage property owners to create a habitat suitable for native species. Community-wide certification is earned by certifying individual properties (homes, parks, schools, businesses, and others), through education and outreach. Points are earned by engaging community members in habitat restoration projects, providing resources like native plant lists, and communicating through websites and social media.

This year, the City earned points for restoring existing dunes on Hollywood Beach. These dunes provide a habitat for endangered plant species, as well as food and cover for native South Florida birds and butterflies. Points were also earned for educating the community about their carbon footprint and ways to reduce it. Outreach events like Earth Day and Food Waste Prevention Week further contributed to the City’s overall point total.

But the City cannot earn this certification alone, we need residents to certify their own yard as a Backyard Habitat. A big thank you to everyone who is already providing host plants for our native butterflies, nectar for pollinators, berries and seeds for spring and fall migrants and places to raise young for our year-round residents and seasonal breeders!

For those interested in certifying their property, it’s simple and you don’t even have to have a yard. A container garden on your patio or balcony can support pollinators and other native wildlife. To certify your wildlife habitat, you need to provide, food, water, cover, places to raise young (butterfly host plants count!) and use sustainable practices. For more details and to see the National Wildlife Federation’s certification checklist, go to National Wildlife Federation | Certify.

8th Annual Mayor’s Chess Challenge 
This free and friendly series of meet-ups, spearheaded by Sunrise Mayor Michael J. Ryan in cooperation with Mayors from throughout South Florida, draws attention to the benefits of chess in both the academic environment and in our community. Each Mayors' Chess Challenge event provides an opportunity for players of all ages, novices and experts alike, to join in the fun with elected officials and community leaders. Instructors on hand to help those new to the game.

The annual Chess Challenge with Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy is taking place on Saturday, October 15th, from 9:00 a.m. to 11 a.m. at David Park Community Center at 108 North 33rd Court in Hollywood, Florida 33021.

For more information, please call: (954) 921-3404.