everybody wins. Our goal is to start projects and create opportunities that bring the resources and knowledge of the community together in a way that strengthens every aspect of it. Where we’ve seen these actions done, the results have been wonderful. For instance, a community garden can offer a neighborhood much more than plots of vegetables, and that is where the design process comes in.”

Founding members of the organization bring decades of experience to the effort. Such members include Debra Lynn Dadd, author of “Really Green” and “Home Safe Home.” Debra was also named “Queen of Green” by the New York Times for her work in the field of ecologically-safe and non-toxic products. In her words, “I would like to see us living in a way that sustains both our local ecosystems and us. There is so much we can do together and learn from each other!”

The group consolidates successful actions from projects around the US and the world such as City Repair in Portland, OR (cityrepair.org), Sustainable Connections in Bellingham, WA (sustainableconnections.org) and the fast-growing Transition Towns movement, which originated in England and is now exploding across the US. (transitiontowns.org)

“What I love about Create Clearwater is that it brings out the power of community in a very natural, organic way,” says founding member Linda Ferguson. “There is a lot of great energy in this community, and I’m excited about the opportunities to increase quality of life in the area.”

Group members have seen examples of  this power in all sorts of ways in their personal lives – with seed and plant sharing, exchange of books, knowledge sharing, furniture swaps and many other examples.

Recently, Cory opened her front door to find a bag of carrots, lettuce and beets freshly picked from someone’s garden sitting there. There was no note – it was an anonymous gift. “That was so nice!” she said.

Create Clearwater meets every Sunday for projects and educational activities, and will be offering workshops, kids activities and more in future months. For more information, check out www.createclearwater.com and request to receive the weekly newsletter.

- Tampa Bay Informer
The Good News Newspaper

Supporting Good News... The Tampa Bay Informer - The Good News Newspaper serving Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Florida cities: Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo, Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Sand Key, Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Port Richey, New Port Richey, Oldsmar and other Tampa Bay area cities, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.