Being a Good Neighbor to Nature

When building a community of new homes, it’s important to remember the homes that were already there – the natural habitats of local plants and animals. With proper planning and policies for conservation, even a city-sized development can be eco-conscious and help the surrounding wilderness to thrive.

Let it be
Wildlight is committed to protecting the natural environment. As part of that commitment, roughly half of our community’s 2,900 acres will be dedicated as a conservation habitat network upon build-out. This is land that will remain undeveloped so wildlife can live peacefully, and residents can enjoy the untouched beauty of natural wetlands, forests and more.

Not just for animals
Hiking and biking trails, water sports and other outdoor spaces and activities encourage residents to experience the surrounding wilderness. And as appreciation grows for the local flora and fauna, members of the community take it upon themselves to protect the environment as well. It’s a true symbiotic relationship from which everyone, every animal and every plant can benefit.

Planting the future
Trees are critical to the natural beauty and sustainability of the environment. In Wildlight, when trees must be cut down to clear space, new trees continue to be planted so the surrounding space will benefit from the natural shade, air filtering and habitats they provide for generations to come.

The great outdoors of North Florida.

Northern Florida is one of the most biologically diverse and naturally captivating areas of the country, so it’s no wonder residents like to get out and experience the surrounding wilderness. From hiking and biking to getting out on the water, there’s so much to do, it can be helpful to have a jumping off point.

Walk and talk with the animals

Step onto a hiking trail or greenway and you’re guaranteed to see and hear the variety of animals making their home among the trees and marshes of northern Florida. Blue herons, great egrets, osprey and eagles are just a few of the birds you might see overhead, along with squirrels, turtles and other creatures on the land. And it’s easy to find a path that will take you directly from the woodlands to the expansive vistas of a beach-two incredible experiences in one trip.

Plenty of parks for recreation

Beyond the inland trails and bike paths, there are dozens of parks to choose from just a few miles east on the Atlantic coast. Amelia Island offers a wide assortment of beaches, paths and water sports. And to the south, there are 23 city, state and national parks in the Big Talbot Island area alone.

Pick your place to kayak.

Coastal islands offer a choice of water sports, including kayaking on either the river side or ocean side of the shore. River kayaking is a more relaxing experience, where you’re likely to see a variety of marshland wildlife. Ocean kayaking puts you into more open waters, where you can experience the waves and breathe in the salt air. It can be a difficult choice, but the good news is there’s no wrong answer.

Television, personal computers, space flight… There’s no denying that the past century has been a huge one in terms of technological progress. But according to industry insiders, we’re just getting started.

In fact, some of our biggest innovators are forecasting that we’ll see more tech changes to our lifestyle over the next four to five years than we did over the past 100. What might that look like? Here are a few predictions:

1: Mind Control

Scientists have already created next-generation prosthetics where brain signals can move a robotic arm in the same way as a regular arm. The next step is wider uses for paralyzed patients, like mind-controlled wheelchairs and even day-to-day applications. The jury’s out on how soon we’ll be able to conjure up our favorite show with a thought, but experts agree it can’t be far off.

2: Bottleneck-Free Internet Access

The amount of time the average American home spends streaming, downloading and uploading, has challenged internet providers to up their game. While top providers offer average speeds of around 50 Mbps, that’s a snail’s pace compared to the gigabit communities now in development, which will have connections 20 times faster. Take a look at this video to see how one community is starting from scratch to bring unlimited bandwidth to its homes and businesses.

3: A Sharing Economy

You can share your home via Airbnb, borrow a dress on Rent the Runway and even lend out your private plane on OpenAirplane. These businesses are built on the idea that it’s more efficient to borrow something – say, a car – rather than own one that sits unused for 22 hours a day. Big players like Apple, Google and Uber are following this model and working on technology that will allow us to own less and share more.

4: Wall-to-Wall Screens

It’s hard to believe that your shiny new LCD TV may soon be considered an antique, but at the speed that display technology moves, it’s certainly a possibility. Imagine, walls, windows and mirrors covered with paper-thin OLED panels. Miniature chips in the screens will wirelessly connect to nearby devices, effectively eliminating TVs but bringing its viewing pleasure to every square inch of your house.

Tech Gets Schooled
As tablets take over for textbooks and Smart Boards seriously cut down on chalk dust, more and more research is being done on the impact of technology in the classroom. And – good news! – the results are overwhelmingly positive.

Technology lets student learn at their own pace.
One of the greatest struggles teachers face is balancing the learning needs and speeds of an entire classroom of students. Almost all of today’s teaching apps allow for individualized instruction, letting students work at their own pace. This fights boredom in faster learners and frees up the teacher to work one-on-one with students who might need a little extra instruction.

Students are more enthusiastic about learning when technology is involved.
If you’ve ever seen a 3-year-old (or a teenager, or anyone in between!) with an iPad, you know a thing or two about what gets kids excited. Harnessing that excitement and bringing it into the classroom can make lessons more fun – and more likely to stick. Researchers have found that students and teachers alike tend to be more engaged and motivated when technology is an integral part of a lesson.

Early access to technology prepares student for the future.
The role that technology plays in our students’ daily lives is huge – but it’s nothing compared to the role it’ll play when they enter the workforce. Beyond basic computer literacy, students with access to technology learn to adapt quickly and solve problems in a distinctly 21st-century way. Early introductions to technology like 3D printers and robotics lab might even spark a talent that would have otherwise been left untapped!

Check out this video to see how Nassau County Public Schools are keeping their students up on the latest technology.

Setup for Economic Success

How do you kick off a thriving business community?

Economic development is both an art and a science. It’s not as simple as checking off a list of ingredients, but without some key elements, achieving success can be near-impossible. To build strong, vibrant communities, economic development boards are tasked with finding the right balance of work and play, business and pleasure. That way, communities can encourage businesses to build, expand or relocate, as well as homeowners to put down roots and support those businesses as customers and employees.

One factor communities must consider is transportation. Good transportation is not only dependent on a community’s infrastructure, but also on the location of the community itself. Access to Class I rail lines, major interstates and international airports all support business travel and consumer traffic. Seaports for importing and exporting can also impact how a business operates, manufactures its goods and distributes worldwide.

But transportation is just the beginning. For healthy economic development, you also need a quality workforce for local businesses to employ and a robust residential community to surround and support those businesses. That relies on residential perks such as smart urban design, first-rate schools and libraries and infrastructure for safety and security.

Economic development boards should make their community a place to play as well as work. Places for relaxation and recreation – lakes, oceans, greenspaces, parks, dining, entertainment and more ­– are essential to attracting and retaining residents. It’s not just about great offices, it’s about having a great time and loving where you live.

With these pieces in place, in a community that is well-planned for its residents and well-marketed to potential businesses, that community can grow and flourish.

Beating the Heat FLOCO-Style
What should we thank for the charm and beauty of our Florida Lowcountry (FLOCO) architecture? Days are mostly sunny and hot, therefore some architectural elements make FLOCO homes distinctive because they were designed to beat the heat. Large high windows allow the breeze to refresh hot rooms. High ceilings create space for air to rise. Raised first floors allow air to circulate under houses for a cooling effect.

We Saved the Best for Last

The Front Porch
It blocks the hot sunlight from overheating interiors. It’s a shady place to cool off. Most importantly, it’s an outdoor living area where we connect with our community, friends, family, neighbors and the outdoors. Looking to turn your front porch into an outdoor oasis? Here’s how:

Ten Front Porch Must-Haves
1.  A rocking chair. More than one, of course. They’re the best seats in the house for melting stress, catching up and napping.
2.  A glider or porch swing—when you need to get close for cozier conversations.
3.  Sweet tea for cooling off, and tables to set your glasses within reach.
4.  A friendly, tail-wagging porch-sitting pooch. Don’t have one? Borrow the neighbor’s or adopt!
5.  Plants in pots, big and small. Try geraniums for color that pops.
6.  Fans to keep the warm air moving. Hand fans or electric will do.
7.  Bug spray to stop pesky pests from ruining your evening.
8.  Background, toe-tapping music.
9.  Light. String lights and lanterns add charming ambiance to porch-sitting evenings.
10. Finally, good company. Your neighbor, kids, mother…whoever you need to catch up with, love to talk to, or just want to sit quietly with. And sometimes, no company at all.