Author

Jessi Smith

Jessi Smith

Jessi Smith (she/they) is a freelance writer who is passionate about sustainability, community building, and the power of the arts and transformative storytelling. A fourth-generation Floridian, Jessi received her B.A. in Art History and English from Florida International University and began reporting for 83 Degrees in 2009. When she isn't writing, Jessi enjoys taking her deaf rescue dog on outdoors adventures, unearthing treasures in backroads antiques and thrift shops, D.I.Y. upcycling projects, and Florida-friendly gardening.

Jessi Smith's Latest Articles

USF marine scientists recently launched their first mission to map Tampa Bay’s vulnerable coastal areas using a remotely operated ‘uncrewed’ vessel operated by SeaTrac, shown here.
Making St. Petersburg a Flood Hub for sea level rise, resiliency

With climate change and sea level rise likely to shape the future of Florida, a USF Center of Excellence in Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences and a Flood Hub coalesce at USFSP's College of Marine Science.

Children who attend the local Potter Elementary School should have sidewalks keeping them away from traffic, but inadequate and incomplete sidewalks require kids to cross busy streets to find safe spots to walk or bicycle.
City prioritizes road safety in East Tampa, but tight budgets create roadblocks

Three major transportation projects in East Tampa currently respond to urgent needs identified by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Vision Zero: City of Tampa, and Vision Zero Hillsborough.

Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association President Fran Tate says bus stops like this one at 34th Street and 26th Avenue lack adequate shelter from the Florida sun and rain.
Jackson Heights leader calls for public transit improvements in East Tampa

Neighborhood Association president calls on state and local officials to prioritize projects that center on what she identifies as an overdue need to improve public transit service in East Tampa.

TBEP volunteers participate in Give-a-Day for the Bay, a program that teams up TBEP staff, partners, and volunteers in cleanup and restoration projects at Tampa Bay area parks and preserves.
Red tide persists along Florida’s Gulf coast, how you can help stop it

Human behavior influences the ebb and flow of red tide in Florida waterways. Here's what you need to know and how you can help.

Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council gets state grant to strategize shoreline protection

The Resilient Coastlines Project is part of a grant initiative by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Seminole Elders Edna Bowers and Rita Youngman share a moment of contemplation at the U.S. Army's Fort Dade ruins at Egmont Key.
Seminole Tribe, USF Sustainable Tourism and USF Access 3D Lab preserve history at Egmont Key

Most locals know Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay as a terrific recreational spot, but the island holds a haunting chapter in Florida history that the Seminole Tribe of Florida is fighting to preserve with the help of USF scholars. 

Patel College Sustainable Tourism graduate student Samantha Vorce takes 3D scan imagery of a circa 1900 warehouse on Egmont Key.
USF Sustainable Tourism team reframes visitor experience to help save Egmont Key

USF Researcher Dr. Brooke Hansen aims to apply United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the Egmont Key project to encourage a holistic shift toward sustainable tourism practices across Florida.

Resilient Retreat's topping-off ceremony is based in a Scandinavian tradition of placing an evergreen tree at the highest point of the building's structural skeleton. The Retreat put a tropical twist on tradition with a vibrant Bougainvillea plant.
Resilient Retreat reaches construction milestone on new facility opening in Sarasota

Resilient Retreat in Sarasota, a nonprofit facility designed to treat trauma victims for free, has reached the halfway point in construction. The retreat is expected to open in November 2022.

Wildflowers are blooming in the rewilding section of Rosebud Continuum.
Rosebud Continuum blends ancestral knowledge, experimental science for sustainable future

The projects and processes being fine-tuned at Rosebud Continuum around renewable energy, food systems, and precious plastics have an impact well beyond the Bishop family's 14 acres in Land O' Lakes, FL.

Earth's Ally synthetic-free formulas provide bee-safe solutions.
Sarasota’s Earth’s Ally brings pollinator and pet-friendly organic products to gardeners nationwide

If you're looking for natural remedies for home gardening, see what Earth's Ally in Sarasota is doing.

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