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See our District plans for the upcoming months in this bulletin. Also please visit our District 6990 website: https://rotary6990.orgDistrict 6990 Environmental Upcoming Plans and ProgramsVirtual BulletinMarch 2023

TABLE OFCONTENTS3 MESSAGES FROM GOV. KESTI & R. BULL4-6 RECYCLING ACTIVITIES7 SPRING BIRD MIGRATION8 MARATHON INTERACT & ROTARY BEACH CLEANUP9 LET’S SHRED! PAPER RECYCLING10 FT. LAUDERDALE BEACH SWEEP11 BAYNANZA 41STANNIVERSARY12 BEACH CLEANUP. LET’S DO IT! 13 EARTH DAY14 OPERATION POLLINATION15 ROTARY MARLINS DAY16 ADOPT-A-RIVER17 MONTHLY ACTION PLAN18 GOVERNOR CITIATION INFO19 JOIN ENDPLASTIC SOUP INFO20 JOIN ESRAG INFORMATION

Message from District Governor Michael W. Kesti3Dear Fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors & Friends:During March we commemorated World Recycling Date, which was on March 18th. Recycling should actually be a year-long activity. On March 30th, the first annual observance of the International Day of Zero Waste was celebrated. Please remember the 6 R’s: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Recycle and Repair. Looking forward, April is Rotary’s Environment Month. There are so many activities that our Clubs can accomplish. I encourage all to participate in Operation Pollination and Adopt-A-River. These are great programs that are fully endorse by Jennifer Jones, Rotary’s first female President. I look forward for all of your continued support.Michael W. Kesti District Governor - Rotary International District 6990======================================Dear Fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors & Friends:This bulletin reviews our March activities and highlights our upcoming programs. In April, Rotary’s Environment Month, we will begin with Beach Cleanups. Then comes Earth Day on April 22nd. Planting pollinator shrubs is one of many excellent activities to celebrate this day. I want to encourage everyone to give involved and support the environment. Two key projects are highlighted in this bulletin: OPERATION POLLINATION and ADOPT-A-RIVER. Please see the videos of JENNIFER J0NES on these topics. I have also included details of these projects again this month and other concepts are in this bulletin. Your feedback and comments are appreciated.Sincerely,Robert H. BullESDAC Chair

WORLD RECYCLING DAY MARCH 18, COMMEMORATE ALL MONTH4Rtn. Margarita Lartitegui, from the Weston Club, let us know that BEST BUY will accept used tech products regardless of their age or where they were bought. Below is a photo of an old TV she dropped off for recycling. Thank you for keeping us appraised.

WORLD RECYCLING DAY MARCH 18, COMMEMORATE ALL MONTH5Rotarian Ariel Gonzalez borrowed a pickup truck from a friend to deliver these appliances to BEST BUY for recycling.

WORLD RECYCLING DAY MARCH 18, COMMEMORATE ALL MONTH6Hugo Montaudon, Pinecrest’sTrashercise King, dropped off five used printer cartridges at Office Max for recycling. 5

While World Migratory Bird Day is officially celebrated on May 14, migrating birds are already arriving in Florida. Please turn off or dim non-essential lighting during this critical spring time migration period! Turning off lights dramatically reduces hazards from attraction to and disorientation by light, allowing birds to safely proceed with their migratory journeys. Furthermore, Lights Out does more than save birds, it saves energy and money! Spring Bird Migration Has Started, Please Dim Your LightsSally Baumgartner from the Coral Gables Club reminds us to feed them, too.7

MARATHON H.S. INTERACT AND MARATHON ROTARY BEACH CLEANUP On Sunday, Mar. 26thMarathon H.S. Interact & Marathon Rotary conducted a beach cleanup at Coco Plum Beach. Even local police officers showed up to help. They found a tire buried in the sand and a dangerous Portuguese Man-of-War jelly fish hidden in seaweed (sargassum) that was washed on to the shore.8

If you can’t make it to a beach cleanup on April 15th, please take your unneeded documents to the Plymouth Congregational Church. You can go there after a beach cleanup. Let’s shred for a good cause!Join the Rotary Club of Coconut Grove for a drive-thru shredding event on Saturday, April 15thwith proceeds benefiting Rotary community projects.9

Fort Lauderdale Beach Sweep will be held on Saturday, April 8th, from 7am - 11am. Meet at The Hub, 300 S Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., at the intersection of E Las Olas Blvd. and A1A North.Students receive community service hours credit! If your student does not receive their certificate at the location, just me email with their name and I'll send it.For those who would rather conduct a beach cleanup at another location in Broward, that's fine. Let's just "CLEANUP OUR BEACHES".Please email me photos of your Club's beach cleanup, that I may include them in the next ESDAC bulletin. 10

Please join in the 41st Anniversary of Baynanza, with multiple locations across Miami-Dade County as we cleanup Biscayne Bay. This event will be held on April 15th from 9:00 to noon. Signing up is really simple. First go on the Baynanza website (shorturl.at/frGNW) and select two locations where you want to cleanup the beaches.Once you have decided on the locations (first and second choices) where you want to cleanup beaches, then click where it says: "Register for Baynanza Today“(shorturl.at/hxBMO)Then just fill out the registration form. It's that easy. Remember to choose your T-Shirt size (one per person in your group). 11

BEACH CLEAN UP,LET’S DO IT, IN APRIL!April is a great month to conduct a Beach Clean Up. Let's do it across the District. Any day of the month is a great day to clean up our beaches. If you do not live in Miami Dade or Broward and cannot make it to the beach cleanups in these areas. Just organize your own beach cleanup.Please join in this District project. Students will be provided with Community Service Hours Certificates, just sent me an email with the student's name and I'll send you a certificate.Please email me photos of your Club's beach clean up, so that I may include them in the next ESDAC bulletin. 12

Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22nd. We will invite Rotarians across our District to submit photos of their activities on this day. Certificates for the “best” photos will be awarded.22OPERATION POLLINATION will be a key component of EARTH DAY. Just plant some pollinator shrubs. Clubs are invited to participate details on the next pages.13

Pollinators are essential for life on Earth, but their numbers have declined by more that 40% over the past years.Operation Pollination is an inclusive framework designed to help Rotarians recruit partners to engage in pollinator education and habitat restoration. Please visit https://esrag.org/operation-pollination/ to find out how your Club and get involved. On this website you will find details to “Take the Resolution” and “Take the Pledge” to support pollinators. Rotary Int’l President, Jennifer Jones has signed this pledge and encourages all of us to participate.Clubs are encouraged to get involved and “Take the Resolution” and then “Take the Pledge”. In April, for Earth Day we would like Clubs across the District to plan pollinator shrubs.14

On May 13th, the Florida Marlins are hosting us for a special game at Marlins Park. Florida Marlins have arranged for special seats in three separate sections at various discounted price levels. To sit with your fellow Club Members and/or family or friends, it is best to purchase them all at the same time.We look forward to seeing you at the Ballpark!ROTARY MARLINS DAY 2023!https://rb.gy/plhdyn15

Rotary Int’l & Adopt-A-RiverRotary International has established a partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme and their Adopt-A-River campaign. Adopt-A-River is not just about Rivers. It also includes lakes, reservoirs, groundwater, wetlands, estuaries and canals. Clubs (individually or collectively with other Clubs) are encouraged to “Adopt” a section of your local waterways. 16We plan to start a collaboration program with Ocean Conservancy. They are working on a NOAA-funded program for high school students and businesses to learn about reducing plastic pollution, a program called Plastic Free Cities. They have started cleaning up the Miami River. We encourage Clubs in the City of Miami to Adopt-Miami River. Other Clubs may adopt a canal or lake in their vicinity.In Broward, we would like to Adopt-New River around the working south from North Fork. Currently, there is an annual action program called, “Paddle with a Purpose”, and we can do much more than cleaning up once a year. Throughout the District there are canals, a few rivers (plus the River of Grass, the Everglades), lakes and watersheds. Just explore and in your vicinity and find a waterway to adopt.

Monthly Environmental Action Plan 2022 - 2023Governor Environmental Citation Award July 2022 – Reduce single use plastic items at home and in meetings August 2022 – Nominate an Environmental Activities Chair in your Club, may be part of Community Services September 2022 – World Cleanup, World Rivers, Int’l Coastal Cleanup Day October 2022 – World Migratory Bird Day November 2022 – Reuse, recycle or donate clothes December 2022 – Avoid plastic wrapping for gifts January 2023 – District Tree Planting  February 2023 – District Pollinator Shrub Planting, World Wetlands Day – write to your representatives March 2023 – World Waters Day. World Recycling Day April 2023 – Celebrate Earth Day, Operation Pollination May 2023 - Members join ESRAG and/or Clubs join EndPlasticSoup. June 2023 – World Environment Day and World EndPlasticSoup Action Day  Items above are suggestions. Clubs may add/implement their own ideas on any given month. Participate in at least 3 of the 12 challenges during the year to achieve the Governor’s Citation; if a Club accomplishes 6 or more, will receive a Governor’s Environmental Citation.17

Overview of Governor Kesti’s CitationsGovernor Citation:• Clubs must have Representatives in: ESDAC, Empower the Girl, End Polio Now, DEI Committees• Complete 3 out of 12 ESDAC Challenges• Other requirements to followSpecial Governor Environmental Citation• Complete 6 or more ESDAC Challenges Governor’s Environmental Award• Club that completes the most Challenge Please note that the Challenges in Monthly Environmental Action Plan are suggestions. Club may implement their own environmental actions on any month.18

Please visit the EndPlasticEnd site: www.endplasticsoup.orgPlease have your Club consider joining this entity19

Please visit the ESRAG website: www.esrag.orgPlease consider joining ESRAG20