District Five hosted their 2nd Annual Byway Forum on March 8th in Deland. This daylong event was attended by nearly 40 byway leaders and program partners from central Florida. After a welcome from the District Scenic Highways Coordinator, Claudia Calzaretta and FDOT management, attendees listened to guest speakers discuss byway pertinent topics like economic metrics, FDOT landscaping grants, community aesthetic features, the River-to-Sea Loop Trail status and volunteer recruitment.
At lunch, attendees were encouraged to interact with participants from each of the other byways using a Byway BINGO game that served to help identify those special eateries that only the locals know about along their byways. The afternoon session focused on byway leader presentations that highlighted byway specific accomplishments and topics that the individual byways were most proud of. Afternoon session topics included the design of the William Bartram Trail Map, engaging youth in the community, byway organization investment options, community improvement grants, the Black Bear Wildlife Festival and revegetation of the North Peninsula State Park Restoration efforts in Ormond Beach.
Halifax Heritage Byway (candidate for designation) also presented on the Historic Band Shell and clock tower restorations in Daytona Beach.
These presentations and more were enjoyed by all participants.
