January 5, 2009

In Harmony, Fla., humans and wildlife are able to co-exist peacefully in a unique residential community. (Pet Pulse Photo by Kris O'Donnell)

HARMONY, Fla. -- In many towns across the country, wildlife is considered a nuisance. But in the community of Harmony, Fla., wild turkeys and alligators have the right of way.

"You pull out of here in the mornings and there are wild turkeys and there are deer and it's just wonderful," Harmony resident Nancy Snyder said.

Harmony was developed with one goal in mind -- and that's to allow people and undomesticated animals to co-exist in peace.

"We're trying to develop a community where there's plenty of habitat so you can see wildlife on a regular basis," Harmony Conservation Director Greg Golgowski said.

That commitment caught the eye of people like Kerul Cassel.

"One of the things that attracted me to Harmony was the fact that they had dog parks and the fact that they had policies that were friendly toward animals," said Cassel, a Harmony resident.

Harmony developers say organizations like the Humane Society of the United States have helped shape its policies.

"We've adopted a set of covenants that we use that goes with each home, not just guiding architectural standards, but also the way residents interact with nature," Golgowski said.

And that means addressing problems before they arise.

"A big part of avoiding conflicts with wildlife is not feeding them," Golgowski said. "That really seems to break down the barriers between animals and people so we're absolutely strict on that."

Experts like Matt Bledsoe, the assistant manager of Wekiva Springs State Park, in Wapopka, Fla., agree that Harmony is taking the right approach.

"Education is the key," Bledsoe said. "Leaving wild animals alone is almost all instances is the best."

On top of landscape guidelines, Harmony also adopts environmentally friendly practices that benefit animals within its borders. Seventy percent of the 11,000 acre community consists of wetland and lakes, which cannot be developed.

Those lakes are home to noiseless, solar powered boats that allow residents to unobtrusively observe wild animals. Similar measures are taken on Harmony's streets, where dark sky lights direct light downward and do not disturb migrating birds.

On the eighth hole of the golf preserve, up to 500 bats can live in one bat box.

Farm animals are also welcome at Harmony. Pygmy goats, chickens, horses, cows and pigs all know the community as home. Residents can visit the farm and even help care for the animals.

"We're very hopeful that people will come here and see what is working so that other developers will see that and realize that they can do the right thing and still make money," Golgowski said.

Harmony is about 40 minutes south of Walt Disney World and currently has 500 homes. Developers say up to 7,200 homes are on the drawing board. For more information, visit HarmonyFl.com.

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