May 21, 2005

In May, Citizens for a Better South Florida and the Trust for Public Land partnered for a massive community tree planting celebration in East Little Havana. A diverse group of over 150 volunteer neighbors, students, children, professionals, and environmentalists showed up on the sunny Saturday morning — hat, sunscreen and shovels ready to plant over 60 large trees.

The event was part street party and part community service. Volunteers began the day eating pastelitos and sipping cafécito while listening to Father Alberto Cutie bless the trees. The morning then began to shake like an acorn on a Live Oak as children from the neighborhood Clinica Dr. Rafael Peñalver performed their Marlin dance. Afterward, the DJ spun the latest hip-hop, reggaeton and salsa tracks as volunteers dug their shovels to the beat.

The planting was the kickoff for the East Little Havana Greenprint, a process of planning and community input that will eventually lead to an interconnected system of parks and open and green spaces throughout East Little Havana, a culturally rich neighborhood with few parks and limited tree canopy. The 60+ trees planted on NW 3rd ST between 9th and 11th are part of over 150 trees TPL is planting on NW 3rd for phase I of the Greenprint process.

Funded by National Tree Trust, Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management, Miami-Dade County Water & Sewer, Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste, the South Florida Water Management District, and Miami-Dade College Enviornmental Studies Department.