November 6, 2004, Virginia Key

Citizens for a Better South Florida collaborated with Hands on Miami and the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department at Virginia Key to provide education and assistance in the clean-up and restoration of the natural areas on Virginia Key. Volunteers participated in a beach/dune clean-up, removal of weeds and exotic plants, and gardening in Virginia Key’s native plant nursery.

Virginia Key: The City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department, through its ecological restoration effort, has brought back Virginia Key, a beautiful, historical and ecologically important barrier island across Biscayne Bay from downtown Miami. As an environmental education organization, Citizens for a Better South Florida is actively engaged in this project. The project began shortly after Hurricane Andrew ravaged the landscape in August 1992 and continued with the removal of invasive exotic plant species throughout the 15-acre hammock. Initially, these species dominated 70% of the hammock area. Currently, they can be found in less than 5% of the total hammock area. mm