The Urban Greening & Community Forestry Program

This program educates local communities, within urban neighborhoods about the aesthetic, economic, environmental, psychological, and health benefits of trees and native habitats and engages them in protecting and increasing our urban forests and the precious and unique ecosystems found on Virginia Key.  The most compelling component of the total program is the hands-on, service learning opportunities provided in an enjoyable and exciting atmosphere that inspires on-going environmental stewardship.

Goals

• To provide tree and native habitat education through service learning opportunities.
• To increase the numbers of trees planted by neighborhoods in the right-of-way or in their yards, targeting neighborhoods with the lowest tree canopy.
• To maintain and protect existing trees, particularly in neighborhoods with the lowest tree canopy.

The Urban Greening & Community Forestry Program, has three components:  

• The Neighbors Replanting Neighbors/Citizen Forester Project, a program that provides tree and native habitat education through service learning opportunities to people living in low-income areas of Miami Dade County; 

• ReVive: The Virginia Key Restoration Project, a program where people of all ages can participate in removing exotic and invasive plants, plant native plants and trees, plant seeds in the nursery and participate in beach-cleanups all on Virginia Key

• GO NATIVE! is our native plant nursery located on site whose purpose is educational and allows CITIZENS to propagate plants for donations to school and community gardens. Our eco-friendly booklet bares the same name.