Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces celebrated Earth Day, with a beach cleanup and coastal dune planting at Crandon Park – North Beach entrance (Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was joined by Miami-Dade County District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado and Miami-Dade County Parks Director Maria Nardi at a press conference followed by a beach clean-up and other conservation action and environmental education activities.
Community volunteers walked the length of the beach, picking up trash and marine debris along the coastline and sand dune areas. At the conclusion of the cleanup, they met back at Paradise Cove Pavilion to sort through the trash and debris collected.
A mock sea turtle nest was on display, as a reminder that sea turtle nesting season is here! Miami-Dade Parks is charged with maintaining all 17 miles of the county’s beaches. The Parks Department’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program is responsible for identifying and protecting sea turtle nests along this extensive coastline.
Miami-Dade Parks’ impacts on the county’s environmental resilience include coastal cleanups that removed 750 pounds of trash from Crandon Park Beach alone since December of 2020, protecting coastal wildlife from ingesting marine debris, and the 7,076 trees planted and given away to residents last year, reducing air pollution, conserving energy, and improving the health of people and the planet.
Another event took place at Haulover Park. The Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach p and the City of Sunny Isles Beach partnered with Miami-Dade Parks by providing nearly 100 new pollinator plants, larval host plants, and bagged mulch, all to replenish the butterfly garden at Haulover Park. The garden, which is at the northern entrance to the park bordering Sunny Isles Beach, attracts butterflies like the Atala, Zebra Longwing, Giant and Black Swallowtail, Yellow Sulphur, and other species.
Mayor Levine Cava said: “Earth Day is an opportunity for residents and organizations to show their support for the preservation of Miami-Dade County’s greenways, blueways and coastlines, and the protection of its precious wildlife. Our hope is that events like these inspire people to take action every day of the year to sustain our beautiful paradise for the future.”
Commissioner Regalado remarked: “Cleanups like this, are a great way for family, friends and neighbors to show pride in their community and take action to help keep our beautiful parks and beaches in District 7, pristine and litter-free for everyone to enjoy. The proof is here before you. When we engage in volunteering to improve the environment, it does make a positive difference. We aim to continue to hold cleanups on a regular basis, however it is going to take all of us to make it work.”
“We thank our community volunteers and partners who participated in Earth Day celebration,” said Parks Director Nardi. “I am excited to see such a large segment of the community coming out to join Miami-Dade Parks’ conservation efforts today and year-round. Our coastal cleanup series represents part of Miami-Dade Parks conservation pillar, as we work to preserve Miami-Dade County’s natural history for this and future generations.”
