TIPS TO ‘GREEN’ YOUR LIFE

Heal the Planet offers 100+ Ways to Heal the Planet. In addition to teaching environmental consciousness through their Young Seeds Program, Food Forest & Eco-tours at Snyder Park, and their Conscious Buyers Shop, Heal the Planet has gathered more than 100 tips to Heal the Planet - both physically with suggestions for planting pollinator plants, and emotionally, with reminders to perform random act of kindness. Find great ideas here.

Kool2Care is on a mission to save the planet from single-use plastics. They have easy tips, like bringing your own reusable bags to the grocery store; and lots of great products to use instead of the plastics that clog up our waterways and threaten our wildlife and marine life. Learn more here.

Miami Dade County’s RER Department has all kinds of tips to Go Green year-round, and in every part of your life. For tips on changes and improvements you can make to be more environmentally friendly at home, with your garden, your energy use, at the office and on the road, just click here.

National Centers for Environmental Information (part of NOAA, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Stay up to date on the latest news and information about our climate and how it’s affecting weather and living conditions globally. We recommend browsing the entire site. Here’s their newsfeed.

Sessions are ongoing throughout the year. Check the link below for the schedule; 10 am - 1 pm at Snyder Park, 3299 S.W. 4th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, 33315

‘Young Seeds in the Park’ is Heal the Planet’s Sustainable Energy Education program for children ages 4 - 17. The program is FREE, though a $1 donation is requested to help fund Heal the Planet’s educational programs. Sessions include gardening, food demos, nutrition, wellness, yoga, breath-work, mindfulness exercises and teaching children the power of choice, and how it can positively impact their health and the well-being of our planet.

Register here.

Organizations

4 Ocean, 2514 N.W. 2nd Avenue, Boca Raton, 33431

4 Ocean is a Public Benefit Corporation that works globally with NGO’s, fishermen and volunteers to remove plastic and other trash from our oceans. They recycle the collected plastic into hand-beaded bracelets. The sale of the bracelets helps fund their operations worldwide. Each bracelet purchased equals 5 pounds of trash pulled from waterways. Since its inception in 2017, 4 Ocean has pulled nearly 36 million pounds of plastic & trash from world oceans.

Learn more, shop for bracelets, volunteer, see jobs at 4 Ocean, here.

Deering Estate, 16701 S.W. 72nd Avenue, Miami, 33157. 305-235-1668

The Deering Estate, part of Miami-Dade’s Parks System, preserves the 1920s era Miami estate of Charles Deering, Chicago industrialist, early preservationist, environmentalist, art collector, philanthropist and first chairman of the International Harvester Company. The Deering Estate is a cultural asset and historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As a 21st Century museum destination for tourists and local residents, a variety of signature events, programs, tours and classes are offered throughout the year.

Always with a focus on the environment and South Florida’s eco-system, the Deering Estate hosts Nature Tours daily from October 1st through May 31st each year. They also hold a variety of Homeschooling Programs, including Eco Academy, Marine Conservation and Wildlife Conservation. Additionally, you can enjoy Cruises, Full Moon Yoga, Hikes, Eco Tours and Art Exhibits. Check our calendar above for Earth Month events, or check their full calendar of events here.

The Deering Estate is one of more than 30 sites for Baynanza, the Annual Biscayne Bay Shore Cleanup each year in April.

Everglades Foundation, 18001 Old Cutler Road, #625, Palmetto Bay, 33157

The Everglades Foundation, founded in 1993, works to restore and protect the Everglades through science, advocacy and education.

Education: The Everglades Literacy Program has created a Teacher’s Toolkit with curriculum for grades Pre-K through 12. Thousands of Florida teachers have been trained to teach students about the Everglades and its importance to Florida.

Science: The Everglades Foundation draws on a team of PhD scientists to drive their efforts to protect America’s Everglades and move restoration forward.

Advocacy: The Everglades Foundation’s advocacy efforts include: Educating, engaging and activating the public; Driving consensus among economic and environmental stakeholders; Guiding and influencing governmental decision-making. Always with science-based knowledge.

See all that the Everglades Foundation does, and how you can participate and support their efforts at their website, here.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, 33156

Fairchild gets its name from one of the most famous plant explorers in history, David Fairchild (1869-1954). Dr. Fairchild was known for traveling the world in search of useful plants, but he was also an educator and a renowned scientist. Dr. Fairchild retired to Miami in 1935 and joined a group of passionate plant collectors and horticulturists, including retired accountant Col. Robert H. Montgomery (1872-1953), environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, County Commissioner Charles Crandon and landscape architect William Lyman Phillips. This core group worked tirelessly to bring the idea of a one of a kind botanic garden to life, and in 1938, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden opened its 83 acres to the public for the first time.

In 1984, the Garden became a member of the Center for Plant Conservation, a consortium of botanic gardens involved in preservation of endangered U.S. flora. Since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Fairchild plant collecting efforts have intensified dramatically, as scientists sought not only to restore the Garden’s collections, but also to identify and save endangered plants throughout the tropics. Since that time, Fairchild’s collections now include tropical fruit, orchids, and Florida and native plants.

Today, Fairchild’s Mission is to harness the power of plants for humankind and share the joy and beauty of tropical gardening with everyone.

Take a look at everything Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has to see, and the year-round event that are fun, educational and inspirational for all ages. Visit their website here.

Flamingo Gardens, 60 Acre Botanical Gardens and Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary. 3750 S. Flamingo Rd. , Davie, 33330 954-473-2955

Established in 1927, Flamingo Gardens is one of the oldest botanical gardens and attractions in South Florida. Originally founded by Floyd L. and Jane Wray as an orange grove, the nonprofit botanical gardens is home to 18 “Champion” trees, the largest trees of their species, including the largest tree in Florida. Specialized botanical gardens, including a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, Tom Coffey Aranda Garden, Croton Garden, and Bromeliad Garden dot the main Arboretum. The wildlife sanctuary features over 3,000 species of rare & exotic, tropical, subtropical, and native plants and trees. Flamingo Gardens’ sanctuary is home to the largest collection of Florida native wildlife including alligators, bobcats, eagles, otters, panthers, peacock, and of course, flamingos!

Heal the Planet, 601 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954-565-2950

Heal the Planet is one of the most active organizations locally, working to educate young people and adult about the importance of taking care of our planet. They teach how to grow your own food garden, host to plant native flora and fauna, choosing plants that will attract butterflies and bees (we need our pollinators), and simple choices you can make every day that collective make a huge impact.

Read about their mission here.

The SEED (Sustainable Energy Education) Program - teaching kids about the environment and nutrition at the same time.

Events Calendar - everything from waterway & beach cleanup to yoga & meditations.

Heal the Planet Shop - Shop with a Purpose at 601 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 333014

Conscious Buyer Shop - an extensive list of companies that produce sustainable products, don’t test on animals, donate to charities and do other good works. With links to Shop Conscious.

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