Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
plant control, nursery operations, and out-planting native species. An inventory of
community resources identified audiences to target for volunteer recruitment, and
programs were developed that served as vehicles for involving a broad cross-section of
Miami's multicultural community.
Restoration Leadership Program
Restoration Leadership was the first program developed and was central to the success
of all that followed. The aim of the program was to develop a core group of commit-
ted, highly skilled individuals who could perform at the level of staff and who would
lead groups of less experienced, more transient volunteers in restoration activities. As
with any volunteer program, ongoing recruitment, nurturing, recognition, and evalu-
ation were crucial to coordinating the program, but it was the extensive training in
plant identification and restoration techniques that made for effective restoration
work.
Recruitment tools such as news releases and feature articles, posters and bro-
chures, presentations in the community and attendance at volunteer fairs, and post-
ings on the websites of local colleges, universities, civic groups, and volunteer clear-
inghouses were used continuously. Inquiries were fielded, applications filled out, and
orientations scheduled. During orientation, new volunteers learned about the Cape
Florida Project, the relevance of the native plant communities being restored to the
greater ecosystem, and the types of volunteer tasks available. They were given a hand-
topic that included an overview of the restoration project and its volunteer and educa-
tional programs. Park rules and program policies, volunteer job descriptions, and
record-keeping forms were also included. After orientation, volunteers were inter-
viewed and placed appropriately within the program according to their interests,
skills, and time availability.
Volunteers who could commit less than six hours per month to the project were
welcome to participate, either in the nursery or in the field removing invasive species,
but the focus was on individuals who were able to commit to weekly or biweekly
schedules. For these rare individuals, intensive training was provided that transformed
them into restoration leaders. Training was provided by the Institute for Regional
Conservation. Volunteers were given a copy of the restoration guidelines and attended
workshops. With more than one hundred invasive species and over three hundred na-
tive species, some listed as endangered, plant identification was critically important.
Exotic control techniques, out-planting methods, and nursery operations were also
covered extensively. Once completed, volunteers were able to supervise less skilled
volunteers.
Earth Day Every Day
A broad spectrum of the Miami-Dade community participated at Cape Florida
through the Earth Day Every Day Program, from local schools, inner-city church
groups, and synagogues to Fortune 500 companies. Using the slogan “Every Day is
