Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 3.4.
The Plant-A-Seed Program gave elementary-age children a chance to get out-
doors and get their hands dirty while helping to restore the park.
existing skill sets. In the end, motivations were personal, and programs were personal-
ized to the largest extent possible. Impromptu gatherings after workdays, attention to
each individual, group field trips, in-depth training, annual holiday and year-end par-
ties, and public recognition of the commitment of volunteer leaders through person-
alized awards and media releases all provided cohesion, a sense of belonging to a big
family, and a shared commitment to a special place.
Through its programs, the Cape Florida Project enjoyed a reciprocal relationship
with the community, benefiting from its generosity, and for those who participated
and cherished the park, giving back as much as it received.
Conclusion
The Cape Florida Project was born from extraordinary circumstances. A natural di-
saster struck a park of iconic stature in a community located in close proximity to a
major urban center. Cape Florida's story resonated with people, and the community
responded admirably with funding, volunteer support, and political backing. They
shared a vision for a restored Cape Florida and provided the clout needed to raise res-
toration standards and make policy changes that made it possible to implement pre-
scribed burning in an urban setting, change the designation of the site from a recre-
ation area to a state park, and gain acceptance of what were regarded, at the time, as
controversial restoration techniques.
There is, however, still evidence of a few early, contract-driven planting decisions.
The commercially exploited and highly available green buttonwood (
Conocarpus
erectus
) trees are growing in places they would not naturally occur, but the prescribed
