'Tis The Season & Trees Are The Reason! End-Of-Year Giving Becomes Year-Round Help

Every season is the reason for giving, here in Miami, end-of-year 'tis the season that gives year round.  So, would you consider making a gift to the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade's Hurricane Irma Parks Recovery Fund? Your donation will help to restore our community's lost tree canopy and rebuild some of the most severely damaged parks.

When Hurricane Irma ripped through our state in September 2017, it left behind serious destruction to many of Miami-Dade's historical parks, precious natural areas including our beaches and many of the region's acclaimed attractions. Immediately after Irma's winds subsided, the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department began assessing damages, conducting clean up priorities and determining the long road of recovery.

The damage was severe and widespread.

Crews discovered that many iconic trees had been ripped out of the ground or completely stripped of their lush greenery. Damage to fences, playgrounds and shelters and broken water and utility lines made access impossible and left piles of debris several stories high.

The beautiful Matheson Hammock Park – one of seven of the parks system's Heritage Parks - suffered structural damage to the historic original coral rock buildings that border the beach. Zoo Miami and Deering Estate places, where animal life and natural life call home, also experienced damages.

Parks staff worked tirelessly to clear debris and open parks in record time to provide families a place to recreate, get cool and provide respite from the stress of the storm.  To date, nearly all of the nearly 270 damaged parks have reopened, but restoration efforts to repair the damages is still ongoing.

To help in the recovery efforts, The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade launched the Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund for Miami-Dade Parks. This effort gives everyone who loves and values parks and trees the chance to help and be a part of the good work. The Parks Foundation is committed to executing a community-wide plan to restore the critical tree canopy of our parks, green spaces, roadways, medians and corridors. This endeavor requires serious landscape renovation work as well as tree and plant replacement. The replanting of salvageable downed mature trees and planting of new trees is essential.  Trees not only contribute to the overall greening of our community, but they also provide numerous social, economic, health and environmental benefits.

Will you consider joining in the recovery effort?  One-hundred percent of your donation will be restricted to the Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund for Miami-Dade Parks and will be utilized for the overall restoration of your Miami-Dade Parks and the restoration of tree canopy throughout the County to green and beautify our streets and landmarks. Please join us today by making a gift online.

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Above content provided by Parks-Foundation of Miami-Dade and Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation