Citizens for a Better South Florida

Citizens for a Better South Florida (CITIZENS) is celebrating 35 years of providing environmental education to Miami Dade County. We engage local community leaders to involve their neighbors, family, and colleagues on pertinent environmental issues and their respective solutions or mitigation techniques. CITIZENS accomplishes these initiatives through unique programs for volunteers of all ages while facilitating the space for them to become environmental stewards and in turn, make a positive difference in their community. 

Our Urban Greening & Community Forestry Program educates adults on the necessity and benefits of having many trees in our communities. This program provides a connection for community members to become informed and involved in increasing Miami-Dade County's tree canopy, and the steps to make it there. Through empowerment and support, South Florida residents and passionate communities alike can take action to protect our urban forests, plant more native vegetation, conserve our natural resources, and increase community engagement in local green spaces. CITIZENS utilizes the on-site outdoor Native Demonstration Garden space as a visual tool to show what are common South Florida native plants, their preferred conditions, and forms of proper maintenance to maintain the biodiversity’s integrity.

Our School & University Greening and Outreach Program hosts educational opportunities in urban forestry, water conservation, food security, and general environmental issues in both English and Spanish. This is for students in K-12 schools, after-school programs, youth groups, colleges, universities, and any interested organizations. CITIZENS uses hands on and field experience in balance with informational lectures so students can associate what they saw to the topic discussed. We believe in students letting their curiosity take them where they want, as we conduct surveys on topics of interest while still staying on target.

Our Habitat Restoration & Ecosystem Stewardship program provides service-learning opportunities for volunteers of all ages. This program focuses on the removal of exotic and invasive plants in order to restore and revitalize natural areas and native habitats in areas such as local Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL), Virginia Key, and Miami-Dade County parks.