Dear Friends,

We are excited to share with you what we have been working on since 2019 began.

Dream in Green has become a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Education Partner . Through Education USGBC and other organizations, we will join other national partners in providing thousands of hours of best-in-class education on a global platform. 

Wild Vizcaya: Select middle and high schools had a chance to participated in Wild Vizcaya where students participated in hands-on activities and inventorying wildlife in Vizcaya’s rockland hammock, mangrove shore and formal gardens. From lizards to birds, butterflies and manatees, expert scientists helped citizen scientists to learn about and identify species of wildlife throughout Vizcaya’s estate. View pictures here .

Southeast Regional Envirothon: Envirothons are a problem-solving, natural resource education programs for high school students. They are field-oriented programs in which students, work in teams of five, learn to use critical thinking skills, and develop problem-solving and communications skills to answer written questions or conduct hands-on investigations about environmental issues.  View pictures here .

Educator Mid-Year Meeting: Through our Green Schools Challenge program, we hosted our mid-year meeting workshop at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Teachers shared their successes, received resources from various presenters, including the Transit Alliance, Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation EcoAdventures division, and learned about upcoming events and grants. View pictures here .

Compost Workshop: With the help of Miami Dade County UF/IFAS Extension Office and Miami Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces, we hosted a teacher workshop to promote composting and Florida friendly planting at schools.  View pictures here.

If you would like to join our mission and help us expand our reach in South Florida through educational programs consider supporting Dream in Green .

Sincerely,
Barbara Martinez-Guerrero
Executive Director
Upcoming Events for the Green Schools Challenge
Youth Eco-Summit for High Schools
Saturday, April 6 @ A.D. Barnes Nature Center

As a culminating event for our Green Schools Challenge program, teams of high school students will present their projects in various formats to their peers and the community at large. In partnership with Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department.

Click here for the Save the Date flyer
In partnership with:
Eco-Community Design & Build Competition for High Schools 
Saturday, April 27 @FIU’s Architecture Building, Modesto A. Madique Campus

High School students (10 teams from 6 schools registered) have worked with an FIU student mentor to design and build a model of an existing neighborhood (Westchester, Palmetto Bay, or Miami Shores/Little River) redesigned to be more eco-friendly (increase tree density, protection of natural habitats & waterways, or green infrastructure) and present ideas to judges. In partnership with David Rifkin, FIU professor College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts

Interested in sponsoring or becoming a judge for this event? Please contact barbara@dreamingreen.org
Voices for the Environment
We are introducing a new series that engages our community by sharing stories about how they are stewards for the environment, through either professions or studies. Please share with us your story.
How are you a champion for the environment?
Patrick Martin, Miami Dade Water and Sewer
The Benefits of Creating a Florida Friendly Landscape
Barbara McAdam, Urban Horticulture Program Specialist
305-248-3311 ext. 245
How we maintain our landscapes has an impact on Florida’s water and natural resources. Following the nine principles of the Florida-Friendly Landscape™ Program helps prevent soil and water quality degradation caused by stormwater runoff and non-point source pollution, conserves water resources, provides habitat for wildlife, and saves time, energy, and money.

How did we get to the point of using so much water, fertilizer, insecticides, and chemicals? Historically as our population shifted to urbanization, we lost contact with the earth, our garden skills, and plant knowledge was lost to successive generations of city dwellers. We just forgot.

Principle #1 Right Plant, Right Place brings you back to understanding what plants need. Plants that are native or suited to our South Florida environment thrive and grow and an entire diverse and fascinating world of wildlife follows. Bringing balance back to nature, creating a place for water to find the earth. 

For more information, visit their website at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/miami-dade/
Sponsor Spotlight
Since the grantmaking began in 1987, the Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation has focused on conservation in North America, particularly in South Florida, Alabama, and the Chesapeake region. Conservation education and outreach has always been a core strategy in crafting the Munson Foundation’s priorities.  
Thank you to our ongoing partners and supporters!