Nature

New Native ecosystem planting in front of the Campo Sano historical building with Connect To Protect from Fairchild Botanical Tropical Garden. Thanks to Diya Jayram, head of the ECO Agency Botany committee, all the student volunteers, Daniela from the Fairchild Botanic Tropical Garden, Son Vo from Facilties, and our ABM grounds crew. Helping pollinators one plot at a time! List of plants

  List of plants Connect to Protect:

Bahama Senna; Blue Porterweed; Corkstem passionflower; Crenulate Leadplant; Downy Milkpea; Florida Privet; GolfDune Paspalum; Mexican Alvaradoa; Narrow leaved Golden Rod; Pineland Lantana; Pineland Snowberry; Privet Senna; Rough Velvet Seed; Shrub ThouroughWort; Simmonds Aster; South Florida Slash Pine; Starrush Whitetop; Wild Lantana; Cinnamon Bark; Crabwood; Locustberry; Myrsine

Dozens of people joined the Cortada's team at the University of Miami for an Earth Month mangrove planting ceremony. After hearing from artist @xcortada, Executive Director @adamroberti, and Foundation interns, everyone created flags with their homes’ elevations, selected the mangroves they wanted to plant along the canal by the @miamiherbert Business School, and walked in procession while chanting “I am a mangrove forest.” By midday, hundreds of small red mangroves had been planted at the water’s edge and will grow together to form a resilient forest… one that sequesters carbon dioxide, provides habitat for countless species, and protects the shoreline from erosion. Yesterday was indeed a day of hope.

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in Summer of 2022, the path leading to the Student Services Building was constantly flooded To addres this problem, the university came up with a hybrid solution: a light drainage system was installed, but a new, innovative nature based solution was added: the planting of a Cypress Pond.

"Common throughout the southeastern United States, the cypress tree (Taxodium spp.) is a deciduous conifer that can survive in standing water. In the Florida Everglades these trees are often found growing in one of three distinct formations.

Where the limestone substrate has given way to circular solution holes, it is common to find a cluster of cypress trees growing in the shape of a dome, with larger trees in the middle and smaller trees all around. Cypress strands occur where the cypress trees grow in an elongate, linear shape, parallel with the flow of water. In areas of less-favorable growing conditions, stunted cypress trees, called dwarf cypress, grow thinly distributed in poor soil on drier land." https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/cypress.htm 

In 2018, the Sustainability Garden was created by professors of the College of Arts and Science teaching food realted classes. Since then, it has grown in a very diverse sets of permaculture showcases, food forests and raised beds, hosting the recently relocated UM Garden Club. Visit miami.edu/gardens for more information

The University of Miami's newest LEED-Certified student community housing complex, Lakeside Village, is now home to the Atala butterfly— an imperiled species only in South Florida and the Carribean (watch the Earth Day webinar). Did you know that Lakeside Village is home to an imperiled butterfly? Celebrate the return of the Atala and Arbor Day by joining Dr. Terri Hood from the University of Miami and Sandy Koi, Professor at Florida International University and active member at the North American Butterfly Association and learn the story of how this happened, and about the importance of habitats in fostering endangered animals. Learn more

If you stroll around the Lake Osceola now, you will discover new signs about the ecology of our historical lake. This partnership between ECO and UM Administration gives us a renewed sense of belonging and connection with our environment.
Thanks ECO Agency!

 The 6 signs are titled and themed as follows:
1) “Why do the Fish Jump?” - this sign presents a couple of competing theories about why the fish in our lake actually do jump according to Dr. DiResta and Dr. Olson
2) “Fish”- this sign gives a general overview of the fish that inhabit our lake, a very unique collection of species given that it is connected to the ocean via a series of canals!
3) “Flora”- this sign gives an overview of the various plant species such as mangroves that help comprise the Lake Osceola ecosystem
4) “Fountain”- this sign explains the scientific purpose of the fountain to aerate the lake in order to prevent anoxia
5) “Birds”- This sign gives a general overview of all of the different and unique bird species that call our lake home
6) “History”- This sign explains the fascinating history of our lake which was actually a small natural pond that was dredged in 1947 to make manmade Lake Osceola. The rock/soil material was sold to the city to build the Rickenbacker Causeway and the funds were put toward the University which was very young at the time. Mr. Tasa in University Archives was very helpful in helping me to learn about the rich history of our lake, something that I think is really cool and that our whole campus should know about!

The Gifford Arboretum is run by the Department of Biology and the Friends of the Gifford Arboretum Committee which consists of faculty, students, administrators, and community members. It is a collection of important trees and plants that have been assembled for the purposes of eduction and research. Visitors are permitted (and encouraged!) to freely visit the collection for self-guided tours, and for the guided tours and lectures that are conducted throughout the school year (please see ‘Calender’). In addition, annual events include a spring lecture by a distinguished plant scientist and a fall picnic.  To learn more about events, birds, butterflies and plants lists or to become a member, visit the Gifford John C. Arboretum

Interactive Storyboard map of the Gifford Arboretum

The Gifford Arboretum is run by the Department of Biology and the Friends of the Gifford Arboretum Committee which consists of faculty, students, administrators, and community members. It is a collection of important trees and plants that have been assembled for the purposes of eduction and research. Visitors are permitted (and encouraged!) to freely visit the collection for self-guided tours, and for the guided tours and lectures that are conducted throughout the school year (please see ‘Calender’). In addition, annual events include a spring lecture by a distinguished plant scientist and a fall picnic.  To learn more about events, birds, butterflies and plants lists or to become a member, visit the Gifford John C. Arboretum

The link for the Gifford Arboretum Catalog is available here

HUG THE LAKE

What happens at “Hug the Lake?”
Hug the Lake is a campus-wide event that will bring the University of Miami community together to celebrate Earth Day every year in April. On that day, more than 700 students, faculty, and staff will join hands singing the alma mater, encircling Lake Osceola in the center of our Coral Gables campus in a symbolic “hug,” to show their appreciation for and increase awareness about the environment.
Learn More

THE PALMETUM

Established in cooperation with Fairchild Tropical Garden and the Montgomery Botanical Center, the University’s palmetum includes nearly 800 palms and cycads that are native to South Florida or represent distinct, rare, or endangered species from 38 nations. An invaluable resource for helping to ensure future generations of these spectacular plants, the palmetum is the only collection of its kind on a U.S. college campus.

BUTTERFLY GARDENS

Located along the Ibis Walking Trail behind Eaton Residential College, the Butterfly Garden is a living laboratory. The garden is home to some 23 different varieties of plants and attracts butterflies such as the monarch, sulfur, and brush foot, as well as the zebra longwing, Florida’s state butterfly. Learn more

VOLUNTEER with local NGOs:

• Visit Treemendous 
• Visit the Miami Dade Million Trees campaign
• Visit Citizens for a Better South Florida
• Visit xaviercortada.com/page/Mangrove_Forest 
• Visit Urban Habitat

EXPLORE the natural wonders of Southeast Florida: 

- Florida Trail Association
- Miami Sierra Club
- Miami Audubon Society

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