Walk on the Wild Side of Virginia Key
Take A Walk on the Wild Side of Virginia Key
Virginia Key is Miami’s best-kept environmental secret. It is home to at least 23 Endangered, Threatened or rare plants. Protected Manatees and Sea Turtles reproduce on its beaches and in its protected mangrove channels, and birds nest in its many different ecosystems.
In the last decade, the City of Miami has made a major investment in the Hammock along the Park Beach. City Naturalist Juan Fernandez has led the effort to remove Destructive Exotic plants, and through exhaustive effort, irreplaceable Biscayne Prickly Ashe (Endangered) were found and preserved.
Our tour will be guided by naturalists, many who have been engaged in habitat restoration, through Maritime Hammock. Learn about the Urban Wilderness that’s right in your own back yard. A beach-side picnic will follow. Then we will either offer a second tour of another vital area, or you can help UPG with a Habitat Restoration project.
Virginia Key is a diamond in the rough. People have used it for dumping and waste treatment, and invasive exotic trees have taken over huge areas. Another part of the island was the the County’s only “Colored Beach” in the Segregation-Era.
The Virginia Key Coalition is made up of concerned organizations and individuals. They have been working to prevent the privatization and development of the island since 2007. Many organizations such as Friends of Virginia Key, the Urban Environment League (UEL), Tropical Audubon Society (TAS), Dade Heritage Trust and the Sierra Club have been active for decades. Others, such as Friends of the Marine Stadium and Urban Paradise Guild (UPG) have been highly engaged for the last three years.
There is no fee for the walking tour, but UPG runs on donations.
Park Admission is $5.
Time/Date: 3/21/2010 from 10am-Noon (optional picnic, then extra tour or restoration with UPG until 3pm)
Location: Virginia Key – Arthur Lamb Jr. Road
Ticket or Admission Info: sam@urban-paradise.org
For driving directions to the Hammock (and beyond) see:
http://www.urban-paradise.org/Virginia_Key_ArthurLambRoad.