(954)473-2955
9:30am - 5:00PM
Volunteer of the Month for July is Gabriella Randall.
In this month Gabriella has amassed over 50 hours and has been so useful everywhere. She has worked in our gift shop, events, food services, and even maintenance. Gabriella takes initiative and points out areas of interest in which she can be an asset as a volunteer and that’s a quality we really love. She wants to be where ever she can make a direct and immediate impact and that is why we are so glad to have her.
The Eco-teers managed to remove 4 pounds of Ruella (Mexican Petunia) and Gale of the Wind. These volunteers learned about Trideck Daisies and Sandbur. Volunteers planted native plants to the meadow and saw the difference that has been made over the past month by an increase in native wildlife. We were able to see Sulphur butterflies, Monarchs, and other moths from that family. We also noticed an owl family living in the tree adjacent to the meadow. Volunteers learned how to identify certain plants and utilize the app “INaturalist” to add plant species known to a specific area and interact with others in the field. This project is ongoing and there will be other projects at this location introducing more wildlife and educational purposes.
More photos from that day:
Many of the animal habitats in our wildlife sanctuary are a decade old or more, and have weathered countless storms and sustained normal wear and tear. Flamingo Gardens is raising $150,000 to repair and maintain habitats for these animals that call our wildlife sanctuary home. Can you help us today with a gift to fund much-needed habitat repairs for some of our precious animals?
That’s quite a feat for this black bear who spent 14 years as a birthday party entertainer, kept in a 20’x20’ enclosure, with limited mobility, and fed a poor diet, causing a myriad of health problems. We received him when he was morbidly obese and could barely move. These days at Flamingo Gardens, Josh receives regular exercise and a balanced diet under the devoted watch of our Animal Care Team. Josh enjoys the spaciousness of his habitat, but it needs repairs after 10 years.
Flamingo Gardens has felt the effect of this downturned economy. We have a shortfall of $125,000 this year in grants and major gifts which affects our ability to complete the necessary repairs to our bear and panther habitat, flamingo pond and rookery, and owl habitat. Your gift today can bring us closer to filling the gap.
This lanky wading bird, now an adult, turns 5 years’ old on August 1. We’ve noticed lately that he has become aware of females. Perhaps he’ll be the next to father the next hatchling?
Both the Flamingo Pond, where James calls home, and the Rookery are both in need of de-mucking and landscaping.
He was only five months old when he came to us after living in a residence where he was illegally kept as a pet under substandard conditions. Buddy continues to receive training so he can receive safe, regular health checks.
Buddy enjoys the spacious habitat he deserves, but it too needs repairs as well.
Her mate, Bear, can sometimes be seen feeding her to lend her a “helping talon.”
You may have seen our brand-new Hawk Walk next to Owl Alley. That habitat was in serious disrepair prior to a gift from the Freed Foundation. Owl Alley too needs renovations, due to its disrepair.
Your donation will help fund repairs and renovations to their habitats. With your help, we can continue to provide these beautiful creatures with the dignity and care that they deserve. Please feel free to contact either Donna Ogdon Chen, our senior director of development to learn more on how you can help make a difference.
[email protected]
954-473-2955 x 127
P.S. Josh is spending his summer months cooling off under the mister that was installed near his pool. Your gift today will help us take care of other important renovations and repairs to his habitat.
The Florida Everglades is an ecosystem found nowhere else on earth, and its very existence is constantly under threat. In order to preserve this natural wonder, we all need to make changes. As the source of our drinking water, home to species of flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth, and a major layover for hundreds of migratory bird species, we must make sure that we take the steps necessary to ensure its preservation for generations to come.
One of the greatest threats to the Everglades is habitat destruction, and pollution is a major contributor. Every day, about 1,650 people move to Florida. With these new residents comes increased single-use plastics, increased water consumption, increased solid waste, and urban sprawl that moves us closer and closer to this precious habitat. In South Florida, roughly eight million people depend on the Florida Everglades for their drinking water. Much of the water we drink comes from the Biscayne Aquifer, an underground river that is replenished by the flow of water through the Everglades, whose wetlands filter out the impurities. Impurities that can’t be filtered out, however, are microplastics. Plastics persist in the environment forever. Even when they are broken down over multiple lifetimes, tiny plastic particles remain and are consumed by fish, birds and animals, eventually making their way into our bodies through the food that we eat. Other impurities that pollute the water in the Everglades are chemicals and pesticides from farming which leech into the groundwater, and as runoff into the wetlands. These toxic chemicals not only end up in our water, but they affect the hundreds of thousands of birds which live in or pass through the Florida Everglades on their annual migration. For these reasons and more, preserving and protecting the Everglades is imperative, AND YOU CAN HELP!
By making small changes such as reducing our use of plastics, reusing our waste products and conserving water, together we can impact great change. Flamingo Gardens is poised to present education on everyday changes that can make a difference to over a quarter of a million guests each year. By presenting information through signage, classes, programs and events, Flamingo Gardens aims to educate and inspire the public to make changes in their everyday lives to help preserve the Everglades.
We invite you to join us and “Be EPIC”. That stands for Everglades Preservation Involves Change.
We know it won’t be easy. It is going to take all of us making changes to achieve the following goals:
Water conservation – Did you know that Flamingo Gardens consumed 5,104,000 gallons of city water in 2022? Our goal for the next year is to reduce our city-water consumption by 5%. That’s just over 250,000 gallons of water which is a significant amount of water to be saved. At home, you can take steps to reduce your water consumption by installing low-flow sinks and low-capacity toilets, fixing leaky pipes and hoses, only running your dishwasher when it is full, and turning off the water when brushing your teeth.
Reduced single-use plastic consumption – Did you know that in 2022, Flamingo Gardens sold over 17,000 beverages in single-use plastic bottles? Our goal is to completely stop sales of all plastic drink bottles at Flamingo Gardens in the next year. Plan on seeing more water refill stations throughout the gardens, and pick up a Flamingo Gardens reusable water bottle next time you’re in the Gift Shop. At home, you can reduce single-use plastic consumption by replacing bottled shampoo with a shampoo bar, ditching plastic straws for the reusable stainless-steel variety, asking for no extras when you get takeout, and bringing your own reusable bags when you shop.
Composting – Did you know that Flamingo Gardens has a compost pile? Our Horticulture Department has been composting plant material at the nursery for well over a year, and that compost material is used throughout the gardens as rich soil. Our goal is to increase compost production at Flamingo Gardens by 50% in the next year, by installing compost collection stations at the Flamingo Pond Snack Bar / Grill and in our Animal Care clinic. You can compost your own organic waste at home and use it in your own garden. Some cities are implementing composting city-wide, and if your city isn’t one of them, you can advocate for that change.
All of these changes won’t happen overnight, but we are excited to implement strategies here at Flamingo Gardens, with your help, to preserve our precious resource and natural wonder, the Florida Everglades. Keep an eye out for new signage and more as we roll out our Be EPIC campaign in the coming months.
