Celebrating Earth Day 2013

April 13, 2013

Special Earth Day Celebration Environmental day at Markham Park

TASK: MULCHING

Thank you VOLUNTEERS We are changing the world!

Special Earth Day Celebration Markham Park - 04/13/13

Volunteers: 32 Task: Mulching Hours: 8:30 -12:00

Project Leaders: Jennifer Udan

Maria M Hernandez

Organization: HandsOn Broward www.handsonbroward.org

EARTH DAY Every year on April 22, more than one billion people take part in Earth Day. Across the globe, individuals, communities, organizations, and governments acknowledge the amazing planet we call home and take action to protect it.

This year we are stepping up with HandsOn Broward to be part of the movement recognizing the importance of being the change and hands for Broward.

We are beautifying our parks, we care about our Planet.

What are you doing?

Broward County recycles holiday trees for mulch Last year, Broward County Parks recycled more than 9,000 trees, representing more than a hundred tons of material that would otherwise have gone to landfills. Those trees were chopped up and transformed in organic mulch, saving a lot of money and resources.

December’s holiday cheer is fertilizing Parks in Broward this New Year.

IMPORTANCE OF MULCHING:

1. Organic mulch improves soil fertility as it decomposes reducing the need for fertilizers.

2. Mulch also helps maintain soil moisture by reducing evaporation. Less supplemental irrigation is needed.

SAVE WATER!

3. Another big plus for using mulch is that it buffers soil temperatures keeping soils warmer in the winder and cooler in the summer.

4. Organic mulch add to the nutrient base of the soil making the soil richer

5. Mulching is one of the easiest steps in maintaining your garden or landscape as well as provides an element of color and texture to complement your plantings.

1,000 feet long 3000 sq. ft.

Approx. 5 truckloads of mulch THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS You covered a huge area!

6. Prevents run-off and erosion

HOW TO ADD MULCH  Add mulch to the base of your tree by removing any grass within a 3 to 10 foot area depending on the size of your tree.  Pour natural mulch such as wood chips or bark pieces 2 to 3 inches deep within the circle.  Keep the mulch from touching the trunk of the tree.

Mission accomplished!

Treecycling: Is the simple act of recycling your Christmas tree, rather than throwing it away, at the end of the season. By doing so, you extend your Christmas tree's usability by allowing it to be turned into something else.

According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 33 million trees are sold in the U.S. every year. Compared to artificial trees, real Christmas trees are a renewable resource, with 98 percent of them being grown and harvested each year as a crop would be. They are carbon neutral and create organic, biodegradable waste, making them the greener choice for mulching. However, it is still important to keep them out of landfills where they biodegrade slowly due to low oxygen levels.

Benefits of Recycling Christmas tree  Recycling Christmas tree saves the valuable landfill space.  Trunk and branches of Christmas trees are chipped and used as mulch in parks and gardens.  Mulch helps to prevent weeds, retain soil moisture as well as protect roots.  After decomposing, mulch also provides nutrients which are needed by growing plants.  Reduce the impact on Climate Change

Special thanks to Markham Park for those beautiful plants!

We are making a difference in Broward!

10 Reasons to Volunteer: 1. Volunteering provides physical and mental rewards. It:  Reduces stress  Makes you healthier 2. Volunteering provides valuable community services so more money can be spent on local improvements.  The estimated value of a volunteer's time is $15.39 per hour.

3. Volunteers gain professional experience.

4. It brings people together.

5. It promotes personal growth and self-esteem.

6. Volunteering strengthens your community.

7. You learn a lot.

8. You get a chance to give back.

9. Volunteering encourages civic responsibility.

10. You make a difference:

Every person counts!

MY CONTRIBUTION:

As a project Leader, I had enjoy every single moment that I had shared with people from my community and surrounding areas, kids, teenagers and adults . Some of them volunteer from their heart and others for community hours, but we all have found a common motivation: The Environment.

For this reason, as an environment activist, I have created this magazine to explain the importance that is behind our volunteer project. I want to go beyond of just leading a group; I want to explain how our actions contribute to the protection of our natural resources and as consequence: our communities, our planet!

One day those teenagers that today are looking for community hours; they will be the future Homeowners that with their decisions will impact the world!

On this specific project celebrating Earth Day, we learned about the importance of mulching and its implementation on a Florida Friendly Landscaping to save water, and the benefits of recycling (treecycling) to protect the Environment.

Thank you to all the volunteers for their outstanding job! I can’t wait to see you next time as we continue to help the environment. Thank you to Markham Park project coordinators for their teaching and the beautiful gift plants!

Maria M Hernandez HandsOn Broward Environment Project Leader

This magazine has been produced by: Maria M Hernandez LEED AP