Chelsea Werner

Reclaiming South Florida for Nature

Imagine Lincoln Road lined with hundreds of mangrove trees instead of stores and restaurants. The South Florida shoreline is protected from erosion during hurricanes. The fisheries off our coast are healthy and abundant.

That is exactly what Miami looked like before we humans came into the picture and destroyed the natural habitat for our own purposes. Today, we are faced with stronger hurricanes with less shoreline protection. There are more people with less fish to be harvested for food due to loss of nursery grounds in the mangrove forests.

Fortunately, we are not destined to ruin due to our past choices. It is time for us to reclaim our land for nature by reforesting the mangroves. Nature will not be the only beneficiary, however. We, as South Floridians, are in desperate need of improved shoreline protection from storms. We must enhance fisheries for our economic and nutritional well-being.

The Reclamation Project is working to restore the area’s natural, healthy habitat. Mangrove seedlings are collected, grown in plastic cups, and then replanted. The process is simple, yet vital.

It is important that we, as community members, assist in all aspects of the project. As an individual, you can make a big difference by collecting, growing, and replanting a small mangrove seedling.

Imagine Lincoln Road as it is now, but with mangrove forests lining the surrounding coasts of Miami Beach and all of South Florida. The shoreline is again protected during hurricanes. Our fisheries are sustainable once more. This world is possible and necessary for our future. We can all play a role in creating it.