(Miami, FL)- As Summer season begins, the City of Miami is dedicating one week to focus on the environment with events centered on education, investment, and our parks. Green Week will take place June 22, 2009, through June 26, 2009, focusing on developments in the City’s environmental initiatives.

The following is a list of events taking place during Green Week:

Tuesday, June 23, 2009: 
• Re:Design Simpson Park Fundraiser
A Mid-Summer Night’s Dinner benefitting the Re:design of Simpson Park. Mayor Manny Diaz and Commissioner Marc Sarnoff will join Miami’s business leaders to honor and celebrate Miami’s only original Hammock—Simpson Park. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the evening will go towards the revitalization efforts of Simpson Park. Re:design Simpson Park is one of the initiatives of Dream in Green, an environmental education non-profit working to increase environmental sustainability. For more information, please contact Joanne Williams at jwilliams@miamigov.com or 305-250-5302. 

Wednesday, June 24, 2009:
• Recognition of the Restoration of the Barrier Islands & Shake-A-Leg Summer Camp
10 am, Shake-A-Leg, 2620 S. Bayshore Drive
Mayor Manny Diaz will visit the Shake-A-Leg’s Eco-Island Adventure Camp, a summer camp for kids ages 7 through 17 that teaches kids about South Florida’s unique aquatic ecosystems and how to protect them by taking part in activities on the eco-islands on the shores of Biscayne Bay. Those Dinner Key Spoil Islands were restored through a joint effort between Shake-A-Leg, the City of Miami, Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resource Management, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Thursday, June 25, 2009:
• Check presentation to Dream in Green at City of Miami Commission Meeting
9 am, City of Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive
Through the Gateway to Green event, the city’s first green building conference that took place in April 2009, the City collected proceeds over $5,000. Mayor Manny Diaz will join the City Commission to present a check for these funds to Dream in Green to go towards a joint collaboration between the City of Miami, Dream in Green and Home Depot, called the Home Energy Saver Challenge. Through this program, 50 Homes in the City of Miami will partake in a 6 month program that will monitor the energy use of each home and provide homeowners with training to teach them about low cost methods to reduce energy.

• Launch of the Park Rangers Program
1 pm, Virrick Park, 3255 Plaza St., Coconut Grove
Mayor Manny Diaz will join City Commissioners to officially launch the Park Rangers program. For the first time in the City’s history, the City of Miami has rangers dedicated to ensuring the safety of residents, cracking down on vandalism, and enforcing rules at parks throughout the City. This program is a continuation of the City’s efforts to invest in our parks and provide neighborhoods with a quality park system. Joining officials for the launch will be the 24 Park Rangers who have been dedicated to this effort.

Friday, June 26, 2009:
• Green Commission Meeting
11 am, City of Miami City Hall Chambers, 3500 Pan American Drive
Miami’s Green Commission will meet to discuss recent environmental initiatives’ accomplishments such as Gateway to Green, tree plantings, and Bike Miami Days. In addition, commission members will go over possible grant opportunities and policies related to LEED standards.

• District 5 Teen Green Clean Summer Youth Employment 2009    
Orientation will take place for the participants of the District 5 Summer Youth “Teen Green Clean” Employment Pilot. The program will provide 100 youth ages 14-24 an opportunity to receive Environment Training on how to keep their community clean and recognize visual pollution. The youth will be take part in environmental educational courses that focus on sustainable living, environmental protection and public communication. They will also work on neighborhood beautification projects around the district. This program will take place over the course of 8 weeks. Partners involved: South Florida Workforce, Commissioner Michele Spence Jones, NET Offices, Miami Office of Sustainable Initiatives, City of Miami Public Works and City of Miami Solid Waste Department.

Saturday. June 27, 2009:
• Fruit & Vegetable Community Garden Planting on the Miami River
9 am, Robert King High Towers, 1407 NW 7 Street
Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez, Miami River Commission, Babson College Alumni, Hands on Miami volunteers, Miami-Dade County & City of Miami will partner to create a fruit and vegetable community garden and beautify the Miami River. Over 50 Babson College alumni and Hands on Miami volunteers will join the Miami River Commission to create the first-ever riverfront vegetable garden on the historic Miami River, plant a variety of fruit trees, construct two raised planter beds, a rain barrel and a composter and help remove litter and debris along the shoreline of the Miami-Dade County Public Housing Agency’s elderly housing development Robert King High Towers.

During the past six years, Mayor Manny Diaz has launched a proactive and ambitious environmental program to clean streets, waterways, brown fields, storm drains, as well as improve air and water quality. Initiatives have included the creation of the Department of Sustainable Initiatives, creation of a city-wide Tree Master Plan, implementation of green fleet and green purchasing programs, and the establishment of the Miami Green Commission. The GreenMiami campaign seeks to increase the City of Miami’s tree canopy to 30% within the next ten years through tree plantings and extensive education, as well as facilitating neighborhood groups and individuals to plant and preserve our urban canopy.

For more information more information about GreenMiami, please visit http://www.ourgreenmiami.org/

For additional information about Green Week or the City’s environmental agenda, please call the Miami Office of Sustainable Initiatives at 305-416-1601 or email ssuccar@miamigov.com.