(Miami, Florida) -The 2005 hurricane season wrecked havoc
on residential landscapes throughout South Florida. With the
2006 season only months away, making the proper choices in what
to replant is critically important. “Go
Native!: a pocket
guide to choosing Florida natives over commonly found exotics”
is a bi-lingual guidebook developed by Citizens for a
Better South Florida (Citizens) to help the public make the
switch from exotics to natives as they replant their yards. The
pocket-size guidebooks, printed by the City of Miami, are being
distributed for free through the City of Miami Neighborhood
Enhancement Team (NET) offices in February and March.
"What you plant in your yard makes a big difference in South
Florida’s environment in terms of water usage, replenishing our
groundwater supply, and habitat for wildlife. Native trees and
shrubs are also better adapted to survive Florida’s natural
cycle of hurricanes and usually need less maintenance," said
Edith McClintock, Executive Director of Citizens for a Better
South Florida.
Designed by the brand design firm
Cre8tive Juice, the
guide employs a
fun and colorful layout to highlight 28 plant species and 2
landscape scenarios in a contrasting “Plant this...Instead of
this…” format -- making the often-difficult task of
distinguishing between similar native and exotic species easier
than distinguishing a cup of Folgers from Café Bustelo.
Citizens for a Better South Florida is a Miami-based
environmental education non-profit founded in 1989. Citizens
provides a foundation of understanding on environmental issues
in South Florida to diverse constituencies so that they can
become involved in making decisions that lead to a stronger
community and healthier environment. “Go
Native!” was produced with funding from the City of
Miami, the National Tree Trust, Miami Dade College, the
Miami-Dade County Departments of Water and Sewer, Solid Waste
and Environmental Resources Management, and the South Florida
Water Management District.
For more information or to schedule an interview, please call
Alex Montalvo, Citizens for a Better South Florida Program
Manager at 305-648-0000, by email at
alex@abettersouthflorida.org, or visit our website:
www.abettersouthflorida.org
