FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
Mario Riquelme,
Acting Director
Phone: 305.416.1440
mriquelme@miamigov.com
CONTACT: Sonia Succar
Office of Sustainable Initiative
Phone: (305)416-1601
Ssuccar@miamigov.com
Miami Celebrates Its 114th Birthday With Charity Event And Honoring Founding Mother Julia Tuttle
Miami, FL (August 19, 2010 ) —Following the success of the first tree giveaway event, City of Miami
Commissioner Richard P. Dunn II and the Miami Office of Sustainable Initiatives will host a second tree giveaway event on
August 21, 2010 from 8:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. at the Belafonte Tacolcy Park located at 6161 NW 9th Avenue in Miami.
Five hundred fruit trees will be distributed to City residents. Participants will have the opportunity to choose between five different
species of fruit trees; mango, tamarind, avocado, lychee and lime. Experts will also be on site to teach hands-on how to plant and care for trees. Educational material about avoiding “hatracking”
(also known as improper pruning that removes more than 25 percent of the tree’s canopy) will also be available.
City of Miami residents are eligible to receive up to a maximum of two fruit trees per household. All recipients will be asked to produce proof of residency, such as
a driver’s license, ID card or utility bill with a City of Miami address.
The tree giveaway events are part of the City’s Tree Master Plan that creates minimum standards in order to enhance, restore, stabilize and preserve Miami’s urban canopy cover to
a minimum of 30 percent by 2020. These efforts aim to reach residents interested
in planting trees, creating shade in their yard and decreasing their carbon footprint.
The event is sponsored by The Home Depot Foundation®. The City of Miami is partnering with local organizations: Hands on Miami, Kids Ecology Corps, Citizens for a Better South
Florida, Operation Green Leaves and Belafonte Tacolcy.
For additional information call the Miami Office of Sustainable Initiatives at 305-416-1601 or visit www.ourgreenmiami.org.