TogetherGreen

South Florida Audubon TogetherGreen Activities make the news! Click here for details.

WHAT IS TOGETHERGREEN?

On March 26, 2008 Toyota and the National Audubon Society launched a joint venture: TogetherGreen. Toyota donated 20 million dollars and employee time to the venture and National Audubon Society committed its national resources and 103 years of environmental experience. During the next five years this joint venture will implement a series of national conservation initiatives to build future leaders in conservation, increase volunteer action, and achieve lasting conservation results. TogetherGreen includes three program components:

Innovation Grants -- to fund dozens of on-the-ground projects each year that employ creative approaches and engage diverse communities to help achieve measurable land, water and/or energy conservation results. Grant requirements will broaden project participation and promote innovation by uniting Audubon's national network with environmental and community partners.

Conservation Fellowships -- to train and foster up to 200 promising environmental leaders who can serve as role models, expert guides and organizers for engaging new and diverse audiences in effective conservation action.

Volunteer Days -- to be offered at Audubon Centers and other locations nationwide, providing hands-on opportunities to address environmental problems and take part in restoration activities.

SFAS Year 3 Recipient of a TogetherGreen Volunteer Days Grant

South Florida Audubon Society received a 2010-2011 TogetherGreen grant to continue its collaborative activities in Broward County. The first 2010-2011 TogetherGreen Volunteer Days event was held on Saturday, October 2. SFAS partnered with Broward County Naturescape and Broward County Schools. Students at West Broward High School in Pembroke Pines were engaged in wetland restoration. The event was linked to National Public Lands Day (September 25). NPLD is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. In 2009, 150,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, removed trash and invasive plants, planted trees and restored our water resources.

Another TogetherGreen event was held in November at Broward's Long Key Nature Center in Davie. This eco-action, educational, conservation event was held in conjunction with Fairchild Challenge Environmental Immersion Day .

TogetherGreen Newsletter

Click here for the first issue of the TogetherGreen Newsletter which highlights activities of recipients of TogetherGreen grants nationally. Visit the TogetherGreen website at (www.togethergreen.org) for other updates and progress reports as well as information on how to apply for future grants -- fellowships, innovative projects, or volunteer days.

To view the National Audubon Society's "What You Can Do to Help" conserve habitat/land, water, and energy, click here.

TogetherGreen Fellowships

Forty conservationists in 37 cities and 20 different states will advance their environmental vision and leadrship skills as 2009 TogetherGreen fellows. Doug Young, President of South Florida Audubon Society is among this list. Read a news article about him by clicking here and see his profile with a Click here . Also learn about other individual projects at http://www.togethergreen.org.

TogetherGreen 2008-2009 Year 1
SFAS Grant Recipient

The South Florida Audubon Society (SFAS) was one of 40 organizations to receive grants in the first year of the five year venture. The $7,000 award has enabled SFAS with community partners to launch three additional first time events that engage existing grassroots nongovernmental organizations, a minimum of 200 corporate employees and hundreds of children and adults from the community.

The Kids Ecology Corps has organized two community eco-action projects between Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 with an educational component for 200-300 corporate employees working in Broward County. The events spearheaded by SFAS include: planting sea oats or mangroves, removing invasive exotic plants in local parks, clearing nature trails, cleaning beaches, and/or planting native trees and plants.

For the Third Annual Friends of the Everglades' Walk/Bike-a-thon in March 2009 at Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, SFAS led a bird walk to educate the public on declining bird populations (due to effects of climate change in the Everglades including water and habitat/land issues).

For many participants the activities and events are first time exposure to green advocacy and education.

TogetherGreen 2009 - 2010 Year 2
SFAS Grant Recipient

Here is a summary of the kinds of activities completed in 2009-2010.

July 14 to October 31, 2009 -- Sea Turtle Disorientation Volunteering at beaches in Broward County, Florida

October 8, 2009 -- Tree Planting and Water Conservation Education at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Fort Lauderdale, FL

October 24, 2009 --International Climate Crisis Day (www.350.org) Rally at Museum of Discovery and Science to demonstrate support of the 350 effort for standards for climate change.

November 14-15, 2009 South Florida Living Green Fair --at John U Lloyd State Park, Dania Beach, Florida This event is geared to families and the expected crowd is 10,000. Hundreds of volunteers will be involved.

February 12, 2010 24-7-365green Environmental Conference -- Broward College South, Pembroke Pines, FL SFAS partnered with South Florida Economic Foundation. Click here for details.

April 2010 Earth Day Activities -- SFAS was one of the sponsors for the 4/17/2010 People and Planet Fair at Snyder Park, Fort Lauderdale which Kids Ecology Corps is hosting.

May 2010 TogetherGreen partner, Trash2Treasure, hosted from May 2 to 21 exhibits and activities at Artserv, Fort Lauderdale. Children and youth used recycled materials to create usable goods and art.