April 13, 2013

Special Earth Day Celebration

Environmental day at Markham Park

Thank you VOLUNTEERS

We are changing the world!

TASK: MULCHING

Special Earth Day

Celebration

Markham Park - 04/13/13

Volunteers: 32

Task: Mulching

Hours: 8:30 -12:00

Project Leaders:

Jennifer Udan

Maria M Hernandez

Organization:

HandsOn Broward

www.handsonbroward.org

EARTH DAY

Every year on April 22, more than

one billion people take part in

Earth Day. Across the globe,

individuals, communities,

organizations, and governments

acknowledge the amazing planet

we call home and take action to

protect it.

This year we are stepping up with

HandsOn Broward to be part of

the movement recognizing the

importance of being the change

and hands for Broward.

We are beautifying our parks, we

care about our Planet.

What are you doing?

Broward County recycles holiday trees

for mulch

Last year, Broward County Parks recycled more than 9,000 trees,

representing more than a hundred tons of material that would

otherwise have gone to landfills. Those trees were chopped up and

transformed in organic mulch, saving a lot of money and resources.

December’s holiday cheer is fertilizing

Parks in Broward this New Year.

1. Organic mulch improves soil fertility as it decomposes

reducing the need for fertilizers.

IMPORTANCE OF MULCHING:

2. Mulch also helps maintain soil moisture by reducing

evaporation. Less supplemental irrigation is needed.

SAVE WATER!

3. Another big plus for using mulch is that it buffers soil

temperatures keeping soils warmer in the winder and

cooler in the summer.

4. Organic mulch add to the nutrient base of the soil making

the soil richer

5. Mulching is one of the easiest steps in maintaining your

garden or landscape as well as provides an element of

color and texture to complement your plantings.

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS

You covered a huge area!

6. Prevents run-off and erosion

1,000 feet long

3000 sq. ft.

Approx. 5 truckloads of mulch

HOW TO ADD MULCH

Add mulch to the base of

your tree by removing any

grass within a 3 to 10 foot

area depending on the size

of your tree.

Pour natural mulch such as

wood chips or bark pieces 2

to 3 inches deep within the

circle.

Keep the mulch from

touching the trunk of the tree.

Mission accomplished!

Treecycling:

Is the simple act of recycling your Christmas tree, rather than

throwing it away, at the end of the season. By doing so, you

extend your Christmas tree's usability by allowing it to be turned

into something else.

According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 33

million trees are sold in the U.S. every year. Compared to

artificial trees, real Christmas trees are a renewable resource,

with 98 percent of them being grown and harvested each year as

a crop would be. They are carbon neutral and create organic,

biodegradable waste, making them the greener choice for

mulching. However, it is still important to keep them out of

landfills where they biodegrade slowly due to low oxygen levels.

Benefits of Recycling Christmas tree

Recycling Christmas tree saves the valuable landfill

space.

Trunk and branches of Christmas trees are chipped

and used as mulch in parks and gardens.

Mulch helps to prevent weeds, retain soil moisture as

well as protect roots.

After decomposing, mulch also provides nutrients

which are needed by growing plants.

Reduce the impact on Climate Change

Special thanks to Markham Park for those beautiful plants!

We are making a difference in Broward!

10 Reasons to Volunteer:

1. Volunteering provides physical and mental rewards. It:

Reduces stress

Makes you healthier

2. Volunteering provides valuable community services so

more money can be spent on local improvements.

The estimated value of a volunteer's time is $15.39

per hour.

3. Volunteers gain professional experience.

4. It brings people together.

5. It promotes personal growth and self-esteem.

6. Volunteering strengthens your community.

7. You learn a lot.

8. You get a chance to give back.

9. Volunteering encourages civic responsibility.

10. You make a difference:

Every person counts!

As a project Leader, I had enjoy every single moment that I had shared

with people from my community and surrounding areas, kids, teenagers

and adults . Some of them volunteer from their heart and others for

community hours, but we all have found a common motivation:

The Environment.

For this reason, as an environment activist, I have created this magazine

to explain the importance that is behind our volunteer project. I want to go

beyond of just leading a group; I want to explain how our actions

contribute to the protection of our natural resources and as consequence:

our communities, our planet!

One day those teenagers that today are looking for community hours;

they will be the future Homeowners that with their decisions will impact

the world!

On this specific project celebrating Earth Day, we learned about the

importance of mulching and its implementation on a Florida Friendly

Landscaping to save water, and the benefits of recycling (treecycling) to

protect the Environment.

Thank you to all the volunteers for their outstanding job! I can’t wait to see

you next time as we continue to help the environment. Thank you to

Markham Park project coordinators for their teaching and the beautiful gift

plants!

Maria M Hernandez HandsOn Broward Environment Project Leader

MY CONTRIBUTION:

This magazine has been produced by:

Maria M Hernandez

LEED AP