YOUTH TREE TEAM 2020 TO BEGIN JUNE 1
Community Tree Champion Program
We are excited to start the Youth Tree Team next week. Community Greening received a Great Ideas Initiative grant from the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County to employ local youth to get their first work experience by planting trees and maintaining green spaces. The teens will have 20 hour work weeks for 10 weeks over the summer to improve neighborhoods, learn about urban forestry, and teach them to be good stewards of the land. Throughout the summer they will have Green Days and visit Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and Zimmerman Tree Service. Congratulations Aiyana, Ford and Prince! It was exciting to hear their desire to help people and the environment during the interview process. Welcome to the CG Team!
Children’s Service Council of Palm Beach County
A Children’s Services Council (CSC) is a countywide special taxing district created by ordinance, and approved by voters, to fund programs and services that improve the lives of children and their families.
To date, 11 Florida counties have created CSCs that invest taxpayer dollars in the well-being of their community’s children and families. While the services offered and age groups served vary depending on the needs of the community, the primary focus of all CSCs is to invest in prevention and early intervention programs that produce measurable results.
In nine counties, voters have approved “independent” taxing authority for their CSC to ensure that a dedicated funding source is available for children’s programs and services. In addition to Palm Beach, the other counties with independent districts are Alachua, Broward, Hillsborough, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Pinellas and St. Lucie. Duval County (Jacksonville) operates as a “dependent” district, relying on funding from different sources, including county government, to pay for children’s programs and services. Manatee County is a hybrid.
Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands
Green Cay Wetlands is a nature preserve located in Boynton Beach, Florida. The 100-acre property was purchased in 1999 from Ted and Trudy Winsberg, who used the property for farming. The Winsbergs sold the property for 1/3 of its appraised value with the condition that it would be made into a wetland.
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Refuge Complex. A National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of two or more refuges, wildlife management areas or other refuge conservation areas that are primarily managed from a central office location. Refuges are grouped into a complex structure because they occur in a similar ecological region, such as a watershed or specific habitat type, and have a related purpose and management needs. Typically, a project leader or complex manager oversees the general management of all refuges within the complex and refuge managers are responsible for operations at specific refuges. Supporting staff, composed of administrative, law enforcement, refuge manager, biological, fire, visitor services, and maintenance professionals, are centrally located and support all refuges within the complex.