Golden Mangrove Award Goes To Tampa Community Group For Park Restoration

An ambitious project aimed at enhancing a small park in an urban area along the Hillsborough River has won the 2011-12 "Golden Mangrove Award" from Tampa Bay Estuary Program. The award is presented annually to one outstanding recipient of a TBEP Bay Mini-Grant. This year's winning project was submitted by the Sulphur Springs Museum and Heritage Center for the restoration of Mann-Wagon Park, where the center is located. The long-neglected park, which is home to three non-profit organizations that serve the surrounding neighborhood, was overgrown with weeds and invasive plants.

With a grant of $3,874 (and some matching funds and donations), professional landscape designer Brian Schatz was enlisted to work with community volunteers to identify and remove exotic plants and weeds and redesign the landscape using native and Florida friendly plants. Dozens of local residents, church groups, Girl Scouts, students from USF-Tampa, Sierra Club and YMCA members and other local groups pitched in at eight volunteer workdays. Upon completion, the volunteers - adults, teens and children of all ages -- were taught valuable lessons on the principles of Florida friendly landscaping, including water conservation, weed and invasive plant identification and mulching.

Kudos to lead organizer Norma Robinson and everyone involved in this "exotic" urban renewal! Click the link below to see a slide show Ms. Robinson put together about their tremendous project.

Source: Tampa Bay Estuary Program's "Bay Post" eNewsletter