The Reclamation Project at the Miami Science Museum

Under the direction of Miami artist Xavier Cortada and with the help of the Miami Science Museum, my work began with building a permanent infrastructure for the Reclamation Project. This infrastructure included established contacts with public school principals, municipal administrators, and planning on a science education outreach program funded by a Miami-Dade County grant. With the infrastructure solidified by the end of July, the project focused on the science education outreach program. This program required a team of University of Miami undergraduate interns, coordination of supplies to be transported to participating schools, and training for the interns to properly collaborate with teachers at participating schools. After recruiting the interns, the project hit the ground running with an education outreach to 300 students, highlighting the need to preserve South Florida's biodiversity through environmental restoration. As the outreach was happening, the project was also reaching out to the Miami Beach community by having businesses display eco-art installations of mangrove propagules, or seedlings. These large installations at Miami Beach reminded shoppers and bystanders of how mangroves filled the areas where shops and stores are today. Additionally, the installations prompted people to think about how people and nature could coexist. Along with our Miami Beach outreach, the project coordinated mangrove propagule collections and mangrove plantings from the previous year's eco-art installations to restore mangrove populations on Virginia Key. The collection and plantings involved members of the South Florida community to in an effort to "reclaim land for nature," land that was once occupied by mangrove wetlands. The Reclamation Project also participated in several environmental events and fairs in Miami-Dade County. At every event, the project displayed eco-art of mangrove propagules in plastic cups and tree saplings with green flags to grab people's attention and educate them about the need to restore the environment. Additionally, the project had the opportunity at some events to give away a free green flag and tree so that the person could bring the eco-art to their neighborhood and increase awareness on their street or block.