FIU, Miami HEAT help restore the mangroves

The School of Environment, Arts and Society (SEAS) teamed up April 11 with the Miami HEAT, Shake-A-Leg, City of Miami and volunteers from Duffy’s Sports Bar & Grill and Canon Office Solutions for HEAT Beach Sweep, an annual beach clean-up project and pro-conservation campaign.

The group planted red mangroves along the shoreline of one of the islands dotting Biscayne Bay, created a butterfly garden, collected litter and debris, and assembled two HEAT-themed picnic tables that will remain on the island.

The mangroves help protect and stabilize the shorelines and provide feeding, breeding and nursery grounds for a variety of fish, birds and other wildlife. Additionally, mangroves provide protection from storm surge and sea-level rise. The butterfly garden will provide a habitat for the Atala butterfly, once thought to be extinct.